From: Jacob Patterson
To: City Clerk
Subject: Public Comment -- 7/10/23 CC Mtg., Item No. 8B Date: Friday, July 07, 2023 3:12:30 PM
City Council,
In my opinion, yet again Peggy proves herself to be the City's worst city manager in several decades exhibiting poor judgment and mismanagement of public resources with this recommended employment contract. The City Manager can already name the Police Chief as Assistant City Manager and all the Council would need to approve is an amended salary schedule not a full employment contract. frankly, this is an odd choice when the City Council would be better served by just naming him to the joint roles of Police Chief and City Manager cutting the unnecessary dead weight from the top, but there is no benefit to the public or the City from ratifying that decision in an employment contract with these terms. There is no reason to burden future management decisions with contractual terms like a term of employment continuing for three years or to obligate the City to pay a much more generous severance benefit if the Police Chief should need to be terminated compared to the existing severance plan that applies to all City staff not covered by an employment agreement.. (There have been some questionable management decisions in the PD of late that likely expose the City to significant legal liability from fostering a hostile work environment and have cost us at least one excellent officer that the department and the community couldn't really afford to lose so it is not as if his tenure has been without issue so far...) Basically, all this contract does is potentially cost the City more money for a hybrid position that we don't even need. In fact, I predict that Peggy will then use this as an excuse to get the Council to further increase her already excessive pay (based on her terrible performance) because she can't very well make less than a position that reports to her. Don't let the taxpayers of this city get bamboozled by self-interested management recommendations.
The Chief is already employed here and there is no reason to sweeten the pot by now contractually providing him with an extended employment term or unnecessary severance benefits in the event of his termination. Approving this contract is not a good use of public resources and sends the wrong message when the taxpayers are being asked to pony up a tax extension or possibly additional taxes. That said, I have no significant concern about keeping Neil as Police Chief or even adding on Assistant City Manager to his duties, particularly if it helps transition him into the City Manager role since change is obviously needed.
Regards,
--Jacob