TOWN MANAGER COLON DIGS MORE HOLES …IN HER STORIES…
Dear Readers…Let’s start the Town Manager Performance “Almost” Review with the Town Manager’s words and commentary…She spoke last and while not on the agenda…her commentary was well worth the wait…For this writer Town Manager Colon dug more holes for herself and the “2-Hat/Broom Boy” Commissioners who are sticking by her…championing her all the way…..out of their jobs…..
Town Manager Colon-“Thank you Mayor, I know I am not on the agenda to speak but I would like to clarify some issues for the record and most of them I’ll do from just listening to everybody.”
“First let me explain something. I was not hired by the five members of the commission on this dais. I was hired by the five members of the prior sitting commission. I do want you to understand and you can check the record and you can subpoena the previous commission as well as you can subpoena me. My contract was reviewed independently by each sitting commissioner with the Town Attorney. My contract was motioned first motion to approve by Mayor ProTem Chuck Clark. It was second by Commissioner Yann Yanni, it was, excuse me John Yanni. It was approved 5-0. I read an article in the Futures paper and the only commissioner or the only elected official that was truthful in that article was mayor Oliver Parker. Mayor Parker did not like my severance position and like always I like a good little argument. He did not like a one year severance package. I said I worked too hard in this town during the broom sweep campaign. I’m sorry commissioners it was, we got locked out of Town Hall when you won so I was there. I said if that is any indication of what the residents are gonna do during election time I am not gonna put my heart and soul to run the day to day operations of this town unless I have a contract I’m worthy of. I believe I, at that time I had thirty years of public service and that is a contract that five independent commissioners reviewed with the Town Attorney, did not violate any Sunshine Laws and that is the contract they approved. Two of those sitting commissioners are currently on this dais.”
BC- If this is true, why wait until now to bring the information to light?…This has been brought up numerous times before…If this is true, it is up to the previous commissioners to confirm or deny if they deem it necessary…BUT…if this is true…shame on all of them for putting the town in this position!…There is nothing that can be done about the former dais members…..BUT…it’s a different story for the “Broom Boys” (up for re-election)……who joined in on a much larger breech of “fiscal irresponsibility” than that of former BSO Chief Scott Gooding!…If the Town Manager is being honest …the “2-Hats” purposely misled the taxpayers at the May 22, 2007 Commission meeting and have repeatedly continued to do so as late as Vice Mayor McIntee’s Commissioner comments on September 9, 2009!…
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May 22, 2007 …page 18/19 Consent Agenda item 10 G…(prev.post)..
“Commissioner Silverstone stated that Esther took over Robert Baldwin’s old contract, and in that contract he was given 10 weeks off a year that was supposed to be unpaid.”
“Town Manager Colon indicated that her contract does not include the 10 weeks.”
“Commissioner Silverstone stated that she was being paid the same but working more, and he thanked her for doing that.”
“Mayor Parker wanted to correct the previous statement and indicated that the 10 weeks were unpaid leave, and if he took it would have reduced his salary.”
“Commissioner McIntee said that Town Manager Colon took the 10 weeks out of the contract without anyone asking her to do it. He said that if she is gone for 10 weeks, then the second in command has to step in and get paid 10% over his payroll. She, he stated that she gave the Commission a very nice gesture without asking for it. SHE SAID THAT SHE REMOVED OTHER THINGS AS WELL, ON HER OWN.”
” Mayor Parker stated that he commends the Town Manager for taking out the 10 weeks, he noted that he was just pointing out that it was unpaid leave.”
“Commissioner Clark motioned, seconded by Vice Mayor Yanni to approve the contract. The motion passed 5-0.”
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September 9, 2009 Commissioner Comments…excerpt…
“VICE MAYOR MCINTEE DID NOT FEEL IT WAS RIGHT TO ATTACK THE TOWN MANAGER’S CONTRACT AS IT WAS THE SAME AS THE PREVIOUS TOWN MANAGER HAD.”
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BC- We know that both statements made by Silverstone and McIntee …(and many other such statements have been made by both of them in between these two)…were not true!…Time to sweep them out!…
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TM-“A couple of months ago this commission started to divide , the residents started to divide. They believe they can use me as a sounding board. I will go and work with Robert Baldwin any day without a problem for one reason. Robert Baldwin never told me what to do, how to do it. All he told me was as long as you obey the law, you do what you’re supposed to do. I have always done that in my 30+ years as a public servant. I have one fault and I have criticized this commission publicly once, only once. I have not been disrespected this commission. I have been disrespected by many residents on this dais and I have told you all I like you, I don’t like you but I’m gonna come here and do my job and if there’s one thing I will not allow anyone to do. And when I say anyone I mean my brother, my sister, my father , my mother God rest they’re all in peace, I’m not gonna break the law. The one time that I disrespected this commission was when they gave me a unlawful order. Do we remember that commissioners? And I told them you can direct me to do that and I’m not gonna do it. If that’s bein’ disrespectful and rude well then I’d like to see anyone in this commission put in this audience purposely disrespect the law. I am not a puppet. If you all think that Vice Mayor McIntee tells me what to do, boy you haven’t seen some of our good fights. I will agree to disagree with everybody that’s sittin’ on this dais and everybody that’s sittin’ in the audience and my staff who’s sittin’ up there who’s not even a third of them but boy do we have great arguments everyday too. I’ll tell you one thing that none of you know about me is I am a very fair person. You might come to my office and not like what I have to say. I’m sorry, I believe in black and white. There’s no gray. And if that style does not approve or agree with you well then I believe I requested Commissioner Dodd once to make a motion to terminate my contract. I believe that was the day the vote of confidence came and it was 5-0. Even Commissioner Dodd voted, gave me a vote of confidence. I said Commissioner Dodd if you don’t think I’m doin’ a good job then vote to terminate my contract. I don’t have a lifetime contract. Whoever keeps on inventing that story, I’m not a Supreme Court Judge. I’m a human individual like everybody else. If you don’t like me there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m gonna come here, I am gonna do my job and the only thing I ask and I’m sorry if I do have a problem with that word and many others, is that people don’t try to coerce me because it’s not gonna work. I am gonna do here and do my job until this commission or the next commission wants to do it be the Town Manager and I pray to God that whoever follows suit does not allow any resident or any elected official play political games. Because that is what I’m all about. Thank you.”
