Sunday, December 18, 2011

Dangerous Petty Politics and Vendettas - it's all about control

Comment Up
"Everything said and done, at the end of the day, we get the government we deserve and deserve the government we get."
~ P. Ramakrishnan
http://www.malaysia.net/aliran/ms991130.htm

And that's what we have now at Lake Worth City Hall. This is a new government that wants to spend your tax dollars and make unwise choices. Why are they doing this? Because Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell says that it's his ball game now and he's the heavy hitter. Triolo and Amoroso are listening to Maxwell and following his lead. The Mayor's personality is even changing just like a chameleon.

Yesterday was just another waste of 3.5 hours to listen to the visionary Commission beat down all common sense. They took no advice from the professionals, the staff, or the other side of that 3/2 vote or even Kurt Bressner who is with the International City/County Management Association's Range Rider program. They dissed everyone. They knew better.

It was a heavy handed meeting with free speech even impugned. The mayor was rude to McVoy and Mulvehill calling points of order at least three times whenever they said something she did not want to hear. I thought that the Mayor was going to give an explanation as to why she fired the city manager. But that was not to be. Any reference to that action she called a Point of Order and raised her voice. The heckling in the back of the room should have been recognized. That would have been a point of order well worthwhile.

Assistant City Manager, Kathleen Margoles, has no idea how lucky she got--how lucky she is that Scott Maxwell can't stand her because his ego was bruised when she failed to give him some information that he insisted on having on beach leases. It doesn't take much to get on his bad side. When he says jump, you had better ask how high.

She got turned down to be the Interim City Manager on a political 3/2 vote (the entire meeting seemed like a Sunshine violation--already decided and pre-determined) with two weak excuses for not appointing the assistant city manager who has worked for Lake Worth for the past year:

1) The beach redevelopment and casino project. Margoles is in charge of that, although it is a team effort she said.

2) The other excuse for not appointing her was that she has only been in the job for one month as an assistant CM with the implication that she did not have the experience. When she got her title changed from Assistant to the City Manager making $68,500 to Assistant City Manger with a 10% raise, it was stated publicly that her job description was the same, that she was doing all of the duties of an assistant city manager anyway. At that time, Stanton said that her assistant job was worth $110,000 a year, not the $75,350 she is making. They would rather hire a total stranger unfamiliar with our city.

Looking out for her professional reputation, and rightfully so, Margoles stated that she wanted $120,000 as Interim City Manager which would have been 10,000 a month for 4 months. Bressner said that we would be paying a pro-rata rate based probably on the salary we were paying Stanton, or $150,000 a year to an outside replacement. As Margoles described her duties past and present, Maxwell rolled his eyes. Triolo and Amoroso said, "Gee we really think you're qualified but..." Maxwell insisted on a "fresh, new face."

Why is she lucky? Because Scott Maxwell can't terminate her employment. He could have done that if she were Interim City Manager and the commission did not have to re-instate her to her former position unless, of course, she had negotiated that in her contract.

Steve Carr, Finance Director, highly recommended her for the position saying, "You pay me to give you the best advice that I can give to you. Margoles can handle the beach and the Interim City Manager position." He further said, "The recruitment of a City Manager is arguably the most important decision any City Commission must make. The recruitment process is also one that, generally, few City Commissions have experience and expertise in designing and implementing."

The new visionary commission DID NOT listen to Mr. Carr, the second highest paid department head in the city next to the Utility Director.

Nor did they listen to the advice of Mr. Kurt Bressner of the Range Riders when he gave his professional opinion and strongly recommended that they hire a national search firm to find a new city manager and to retain Kathleen Margoles as interim city manager.

With National firms attracting the best, this new commission of Maxwell, Triolo and Amoroso, didn't listen to him any more than they listened to Steve Carr. They knew better than the professionals. "We want local people to send in their resumes. Our staff can do the work," they said. Maxwell asked about hiring a former employee for the job. Rumor has it that his supporters want to bring in Joe Kroll, (who would be nuts to take this job) who is someone they like who dutifully always performed what was asked by them. We don't need "yes" men in this position. That's when Commissioner Mulvehill stepped in--"No, Commissioner Maxwell. You said that you wanted a fresh, new face."

The new visionary commission DID NOT listen to Mr. Bressner who they invited to give them professional advice. They did not take any of his advice but hired him anyway?? Does he know what he's getting into? Wasn't there some sort of handwriting on the wall for Mr. Bressner? Of course, as a volunteer, he can quit at will.

