Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 03-25-08 regular agenda — reading text

of work for the City during this interim period. Mr. Mattimore thought Mr. Linn, a labor employment lawyer, does work for the City. Mr. McDonald asked if this investigation is the type of investigation that should be out for bid. The Mayor stated that question is not relevant. Special Council 3 -11 - 08 39 COMMENTS FROM GENERAL PUBLIC cont. Mr. McDonald stated he was interviewed by Mr. Mattimore' s assistant and thought he was very forthcoming; he let him speak his piece. He said he had some things he felt affected the investigation; however, he did not see anything in the report on it. He relayed his main complaint, which he brought to Council before and they completely ignored it. He recalled when he relayed to Council that the Finance Director had not seen the Landmark proposal and parking garage until the day of the Council meeting. He commented that did not stir any reaction from Council and asked if they were listening when the people speak. Daphne Bower, 624 Kenmore Avenue, stated that Lisa Absher is a neighbor and friend, who has been nothing but kind to her family and to her son. She expressed disbelief that a person changes their spots just because they walk in the door of work and she thinks Lisa Absher is a fine upstanding individual. Jeff Main, 75 Waynell Circle SE, stated he is a disgruntled citizen and asked why Council continues to let the Finance Director terrorize the staff. He relayed that the Finance Director told his wife that he should not attend public Council meetings, and remarked that is Council' s employee telling a private citizen that he cannot come to a Council meeting. He said even after several complaints Council did not act and it took the leadership of the Mayor to stand up and take charge, and he felt that was Council' s job. He commented that the Charter is the law; it is not working and needs to be fixed. He expressed that the majority of Council tied the hands of the City Manager and the Human Resource Director in how they dealt with the Finance Director's continual abusive behavior toward City staff. He expressed his belief that Council did not have the political will and courage to say they made a mistake when they hired the Finance Director; it is not a good fit for the City. He said this could have been taken care of one year ago when it was brought up and everyone ignored it. He said by perpetuating the toxic relationship between the City Manager and the Finance Director, people played the two against each other, it was public and made a mockery of Council and continues to make a mockery of Council in the public. He commented it appears about 98% of the employees and Directors have publicly voiced their support for the City Manager. He stated as a citizen that attends Council meetings on a regular basis he felt he is relatively well informed on the issues that face the City, and expressed he has lost complete confidence in the majority of the executive body's ability to conduct business of the City in an intelligent, unbiased and professional manner. He said recent statements to the press by certain Councilmen have reaffirmed that belief. Bill Robinson, 672 Marionette, United Way Director, wished to go on record to recognize and tell Ms. Shanahan how much the community appreciates her leadership to the community. He said she is President of the United Way this year and is giving decisive leadership in the way the community responds to citizen' s needs and they are glad to have her. Ray Seip, 121 Nebraska Avenue, mentioned he has been working with the City for two years trying to correct some of the problems with the CRA Plan and the Land Development Code. He mentioned the first time he met Ms. Absher is when John Hofstad asked for an increase in impact fees where a figure of 226, 000 was mentioned of having been acquired but no mention of how much had been spent or remained. He met with Ms. Absher in her office and found out there was some money left and he questioned why there is a request for an increase in impact fees. He attended a briefing on accounts given by Ms. Absher which was a very good briefing on accounting. He said the retirement fund movement of money has also been explained and he now understands why there are two budgets; the loophole that is built in allows movement of money to cover budget shortfalls by not following the first budget. He commented Ms. Absher has tried to get the City staff to follow procedures normally associated with good financial practices, but it seems what was established by Ms. Shanahan is the only way the City Manager wants it and that is the way it is going to be. He said he has read Ms. Absher's folder presented to Council at the first termination, and he also read Ms. Shanahan' s folder and asked himself who controls those folders. He said he would have asked Melissa Jones not to come to work because of things she could do to damage the financial system. He said Lisa Absher is someone they need for checks and balances. He referenced a meeting he had with Ms. Shanahan and Missy McKim that to him did not go good as he got tired of being told he misunderstood and that it was in the ordinances. He also mentioned emails when he was told he misunderstood, what the ordinances meant, said in the past or was going to say in the future. 