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HomeMy WebLinkAbout062919784.88 SPECIAL MEETING - JUNE 29, 1978 MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER BY MAYOR PAT FLOOD, JR., AT 9:00 A.M. PRESENT: COUNCILMEN EVERETT T. GASS, JOHN R. JOACHIM, AND CLIFFORD HOOSE, AND MAYOR PAT FLOOD, JR. ABSENT: VICE MAYOR LEWIS GRAY AND MR. L. B. VOCELLE (BOTH OUT OF TOWN) THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING WAS TO DISCUSS EXISTING MORALE PROBLEMS WITHIN THE STREET DEPARTMENT. AT A MONTHLY MEETING HELD MONDAY, JUNE 26, 1978, MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT AIRED THEIR GREIVANCES AND ASKED THAT THE CHAIRMAN OF THE STREET DEPARTMENT (COUNCILMAN GASS) BE REMOVED FROM THAT DUTY. MAYOR FLOOD ASKED MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL FOR ANY COMMENTS THEY MAY HAVE, AND COUNCILMAN GASS STARTED THE MEETING BY READING A PREPARED STATEMENT LISTING PROJECTS HE HAD GIVEN TO THE STREET DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR AND WHICH HAD NOT BEEN DONE. (COPY OF MR. GASS'S STATEMENT ATTACHED.) MR. GASS COMMENTED THAT THE LACK OF COOPERATION FROM THE SUPERVISOR CAN ONLY BE CLASSED AS INSUBORDINATION. 1. REQUEST FOR VACATION SCHEDULE - REQUESTED 3 MONTHS AGO - NOT YET RECEIVED. 2. PUMP IN THE PARK AT THE PIER FOR WATERING TREES AND GRASS - TO DATE, THE PUMP HAS NOT BEEN INSTALLED. 3. PARK AT S.R.#512 AND INDIAN RIVER DRIVE - STARTED CLEANING 2 MONTHS AGO BUT NOT COMPLETED YET. 4. TOOK 6 MONTHS BEFORE IRON POSTS WERE CUT FROM THE LIGHTS ON GROUND AT GARAGE ON LOUISIANA AVENUE. CONCRETE BASES AND LIGHT SHADES STILL HAVE NOT BEEN REMOVED. 5. HAS ASKED FOR LIST OF CITY EQUIPME~ N~J~E,~A~I~-~,__ AND SPECIFICATIONS- NOT YET RECEIVED. \VI 6. BLACKBOARD OR BULLETIN BOARD TO BE P~RECTED IN G.~RAGE~O~ECORD SERVICING OF EQUIPMENT - NOT YET IN OPERATION. 7. PIT TO BE DUG TO ALLOW REPAIR OF E~EN~ NO-AS;IDEN~AF~ THE PROJECT HAS BEEN ATTEMPTED. MR. LAMPREY ADMITTED HE HAD NEGLECTED TO GIVE/~NCLL~A~ GASS A COPY OF THE VACATION SCHEDULE, BUT HE HAD TURNED IT IN TO THE CITY CLERK'S ~F.~-tCF. ~REFERENCE TO COUNCILMAN GASS'S COMMENT ON MR. LAMPREY'S LACK OF INTEREST IN VISITING ~E ffuPPIU~ROPERTY BASES, HE (MR. LAMPREY) FELT IT WOULD BE EASIER TO HAVE MR. EADS ACCOMPANY M_~. dASSB~2~USE OF HIS MECHANICAL KNOWLEDGE. WITH REGARD TO THE PUMP IN THE PARK, MR. LAM~T~T~D HE WAS NEVER TOLD TO PUT A PUMP IN THE PARK, AND THE PUMP WAS NEVER PURCHASED. Z, OCATION, GRAZ E AND' I Z I I\ X X I I\ .... PUT THEM ASIDE TO US~,--TJFEN FOR SO.