We now will have the Range Riders searching for an interim city manager who will be in our employ for approximately 4 months who will not know one thing about our city. The Range Riders will also be in charge of finding a permanent city manager. Time is of the essence and our city has complicated issues probably more so than any other city in the State plus it owns its own Utility. Bressner and his group are only volunteers so they will work for us without compensation as their time allows.

The visionaries who fired Susan Stanton have no problem spending money. Now strangely and ironically they want to cost cut and use a volunteer group and gather local resumes for the most important job in our city and at a most important time? As this new commission has spent an ungodly sum firing Susan Stanton with no explanation, they are now trying to make up for this reckless action by ignoring professional advice to hire a national firm estimated to be at the low end of the cost of approximately $20,000 to $35,000. You have to ask why.
  • Stanton severance pay: $125,000
  • Range Rider services: $5 to $8,000 plus travel and office expenses.
  • New City Manager: Range of $140,000 to $160,000 a year
  • Pay PBSO for background checks
  • An Interim-City Manager: $50,000 for 4 months plus benefits...another employee expense.
  • Pile on more work for staff to check out resumes. What if they miss something essential? Who's accountable? Scott Maxwell?
  • Go through all of this time and expense for what? Bressner told them that the current staff is top notch and policies in place were excellent. So all in all, we are spending a lot of money to find someone with the same qualifications of our former city manager, but someone who perhaps will be more flexible.
Saving money in this fashion may not save money at all. You get what you pay for. Even conducting studies were mocked by the Mayor. Time will tell if the Visionaries took the right course and if they will start taking professional advice or if they will continue to have all of the answers with staff taking a back seat.

Although they say we get the government we deserve I can't help but believe that none of us deserve these latest decisions from this commission, their lack of respect for staff and money, Mr. Bressner, some of the public and other points of view. Respect, once again, was not shown yesterday. Petty controlling politics and vendettas prevailed that do not benefit this city.

Theory: total Control of City Hall administration
1. It was planned all along to fire Susan Stanton. Triolo and Amoroso got roped into the deception and now are prominent members of the "club," the Visionaries.
2. As no three people can possibly be this stupid, they are looking to control the resumes, control the process, control it all.
3. They shunned advice from Steve Carr for whom they have high regard. Why? He is the only employee, per Maxwell, that is qualified to step in as temporary city manager. Instead, they have forced him to act as interim, dual responsibilities, awhile longer. He has told them that this is a bad decision.
4. They ignored Bressner. They did the same with him as they did with Carr and then they appointed him to do the searchs. Why? Control.
5. They possibly want to hire "yes man" Joe Kroll as city manager, someone who previously reached his Peter Principal. Maxwell even asked about hiring a former employee. Why would he do this? Control.
6. They have a secret Agenda known only to themselves, unrevealed to the public. They are listening to some of their most vocal supporters, the Dirty Dozen, who have no respect for anyone but themselves. Why? Control.
7. Scott Maxwell really is King, not a vice mayor.

Read The Palm Beach Post article on the meeting.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

I never did trust that Maxwell. the only word to describe this group is arrogant. As you suggest, the other word would be dangerous.

Anonymous said...

Here is a theory. Maybe they do not trust a staff that was created by the old city manager and presumed to be loyal to same. Would that make sense?

As for as Margoles, hasn't her battle with "The King" gone on forever over her reluctance to speak honestly about the costs of the beach projects?

Lynn Anderson said...

The King needs a lesson on protocol. He is not allowed to go to staff. If he has a request, he must go through the CM. Margoles reports to the CM. She does what the CM says. She does not have to give a commissioner squat other than a cordial and polite response. End of story.

Anonymous said...

No, it is only Maxwell who has a trust problem. He trusts Steve Carr and then, in so many words, told him he was full of chit.

Anonymous said...

Lynn, ref your comment, are you saying that a city manager can tell the commission anything he/she wants in spite of what is being asked for?

Doesn't the city manager work for the commission and wouldn't telling the commission what he or she wants them to hear or know be a problem at some level?

Lynn Anderson said...

Maxwell made big deals about information not in the back-up. Triolo is now doing the same thing. Maxwell should have followed-up BEFORE a meeting to see if what he asked for was there. He just didn't bother and instead decided to use the dais as a bandwagon for complaints. There is responsibility on both sides here. You can't produce something that you do not have which was the case sometimes.

