No BoA Meeting
Hello readers. I was unable to attend the recent council meeting. The Sentinel covered it with two articles. I think that will suffice. There are business items related to the audit and grants that deserve more attention, but I think this is a good time to echo the comments of appreciation for those that volunteered in service to the public. With a new mayor and three new council members coming in soon, it is time to look forward.
The Board of Adjustments has a monthly meeting on Monday that must be cancelled because the city failed to post the agenda on Friday afternoon. The 72-hour deadline was 6PM Friday. The agenda was prepared and delivered to the city on Wednesday with the usual instructions for posting and distribution. It never happened, and per the Texas open Meetings Act, the meeting cannot be held.
This will cause significant problems for BoA as much of their business depends on deadlines, proper notices, and public hearings. For example, variances require letters to be sent to all neighbors inviting them to respond by mail or voice their comments at the scheduled meeting. All those notices will need to be redone because the city dropped the ball.
City council meeting agendas are always done in a state of chaos down to the wire. Staff is frequently required to work overtime on the last legal posting day because the administrator is unable to prepare an agenda in a timely way. Posting of the council agenda involves a great deal of drama that gets Sauceda's full attention.
The BoA agenda is done competently and well in advance. The city seems unable to deal with anything that is not put off to the point of being an emergency.
Another factor is Sauceda's unilateral decision to give a half-day of paid vacation to many of the city staff. Council voted to co-sponsor a Mother's Day event at the MAC building at lunch on Friday. For some reason, Sauceda deemed this to be so important that he required city staff to attend. In fact, he even tried to force the Chamber of Commerce to close and have their staff attend even though he has no authority in that area.
At some point, he decided that if he was going to force staff to attend the lunchtime event, he might as well close city hall for the rest of the day. I don't know the pay details for that decision. I imagine at least four employees got Friday afternoon off, including the big guy himself. He must have paid them for the time off because it would be unfair to deprive them of pay. I wonder what other city employees got a half-day of paid vacation?
If Sauceda did not treat all employees fairly, he is showing favoritism. If he gave any or all employees the afternoon off without council approval, he seems to be exceeding his authority. His job is to make sure they get the job done.
One of the jobs that they did not get done was posting the BoA agenda.
After the lunch, Sauceda drove home to Robstown on the city clock having given himself and others a half day of paid vacation. Way to go Flo.
BoA will need to scramble to fix the problems that this administrator's misadministration has caused.
The Board of Adjustments has a monthly meeting on Monday that must be cancelled because the city failed to post the agenda on Friday afternoon. The 72-hour deadline was 6PM Friday. The agenda was prepared and delivered to the city on Wednesday with the usual instructions for posting and distribution. It never happened, and per the Texas open Meetings Act, the meeting cannot be held.
This will cause significant problems for BoA as much of their business depends on deadlines, proper notices, and public hearings. For example, variances require letters to be sent to all neighbors inviting them to respond by mail or voice their comments at the scheduled meeting. All those notices will need to be redone because the city dropped the ball.
City council meeting agendas are always done in a state of chaos down to the wire. Staff is frequently required to work overtime on the last legal posting day because the administrator is unable to prepare an agenda in a timely way. Posting of the council agenda involves a great deal of drama that gets Sauceda's full attention.
The BoA agenda is done competently and well in advance. The city seems unable to deal with anything that is not put off to the point of being an emergency.
Another factor is Sauceda's unilateral decision to give a half-day of paid vacation to many of the city staff. Council voted to co-sponsor a Mother's Day event at the MAC building at lunch on Friday. For some reason, Sauceda deemed this to be so important that he required city staff to attend. In fact, he even tried to force the Chamber of Commerce to close and have their staff attend even though he has no authority in that area.
At some point, he decided that if he was going to force staff to attend the lunchtime event, he might as well close city hall for the rest of the day. I don't know the pay details for that decision. I imagine at least four employees got Friday afternoon off, including the big guy himself. He must have paid them for the time off because it would be unfair to deprive them of pay. I wonder what other city employees got a half-day of paid vacation?
If Sauceda did not treat all employees fairly, he is showing favoritism. If he gave any or all employees the afternoon off without council approval, he seems to be exceeding his authority. His job is to make sure they get the job done.
One of the jobs that they did not get done was posting the BoA agenda.
After the lunch, Sauceda drove home to Robstown on the city clock having given himself and others a half day of paid vacation. Way to go Flo.
BoA will need to scramble to fix the problems that this administrator's misadministration has caused.
posted by RobC at 1:21 PM
12 Comments:
So the word is that not only did the big boy take Friday afternoon off, but won't be back until Tuesday afternoon. Now how about that!!! How many moredays do we have of this?????
I heard that one of the girls was out Friday so if you just have one staffer there for half a day, nothing is going to get done.
Enough of Sauceda's razzle dazzle! We had the Spider Car fiasco and La Vista Marfa and the employee hamburger fest at Vizcaino Park. Now we have the Mother's Day lunch. Which I heard was a legit success no thanks to Flo. All the while Rome is burning...
Relax, folks. Nothing is happening that has not happened before. Mayor and helper were gladhanding at the mother's day luncheon, but who could blame them.
This is, after all, their last chance to show their seeming magna-
nimity.
The administrator is paid to run the city not close city hall at his whim. I understand your belief that "nothing is going to get done," but my point is that something important "did not get done," namely the BoA agenda posting.
We deserve an administrator that takes care of the business of municipal administration. We have an administrator that likes to throw "razzle dazzle" parties on taxpayer time. I don't know how many people like him because of his gald-hand parties. That seems to be his method to garner support for his tenuous situation. He gets $65,000 a year to take care of business not throw parties.
Look at the recent facts: The expenditures report and accounts payable were not presented to council because he did not have time to do them. The minutes for six past meetings were not presented to council for approval because he did not have time to do them. The BoA agenda was not posted because he closed city hall.
How can he use the excuse that staff is too busy when he takes so much time off? He should do his chores before he gives the staff the afternoon off. What would his mother say?
Another bulletin: Flo has hired a police officer, JD something from Fort Davis.
the library did not close on friday afternoon - i heard that the staff was told to attend the mother's day function and close the library for the afternoon, but only if they attended could they close for the afternoon. apparently they chose to stay at work and keep the facility open because they felt it was unfair to the patrons to close without prior notice.
Good for the library for staying open. Why would he insist that all employees attend a mother's day party?
does anyone know if public works closed for the afternoon? or parks?
called department head meeting this afternoon. time for the troops to rally around the general (again)
why would he insist that all employees attend? 1)cause he already agreed to close city hall but that makes them look bad if only those staff get 1/2 a day off. he saw it as a good opportunity to leave town early for the weekend. 2)if all staff are allowed to take off then he feels that they will be so appreciative that they will stand with him when people start fussing about the time off and give a larger target for those accusations. its "us against them" mentality. that's the point of a meeting today. "they are saying this about us".
Another department head meeting! It must be time to start planning the Father's Day party. I vote for a cookout at Vizcaino Park with a softball game. Maybe some horseshoes. Let's make it an all day party this time and start with a pancake breakfast. I can't wait!
> "they are saying this about us".
What they are saying is that he is in a very small boat all by himself and he needs help bailing.
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