~EW-A~fNGhDLSB-~AND--T~E POS4%g WER~ C~ U~4~N~--U~B=D FOR STREET SIGNS. MR. LAMPREY STATED THAT MR. GASS IS GOOD AT PURCHASING EQUIPMENT AND THEY HE ALWAYS CONSULTS HIM WHENEVERAN EXPENSIVE ITEM IS NEEDED, BUT COMPLAINED THAT HE CANNOT PUT HIS MEN WHERE HE FEELS THEY ARE NEEDED, THAT MR. GASS iNTERFERES WITH HIS DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS TOO MUCH. COUNCILMAN HOOSE WHO IS A MEMBER OF THE STREET DEPARTMENT COMMITTEE, STATED HE HAS NEVER BEEN CONSULTED ABOUT WORK SCHEDULES, STREET PAVING, ETC. UNTIL AFTER MR. GASS HAS SET THEM UP. MOST OF THE POLICIES ESTABLISHED BY MR. GASS WERE NOT BROUGHT TO HIS ATTENTION UNTIL AFTER THEY WERE IN EFFECT. THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT A YEAR AGO ABOUT GETTING A LIFT FOR THE GARAGE IN LIEU OF DIGGING A PIT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS SUCH A LIFT THAT IS NOT IN USE AND WHICH THE COMMITTEE INTENDED TO PROCURE FOR THE STREET DEPARTMENT. A PRICE WAS AGREED UPON BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN REMOVED FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AFTER HAVING LISTENED TO BOTH SIDES, COUNCILMAN JOACHIM STATED THAT ON ONE HAND THERE IS A MAN HANDLING THE PUBLIC WORKS WITH BOTH HANDS TIED, WITH LITTLE OR NO AUTHORITY. ON THE OTHER HAND, A COUNCILMAN IS BEING ACCUSED OF SLAVE LABOR AND T~RYING TO PROVE TO THE PUBLIC THAT HE WAS THE PROPER CHOICE. THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT MR. GASS'S DEDICATION OR ABILITY, BUT APPARENTLY HE HAS COME ON PRETTY STRONG. WHEN A PERSON RUNS FOR OFFICE, HE DEVOTES HIS TIME TO BEING ELECTED, NOT TO WHAT THE JOB ENTAILS, AND THEN WHEN HE IS IN OFFICE, NONE OF THE SENIOR MEMBERS INSTRUCT HIM UNTIL HE HAS MADE A MISTAKE. HOWEVER, HE FEELS THAT MR. LAMPREY HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN A CHANCE TO REALLY DO HIS JOB. IF HE IS TO BE RETAINED AS SUPERVISOR, HE SHOULD BE GIVEN THE AUTHORITY TO DO IT WITHOUT DIRECT SUPERVISION FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE STREET DEPARTMENT COMMITTEE. MR. GASS SHOULD BE INSTRUCTED TO ESTABLISH POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE DEPARTMENT AND SEE THAT THEY ARE CARRIED OUT. MR. JOACHIM DID NOT GO ALONG WITH THE IDEA OF A SUPERVISOR, ASST. SUPERVISOR AND FOREMAN FOR SEVEN EMPLOYEES. IF MR. LAMPREY FEELS HE NEEDS A LEAD MAN FOR A CERTAIN GROUP, HE SHOULD APPOINT A LEAD MAN FOR THAT JOB ONLY. MR. LAMPREY SHOULD BE ALLOWED A TIME FRAME TO DO HIS JOB. IF HE PROVES SATISFACTORY WELL AND GOOD. IF NOT, HE SHOULD BE REPLACED. THE POSITION VACANCY SHOULD BE ADVERTISED AND A QUALIFIED PERSON SELECTED. MR. CRAGG EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM, THAT HE HAD TALKED TO DON ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. BEFORE HE LEFT OFFICE IN DECEMBER, HOWEVER, NO ONE HAD EVER COME TO HIM AND COMPLAINED ABOUT MR. GASS. MR. CRAGG TOOK EXCEPTION TO THE FACT THAT THE PRESS WAS NOTIFIED AND TO THE FACT THAT AN ATTEMPT IS BEING MADE TO RAILROAD MR. GASS OUT OF HIS POSITION. HE FLET IT WAS A DISGRACE FOR