3/12/12
So when is Brian Heck leaving Shorewood? The agenda for tonight's council meeting doesn't have anything about this. So, what is Lizee and buddies waiting for? Even the Insider isn't sure.
Also, a reader asked what Heck's leaving will cost the City. Well, it's not 100% clear, but it will include up to 6 months' pay (in Heck's contract), his unused vacation, and the City will have to pay unemployment benefits so long as Heck remains unemployed and for up to whatever the current number of months of unemployment are in force in Minnesota. In dollars, the total will be well above $50,000. In other terms, this is 1% of the entire budget for 2012.
Where do you suppose Lizee and buddies are going to find the 1%? What will they cut?
Happy Reading!
The Insider
I attended the council meeting last evening because I noticed in the e-version of Shorewood News that there was a new (to me, anyway) "farm and wild animal" ordinance on the agenda and ready for approval. I do not recall there being any notice of this in the works under the Planning Commission notes in past, recent newsletters. But, sure enough, upon viewing old minutes of Planning Commission meeting minutes, a lot of work has been going on in Planning around this issue in the last months. Didn't know we had an issue in Shorewood around farm animals that needed all this new regulation. When Nielson was asked by the mayor if there had been many complaints along these lines, he responded, "not many." So, what gives? Is our city staff anti-animal, chicken and goat haters, or what? I would have liked to have been given the chance for public comments on this.
ReplyDeleteIn Brian Heck's own words, he was fired because of his lack of leadership, i.e., not going to Chamber or Rotary. See the last paragraphs in his public blog posting: http://brianheck65.wordpress.com/
ReplyDeleteReading the Brian Heck blog he says he was let go because "leadership" meant going to Chamber and Rotary luncheons. Do taxpayers really need to be buying staff lunch twice a week? This is leadership? Someone else is out to lunch on this one.
DeleteIf blog followers will recall, this is the third city administrator fired during M. Lizee's time as an elected official. At the uber-conservative estimate of $50k per.... ca-ching!
ReplyDeleteAnd Kennedy died. Factual statement, doesn't tell the whole story.
DeleteDon't worry about whether she was for or against previous oustings, just tie her to the whims of our city officials and paint with a broad brush. Bravo!
Rumor has it he's already gone - what a shame. Insider you've guesstimated the costs for salary and benefits - it appears the cost of hiring a consultant to find a new administrator are missing .. didn't it cost the city approx. $16k, plus, plus, plus the last time we went through this? Your $50k is conservative at best ..
ReplyDeleteappears it will be more like $68k.
I'd say it cost several thousand more than $68K when you add in all the other costs associated with Dawson's ouster (vacation payout, bonus pay to the city staff in the absence of a FT administrator). Odd how guys like Dawson can be so well respected for several years and then get run out of town.
DeleteWhy is it that these guys are so well respected one year, then the next year they're persona non grata? Wouldn't have to do with the elections or political payback, would it? The city attorney certainly couldn't tell you anything about that.