Please do not forget, that each commissioner met with the CM every week for 2 hours a crack. That was his opportunity to ask the questions and get the info. Maxwell, instead, refused to ever meet with Stanton because he hated her before he was even elected. Was it the transgender thing? Who knows. How can you hate someone you don't even know.

We are all now paying for his hatred. I don't take that lightly nor should any citizen here.

Anonymous said...

It is all soooooooo unbelievable! Between all the HUGE FU's that Joe Kroll did for the the last few years before he left that have cost the city hundreds of thousands of wasted dollars (and are still costing the city dollars).......... the pool repairs, S Bryant Park and the parking lot, the RR track debacle etc. AND all the wasted dollars because of Rene to have a special election because of his ego AND all the wasted dollars to send SS packing instead of letting her finish her term and using that time to find a replacement with out all the extra extra costs........... All that adds up to almost 1 million dollars wasted in the last 3 to 4 years!! And those are only the things I was paying attention to......... Scary!! Unfortunately our little microcosm mirrors the larger political landscape of individuals whose main interests seem to be driven by their own ego's and, as you say, their need for control!

Anonymous said...

Seems to me that we finally got a commission willing to take control of staff instead of the other way around. Kudos to them!!

John Rinaldi said...

I have to disagree with you Lynn. The old commission allowed Stanton to control them and you often complained about that. Now we have a commission that take’s control and decides to do not what staff recommends but what they think is best for the city. You now change position and fault them for not doing what their hired expert and staff wants them to do. The buck stops with them and if they fail we can vote them out. Leadership means taking control and doing it your way.

You know that Stanton's severance is not $125,000. It is only $75,000. The balance is sick and vacation time that the city owed her anyway. The fact is that it will take up to 4 or 5 months to get a new CM and we are not paying anyone that sum now. So it's really not a money issue but a control issue that you are upset with. I think keeping things the way they are and seeing what type of interest we get in the position before giving a head hunter thousands of dollars makes good financial sense. We can always use a head hunter down the road.
There was overwhelming support for giving Stanton the boot and it's time to move forward. McVoy was out of line each time he tried to discuss Stanton and the mayor did a great job controling his verbal bullshit. He cannot control the meetings and delay the progress that we need to make. Pam is doing a great job and I have hope that we will soon see the real financial condition of our city which Stanton has hid from us these past years as she wiped out our reserves with no commission approval. Lets give these new folks on the commission a chance.

Lynn Anderson said...

As previously stated, the reserves were wiped out during Baldwin. Stanton was trying to turn this city around and raise the much needed cash. Let's give credit where it is due. I was against the fire assessment money grab to do that.

I totally disagree with you on Triolo. She came across worse than Waterman but her supporters will never admit the truth here.

Nothing makes good financial sense in what these three did or how they acted yesterday. Give them a chance to do what? In one month they have ALL OF THE ANSWERS.

Anonymous said...

These commissioners don't understand the division of power. They want to administer too. Creeps.

Anonymous said...

Well, surprise. John Rinaldi doesn't agree with Lynn Anderson. Who would have thought that?

Anonymous said...

8:34 above, not so because Maxwell said that the only one he trusts, and he has a huge trust problem, is Steve Carr. He refused to take Carr's advice. Bressner said that we had a superior staff in place. Maxwell needs to go to church or find a professional who can help him with his trust issues.

Anonymous said...

Here's a theory. The Commish will take over the CRA and make Joan Oliva the CM. Beautiful!! Make it so.

John Rinaldi said...

Lynn and I have agreed on many issues and we also disagree. We have discussed how the past commission rubber stamped everything that Stanton wanted. Now that has changed and I like it. I want to see our elected officals take control and direct their city manager to get the job done. We voted for this change and I only hope that they are up to the job. The mayor was very respectful and McVoy should not be allowed to stonewall the meetings with bull that gets us nowhere but worn out. Those days are over folks. There is too much to do to get us back on course. As to the reserves, I believe no one really knows what happened to them and I really believe that Stanton did spend what was left. Maybe next week we will hear how much debt Stanton ran up without commission approval on the beach.

Anonymous said...