40Special Council 3 -11 - 08 COMMENTS FROM GENERAL PUBLIC cont. Mr. Seip mentioned he tried to talk with Ms. Shanahan about her sprinkler spraying over the sidewalks and commented on her tone of voice when she told him not to worry about it, she had shut it off. He relayed he told her there was an ordinance that forbid that and she said he was lying. He mentioned he asked Missy McKim if he could go with a Code Enforcement Officer to see how things went and the request was turned down by Ms. Shanahan. He said after an email was sent to all Council members he was given permission; he did learn a lot and found something Ms. Shanahan did that was of great help to the Code Enforcement Officer. He said he had Missy McKim ask if he could attend one of the City Manager's meetings at 9:00 am on Tuesday morning and he waited in the hall until Ms. Shanahan came out and told him the meeting was not open to the public. He said he asked how he could get the minutes and she said she didn't know there was any taken. He commented if he were an employee and had to work with or for someone like the present Manager, he would look for another job. He said if he was a General and had a Manager staffed like the one here, they would be looking for another job. He commented about the statements being signed by employees and stated that is not an impartial investigation, and if they did not sign they might get fired. Kabe Woods, 240 Brooks Street, mentioned something has to be done with the situation; it is divisive and has turned into a public spectacle. He commented it is not right for Council to let something go on this long that it divides the citizenry and tonight Council has the opportunity to take action. He acknowledged it is a hard job and expressed appreciation if Council would take care of this business for the City and the citizens. Joe Sasso, 18 Oak Dale Road, commented all the negative press is disturbing and wished to share his observations. He expressed that Mr. Hartwell' s comments about Joyce Shanahan before the Mattimore report were inflammatory, mean -spirited, rude and very unprofessional and thought a public apology was owed Ms. Shanahan. He questioned why Mr. Garvie would suggest firing both the City Manager and the Finance Director when the report shows that Lisa Absher is the problem. He mentioned Mr. Garvie stated he did not know how he will vote, that the report was one -sided, and it was obvious Mr. Garvie had not made up his mind, he expressed hope that Mr. Garvie would this evening. He commented that Mr. Miller was disappointed in the one -sided report, that it was a popularity contest, that Lisa is not doing her job. He hoped Mr. Miller would re -read the Mattimore report, it should be enough to sway his decision. He mentioned Dr. Pullen called the investigation a ploy to discredit Ms. Absher, it was biased, whitewashed, if he was treated the way she was it could be a possibility of a law suit, and he did not want the Mayor to launch the investigation. He mentioned when any investigation or consultant is ordered, no one agrees with the report and questioned when they are going to take facts as facts. He thought they should save the City money and dismiss Ms. Absher, and they should have let her resign in May 2007 when after six or seven months on the job she already had problems. He said that should have been a wake up call, instead Council gave her a contract. He asked if someone had not looked at Ms. Absher's baggage when she arrived, the previous lawsuits she is involved in. He said Joyce Shanahan is very professional, the City under her direction has won many awards, she has a sense of civic responsibility, got them back on their feet after hurricane Ivan with her employees and everyone who works here, and the Annual Report looks like a City that is on the move. He said he has met with Joyce and found her open to any suggestions for change and very easy to communicate with. He applauded the Mayor for his good sense to call for the report. He stated the Council members who voted to give Lisa Absher a contract now need to consider leaving with her. Bob Rettie, 317 Sudduth Circle, stated the Friday, March 7, 2007 email from the Mayor indicates, in particular, the issue to be investigated is interaction among the Charter Officers and the Officials and employees of the City. He said to then be relevant for the investigation, to consider that there allegedly seems to be a history of Ms. Shanahan being abusive. He said that history started some years prior to Ms. Absher being hired. He stated when he was interviewed for the investigation he furnished a document that described Ms. Shanahan being abusive to a City official in 2004, and he also provided other documents showing other improprieties in regard to Ms. Shanahan and people working under her supervision. He said none of that is in the Summary of Findings, and learned tonight that Mr. Mattimore does not seem to consider Board and Committee members officials. Special Council 3 -11 - 08 41 COMMENTS FROM GENERAL PUBLIC cont. Mr. Rettie said the Summary of Findings appear to be merely notes of a summary of a complete report. 7th He stated the Mayor' s March email indicates there is a large file of additional material collected during the investigation to be delivered after the Summary of Findings. He said it seems a complete report means this file in addition to merely the document received last week. He expressed his belief since the document submitted last week admits at least one serious item, and possibly several other relevant items pertaining to Ms. Shanahan, that Council should postpone any actions on this report until all pertinent information is collected and can be reviewed by all concerned. Gerry Chalker, currently President of the Rotary Club, said he has known Joyce through the Club for the last four years and he has never known her to be abrasive in any way, always professional, has never known her to speak in any kind of vulgarities or be rude or mean to