It was standing room only at the Holbrook City Council meeting on May 8 that stretched into four and a half hour session regarding City Manager Randy Sullivan‘s job performance and interactions with Mayor Bobby Tyler and Councilman C.J. Wischmann. All of the councilmembers were present as well as city attorney Samuel Coffman of the law firm of Mariscal, Weeks, McIntyre & Friedlander.
After returning from executive session to obtain legal advice regarding the city manager’s contract, Councilman Tim Dixon requested an explanation from Tyler, Wischmann and Sullivan regarding an alleged incident that transpired on or about Jan. 25, 2017, at the city’s splash pad.
According to Tyler, he and Wischmann met with Sullivan to discuss why the seal coat was peeling on the pad. “We walked out and started talking and Manager Sullivan blew up. He started screaming and yelling.”
Wischmann said, “We wanted to get some ideas as to why the concrete slab was cracking. I went to look at the cracks (and) the next thing I heard was the city manager raising his voice to the mayor. I was taken back by the incident; I didn’t see the need to be verbally aggressive. We were in a public area and in a question mode. I thought it was resolved. We did talk it out. Randy said he didn’t want things brought up last minute at the meetings.”
Sullivan said it was as Tyler and Wischmann had stated, and then added, “It was confrontational. I felt it was two against one. I felt constantly cornered and was trying to stand up for myself.”
Sullivan then went on to state that he had been subjected to constant belittling by the mayor and certain members of the council over the two years that he has been acting as city manager. “I’ve just dealt with the hand I’ve been dealt with the best I can.”
Councilman Richard Peterson questioned why this incident had not been resolved sooner. “Waiting 16 months to bring this to us seems a little much,” said Peterson. Tyler responded that he had brought the item before the council. Peterson said he didn’t recall the instance and asked if he had brought the item to the council or the individual members. Tyler said the council to which Peterson replied that it would then be in the minutes. Tyler then stated, “I told you.” Peterson stated, “That’s not the same thing.”
Another round of discussion involved other incidents where Tyler felt Sullivan was ignoring his concerns and requests. “When you go home and you are just barely walking into the house because you’ve worked an honest day and then you walk into this meeting every two weeks and just get beat down it is hard to get up the next morning and go,” said Sullivan.
He noted that for a year the council has been unable to schedule a strategic planning meeting but staff and council were finally able to do so prior to the last council meeting. “Staff and I worked together on the strategic plan. Then in the last meeting, after two weeks of (Community Development Coordinator) Kathleen (Smith) working on it, nobody’s even listening to Kathleen. There’s no rise out of anybody until the subject of hiring a code enforcement officer was brought up. Then comes the micro managing. It’s not worth your family and your state of mind to put up with this crap every two weeks.”
Another item for discussion was the city’s personnel policy for hiring practices last updated in 2009, as a result of the expeditious hiring of a code enforcement officer last month.
Councilwoman Francie Payne stated, “There has been a lot of talk about this among the council and the public and for the most part, the policy has been followed,” said Payne. “I just don’t think we are reaching enough people with our advertisements.”
Coffman noted, “Several years ago we did a complete sweep of the employee handbook and we had a presentation when Ray Alley was the city manager. It was well received but to my knowledge, Alley did not put it back on the agenda. I suggest that it be put on the agenda and I will give the council a copy with the red line changes that can be accepted, rejected or changed.”
Mayor Tyler asked if this would only impact the hiring policy. Coffman said it would be for the entire manual, which would include the hiring policy.
Vice Mayor Wade Carlisle said that while he had not attended the last meeting, there was a question as to whether the minimum of five working days in the posting of the job for the code enforcement officer was actually done. “The number one question is whether the old policy was followed,” stated Carlisle.
Councilman Earl Kester said that according to the last meeting, the posting date for the job was April 19 and Sullivan said in the April 24 meeting that he had started the hiring process. “That is only four days,” said Kester. Sullivan countered that the new hire did not start until April 30, which was after the required posting dates.
Carlisle made a motion that the recent hiring in question be put on the agenda for the next meeting. “I want the procedure, what was said in the minutes; then we can clear it all up and be done with it,” said Carlisle, with the motion passing unanimously.
Dixon said, “I want a process for the hiring of the chief of police. Our guys from the Holbrook Police Department deserve a very smooth, professional process. We can’t just go out and ask people if they want a job. It’s my understanding that that is what has been happening.”
Sullivan stated that was not what happened. “It is an open position. I have asked if there is any one that anybody would know who would be interested in applying, but I have asked for applications.”
Carlisle asked that on the next agenda there be a review of all employees who had been assigned additional duties that would include a five percent raise as per policy. If those jobs were made permanent, he wanted to know if the hiring policy followed and if the policy had been followed on employees who receive additional certification, to which the council agreed.
Wischmann proposed a motion that there would be no new hires without the council’s permission until the new personnel policy is in effect. That passed unanimously with the remaining council members, as Carlisle had left the meeting stating he had work in the morning.
At the beginning of the meeting three residents addressed the council with their concerns regarding the items involving Manager Sullivan. Doug Hatch said, “It would be difficult to replace Sullivan as he carries a lot of hats in the city and I have seen things improving around the city.”
Leo Maestas said he was troubled regarding the public display of Sullivan walking out of the meeting on April 27, stating, “That you, the council, are duty bound to remove this man for the display he conducted.”
Barbara DeSpain appealed to the council not to bring in an outsider to replace Sullivan, further stating, “I could not be happier with Randy Sullivan, he has my support and the support of many, many Holbrook people.”
On an item regarding the evaluation of the city manager, Coffman clarified that Sullivan had one month from the receipt of his self-evaluation to complete it. Sullivan received the evaluation on April 18 and must turn it in by Friday, May 18, after which the council will review and finalize it at the council meeting on Tuesday, June 12. A motion was passed unanimously to have the city manager’s evaluation on June 12.
The council also entered into an executive session for an update on the general adjudication of all rights to use water in the Little Colorado River System and source and any other legal issues regarding the city’s water supply with the city’s water adjudication Attorney David Brown with Brown & Brown Associates. No information was provided following that session.