I believe that many understand that the past administrator made contributions to the bigger picture (even current and former elected officials)...that is what administrators are paid to do?...the term Maxwell used was "comfort" not "trust"...also, he in no way stated or suggested a purge of staff, he did reference that the current execs were hired by the former manager in a way to support her agenda, management style or whatever AND did so by giving them all open ended contracts that now create financial legacy issues...does it occur to anyone that no matter how good the staff is, that they are or may be more concerned about self preservation in an economic climate that is no real strong and perhaps this is why margoles is being propped up as a potential firewall that protects potential real or perceived misdeeds of the former administration?

Lynn Anderson said...

I once believed that open ended contracts were not for the benefit of the employee. However, that employee can now be fired just the same as if he/she were under a contract with a specified term just like Stanton's contract.

As far as staff is concerned, they manage their departments to the best of their ability and report to their boss. Simple.

I do not believe that current or past staff were hired to support Stanton's agenda. She hired the best that she could find that knew their stuff. She hired people who she could trust. That was the only way to turn around this broken city. All those gone needed to be gone.

Anonymous said...

Joan Olivia? You mean the one who thinks it perfectly a-ok to succumb to corruption and spend TIF money like there's no tomorrow? That one? The one whose panties are all in a wad? That one?

Anonymous said...

They keep talking about Stanton and her lousy personality. Actually it is Maxwell who has the personality problem. Now the rest of them are following suit. Power corrupts especially with short people.

Anonymous said...

it seems to me that they do have a hidden agenda. More of it will be revealed as they make more ridiculous decisions such as they made yesterday. Local talent? You have got to be kidding. The next thing they will fire Steve Carr since they put him in the crapper along with everyone else.

Anonymous said...

And you called Waterman arrogant and divisive! At least she knew what she was talking about, read the back-up, asked intelligent questions, thought independently, and told the truth in the interest of the city - even if it wasn't what people wanted to hear.

Make sure you vote next time!

Anonymous said...

Beware unsuccessful, fat, bald & short men in positions of power.

Anonymous said...

Let's hope the fat lady sings soon and we can Lake Worth back on track to being the jewel of the treasure coast that she is.

Anonymous said...

I've had enough already! Waterman for Mayor 2013!

Anonymous said...

Greg Rice, King of the Slumloards for Office! Let him run for office like he threatens every year - then we can take pictures of all his slum properties and show how he is really invested in our community!

Lynn Anderson said...

You now change position and fault them for not doing what their hired expert and staff wants them to do. The buck stops with them and if they fail we can vote them out. Leadership means taking control and doing it your way.
You know that Stanton's severance is not $125,000. It is only $75,000.


WRONG AGAIN.
Her severance is $125,000 right under. That's what we will be paying out right now--not two years from now.
Maxwell said that Carr was the only one he felt comfortable with in the position of interim and then he turns around and does NOT take his advice.

Leadership means taking control and doing it the RIGHT way.

Someone is confused and it sure ain't me. SPIN IT.

What does "getting us back on course" mean, anonymous above at 10:54.

Whether you want to use the word "trust" or the word "uncomfortable" in describing what Maxwell said or the intent behind the comment, it is all the same thing. He says that he is uncomfortable and never explains what in the hell he means and everyone is supposed to accept that as a legitimate reason. It's bull shit.

Lynn Anderson said...

Hey you at 12:30--it is the Jewel of the GOLD COAST. The Treasure Coast is that damn council that is always butting into our affairs. :)

Anonymous said...

wow, I just finished reading this. I can't believe all of this, really something but it all makes sense. In the end and at election time, I voted for Rachel and Joanne. I never trusted the now present mayor because I think she planted that creepy little lawyer.

Anonymous said...

Give it time and the true intentions of the folks on the dais will be made evident - hopefully it is for the good of the city and not personal aggrandizement. We have to wait and see where all this discontent and new vision leads the city.

Anonymous said...

Is he related to Hitler? Put a Nazi armband on his sleeve, he would fit right in.

Stu said...

I listened to the meeting online and maybe my computer received a different audio than what is being described here. Must be all the aluminum foil encasing the room to keep the bogeyman out. I hope you have a Merry and peaceful Christmas. Perhaps you should take a break from attending, photographing, blogging, and anonymously commenting so your spirit can refresh.

Lynn Anderson said...

Gee, Stu, it's nice to know that you listened to this 3.5 hour meeting on-line and you got a lot out of that.

Also, thanks for your words of wisdom? but I continue to write just because of people like you.

And you too, have a happy holiday. Take off your rose colored glasses so that you can enjoy it to its complete reality.