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BC- Where to start…YIKES!!!! …Robert Baldwin…we hear Bob Baldwin was furious that the Town Manager continued the falsehoods that she had the same contract as he had…and was further perturbed by the Town Manager and Comm. Silvertone used his payout to imply it backed up their tale…He was here for many years..had a week to week contract…no severance…no paid 10 weeks…and his last agreement verifying these facts was received by McIntee and Silverstone as commissioners (prev. post)…So would Bob Baldwin work with Ms. Colon anytime…anywhere? … Hmmmm….
Her statement of being disrespectful only once…What’s up with that…(Ms. Geesey was correct, take a look at the videos, TM)…Is it a case of early dementia or is her boorish behavior her natural demeanor?…The “unlawful act” she is speaking of we believe was when the commission wanted her to turn some of the lights back on during turtle season…It was after the commission was instructed by the Town Atty. that the Town would not be violating any enforceable County laws…That’s what she chose as to highlight to hang her hat on for “truth, justice and the American way”…WOW!…Well it does deflect attention away from those 48 thorny issues… (prev. post)….
Quite an insight to fightin’ Town Manager Colon when you string together her statements…… “and like always I like a good little argument”….”If you all think that Vice Mayor McIntee tells me what to do, boy you haven’t seen some of our good fights I will agree to disagree with everybody that’s sittin’ on this dais and everybody that’s sittin’ in the audience and my staff who’s sittin’ up there who’s not even a third of them but boy do we have great arguments everyday too. I’ll tell you one thing that none of you know about me is I am a very fair person.”…Must be something to work with this Town Manager…fightin’…fightin’… fightin’
“Terminate my contract”…Esther says….she dares ya’…commissioners…..Hmmm….We hear she has told many on and off the dais…she’s hopin’ for it to happen…she wants out $$$$$$…… Look at her words…. the victimization and accusations she interspersed in her commentary……”A couple of months ago this commission started to divide , the residents started to divide. They believe they can use me as a sounding board”….”I have been disrespected by many residents on this dais”…..”I have told you all I like you, I don’t like you”….”The one time that I disrespected this commission was when they gave me a unlawful order.”…..”I’m a human individual like everybody else. If you don’t like me there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m gonna come here, I am gonna do my job and the only thing I ask and I’m sorry if I do have a problem with that word and many others, is that people don’t try to coerce me because it’s not gonna work.”….”and I pray to God that whoever follows suit does not allow any resident or any elected official play political games. Because that is what I’m all about. Thank you.”….Something isn’t quite right to make numerous statements like that…it certainly fits well the Vice Mayor accusations on the dais that those residents…his constituents …who have called the Town Manager to task on decisions she made……”attackers”…”abusers”….and “evil”…. Smells like desperation and defeat!…
Timing is everything…and this Editorial in the Sentinel on Sunday… sums up what is wrong with all of the above…and what they just don’t get….
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‘Even if it’s legal, it might not be right
THE ISSUE: Legal and proper not same thing.
Here is what elected leaders all over South Florida need to understand: Just because something meets the letter of the law doesn’t make it proper. Just because an action is legal doesn’t make it in the public’s best interest.
Yet, somewhere in the consciences of our elected officials, there are no Jiminy Crickets whistling for better judgment. No, we don’t mean a legal opinion. We mean good judgment.
So we have:
Public officials socializing with public officials who then vote on projects those lobbyists push, often with either our tax dollars or our interests in the middle.
Public officials moonlighting as lobbyists, leveraging their clout in one arena to influence public officials in another.
Public officials’ spouses involved in lobbying, or getting politically-connected jobs.
Maybe it’s all legal. But it still smacks as ill-advised by raising perceptions of favoritism, and potential conflicts of interest.
It cuts to the edge of what is proper, and eventually, when people get really greedy or sloppy, those actions cross against what is legal. That is why five former officeholders in Palm Beach County have been sent to prison for public corruption.
Certainly, those in office now are free to look at the convictions in Palm Beach County, as well as the arrests in Broward, and boast, “It won’t happen to me because I do things the legal way.”
And maybe they do. But there seems to be a little sweating going on in the wake of federal investigations.
So here is some advice: Play it clean. Really clean.
Keep the public interest squarely as your number one priority, and do not mix that with you or your family’s own financial interests. Pick friends who are a bit more distant than the faces you see in city halls and county chambers. Stay away from deals or actions that pass legal muster, but fail the smell test.
You would think all that goes without saying, but all these arrests and investigations strongly suggest the point needs to be made indelibly clear.
Because, in the end, your reputation and the good will you will reap as a true and dedicated public servant will be a bigger reward.
BOTTOM LINE: Smell test could be more telling than a legal opinion.’
link below….
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-county-corruption-editorial-pnoct11,0,5180086.story
more to come…
Tags: Lauderdale by the sea Commissioner Jim Silverstone, Lauderdale By The Sea Performance Review, Lauderdale By The Sea Town Manager Esther Colon, Lauderdale By the Sea Vice Mayor Jerry McIntee, LBTS Agendas/Meetings, local government, Local Politics, Scoops