THE CITY TO HAVE TO LISTEN TO SOME OF THE STATEMENTS MADE ABOUT A MAN WHO HAS DEDICATED HIS WHOLE LIFE, SINCE HE BECAME A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL, TO DO THE THINGS THAT HE THOUGHT WAS RIGHT. SPECIAL MEETING - JUNE 29, 1978 (CON'D ~) HE REFERRED TO THE STATEMENT BY MR. JOACHIM THAT IF MR. LAMPREY IS RETAINED AS SUPERVISOR, HE SHOULD B~ GIVEN ALL THE AUTHORITY AND NO SUPERVISION. YOU CAN'T RUN THE CITY WITHOUT SUPERVISION FROM ONE OF THE COUNCILMEN WHO HAS THE TIME TO PUT INTO IT. HE FELT THAT MR. GASS HAS DONE A WON~L~FUL JoB'FoR THE CITY AND SHOULD NOT BE CRITICIZED FOR THE EFFORTS HE HAS MADE TO PUT THIS DEPARTMENT ON A BUSINESS-LIKE BASIS. MRS. DEWHURST STATED SHE FELT THE PEOPLE GO TO THE POLLS AND ELECT THESE MEN AND WHEN SUBORDINATES TRY TO TELL THEM HOW TO RUN THE CITY, SOMETHING IS WRONG. MRS. SZELUGA FELT THAT BOTH MR. LAMPREY AND COUNCILMAN GASS ARE GOOD MEN AND EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO COOPERATE~WITH EACH OTHER. ROBERT KROLL, STREET DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE, STATED THE MEN DO NOT APPRECIATE HAVING SOMEONE LOOKING OVER THEIR SHOULDERS ALL THE TIME. HE FELT THE SUPERVISOR OF THE STREET DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE THE ONE TO SUPERVISE THE MEN WITHOUT INTERFERENCE FROM THE COUNCILMAN. RICHARD SZELUGA STATED THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED AS AN INTER-DEPARTMENTAL PROBLEM AND SUGGESTED THE MAYOR, THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY ATTORNEY ESTABLISH A WORKING POLICY TO BE USED AS A GUIDE TO ELIMINATE THE EXISTING DISSENSION. ROBERT DOHERTY, STREET DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE, FELT THAT MR. LAMPREY HAD PLANTED SEEDS OF HATRED IN THE MEN'S HEARTS AGAINST MR. GASS AND STATED SEVERAL INCIDENTS THAT HAD OCCURRED TO BACK UP HIS ACCUSATION. HE FELT THAT MR. GASS WAS A GOOD LEADER, A GOOD CITIZEN, AND AN ASSET TO THE COMMUNITY. MAYOR FLOOD ESTABLISHED A COMMITTEE INCLUDING HIMSELF, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MAYOR'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE, MR. CRAGG AND EACH DEPARTMEN~AD_~Q~i~ ~Q~I~ES AND PROCEDURES FOR EACH DEPARTMENT. THE PROCEDURES OF ALTAMONTE SPRINGS APJE~E UJED_AS_~ ~U~E/ HE STATED HE HAD NO INTENTION OF TAKING ANY ACTION AGAINST A MEMBER OF TA~u6~UNCIL AS A RE~U~ OF COMPLAINTS FROM ANY CITY EMPLOYEES. COMMITTEE HAS SET UP THE POLICIES AND ~R~IC~DURE$ FCR EACH ~ THE DEPARTMENTS, THE SITUATION SHOULD BE REVIEWED IN 90 DAYS. MAYBE SOME CHA~'~S O~--PERS~NEL M~HT BE NECESSARY AT THAT TIME. MAYOR JOHN MELTON, POLICE DEPARTMENT, SUGGESTED SETTING IFIED CODE OF DIRECTIVES FOR ALL DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY. MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 10:30 A.M.