North Port board punts complaint against city manager to June conflict-resolution workshop

NORTH PORT – North Port City Commissioner Debbie McDowell barely got the words “this is not a personality issue, this is a personnel issue,” out of her mouth this week regarding her call for an inquiry into the conduct of City Manager Jerome Fletcher when her fellow board members told her in no uncertain terms, they felt otherwise.

McDowell – and several people who addressed the commission during public comment – had anticipated the council discussing her allegations that Fletcher may have exceeded his authority in several actions. Those actions included allegedly urging state legislators to back-burner an effort to have Warm Mineral Springs placed on a list of outstanding Florida springs.

Instead, Mayor Barbara Langdon pushed to have the matter discussed at a daylong June 6 conflict-resolution workshop designed in part to improve the relationship between Fletcher and McDowell.

Related: North Port government plans conflict-resolution session to ease rift

The quick action effectively dismissed the content of McDowell's complaint and chalked it up to the troubled working relationship between the two individuals – especially since no formal action could be taken at the workshop.

Fellow commissioners Pete Emrich, Vice Mayor Alice White and Phil Stokes followed suit.

“I think it’s the appropriate place to discuss it, in my honest opinion,” Emrich said

White said in that in that setting “you would have an outside mediator, someone to monitor and help us through that process."

Stokes added: "This is truly a matter of how we all get along and work together and trust each other in the collective interests of the city and its citizens."

That frustrated McDowell.

“We cannot wait until June 6 – my goodness sake, what is there to discuss?” McDowell said. “I have presented violations of the charter and you want to kick the can down the road and discuss it another time.”

Fletcher mischaracterized an opinion by City Attorney Amber Slayton on McDowell’s original complaint.

McDowell hand-delivered a four-page complaint with 38 pages of backup to Human Resources Director Christine McDade and Slayton detailing eight instances where she felt Fletcher acted in violation of either the city charter or his employment contract.

Fletcher misrepresented Slayton’s response by saying, “There was a reaction, it was found that there was not enough there  for an investigation to occur and we are still being asked for that same action that was already denied.”

Slayton quickly clarified that “there was not a finding; the resolution related to charter officer investigations that puts an onus on HR and the city attorney did not apply in this circumstance and that would be in the commission’s purview to consider.”

Following that, Langdon moved on to ask for public comment.

Most of that consisted at jabs at Fletcher, who had been sharply criticized in earlier public comment sessions for seeking to sideline action in the Legislature that would have designated Warm Mineral Springs an ‘Outstanding Florida Springs,” and pursuit of a public-private partnership to foster commercial development on about 60 acres of city-owned park land around to the historic springs.

Fletcher previously said that legislation conflicted with what he considered as his primary directive.

White noted that all commissioners – including McDowell – voiced unanimous support for Fletcher to pursue the public-private partnership to find a partner to restore three historic buildings at Warm Mineral Springs and develop the adjacent property and that the board doesn’t meet on a daily basis to carry out that vision.

“I appreciate when we have hired somebody and we have a city manager who then takes that and runs with it and says this is what the commission wants done,” White said. “I appreciate somebody’s looking out for our best interest.”

Most people who spoke in public comment wanted to see a formal investigation take place – similar to what had occurred with former city manager Peter Lear and more recently current North Port Fire Chief Scott Titus, who has been on administrative leave since March 7 while the city investigates an unspecified allegation of misconduct.

Langdon, who got the last word before adjourning the meeting, noted that much of the criticism of Fletcher has been misdirected.

“I will simply say that it’s unfortunate that our city manager is taking the brunt of community displeasure on items that have been approved by a majority of this board...,” Langdon said, adding: “It’s been very very disheartening to me to sit here meeting after meeting and have our city manager be maligned and staying silent.”

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: North Port board punts complaint about city manager to June workshop