THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 1, 1996 TAG: 9607310165
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 74 lines
City managers, like the seasons, come and go. As with the seasons, some come in with great promise yet fail to live up to expectations. Some, like pitchmen at a carnival, hawk their wares to any and all gullible enough to believe. Others slip silently like a fog in the dead of night, blanketing everything in a shroud of make-believe.
Just two years ago, Rick Hedrick resigned as Suffolk's city manager. The same tactic he used with his previous employer. In less than two years, he has been terminated from a similar position in Florida.
Today, we have a manager who chose to come to Suffolk on a 4-3 vote. He has not had a public vote of confidence since he was hired. Why? Because it would not be unanimous and, in a public vote, folks have to turn their cards face up! If Mr. Standish were to get a unanimous vote of confidence, then someone is being less than truthful and council's credibility goes in the toilet.
Horace F. Lancaster stated in a recent letter to the editor, ``The campaign is over. Let's get together and take care of business.'' The first business at hand should be to hire a manager that understands that Suffolk has a council-manager form of government, not the other way around, someone who can make a decision, someone who will work with the constitutional officers, someone who will abide by the state and city code, and someone who will keep council fully informed with all the information - the good, the bad and the ugly - so that your decisions are based on facts, not just information the manager thinks you ought to know.
A recent example of Mr. Standish's leadership and management style was to have Assistant City Manager William Harrell and Personnel Director Marie Dodson ask for the resignation of the director of economic development, Tom Waller. All of this took place after our ``manager'' left town to attend a two-week class at the Institute for Senior Executives. You can't teach someone how to be a ``manager'' in two weeks.
Perhaps Mr. Standish is trying to imitate former President Nixon's style in dealing with unpleasant matters by getting someone else to do the dirty work. He would do much better to follow the course of former President Truman. Mr. Truman didn't send anyone to fire Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
It is part of the job, Myles, and you should be man enough to shoulder the responsibility. All of the classes in the world can't make you what you are not!
Richard R. Harris
Sleepy Hole Road
Suffolk Why public hearings? To meet requirement
Why does the City Council hold public hearings?
To gain insight into issues important to the citizens?
To listen with an open mind to the concerns of the residents of Suffolk?
Wrong! Public hearings are required by law. The City Council goes through the motion of ``hearing'' the public because it has to, but it does not listen.
On July 17, a public hearing was held on the Community Re-Use Plan for the former Naval Transmitter Station in Driver. Before the public hearing was opened, Councilman Curtis R. Milteer tried to make a motion to approve the revised plan. This indicated to me that the council had already made a decision.
What backroom deals have been made that the public does not know about? Of particular interest was that only one Suffolk resident spoke in favor of the revised plan, ex-councilman Richard Harris. Four local residents spoke in favor of the original Re-use Plan that was developed through three community workshops.
Once the so-called public hearing was closed, only one council member had the intestinal fortitude to ask sincere and specific questions. With the exception of Councilwoman ``Bea'' Rogers, not my representative on City Council, this council continues to keep the back room politics alive and well in Surprising Suffolk. Citizens, beware.
James Koziana
Kings Highway
Suffolk by CNB