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Language at city meeting makes it unsuitable for TV

The Penny for Pasco money would buy about 12.5 acres to join with other Port Richey land for a nature park.

By PHIL DAVIS
Published November 10, 2005

PORT RICHEY - City Manager Jerry Calhoun sat silently as the mayor launched into a diatribe against the city clerk, accusing the veteran administrator of controlling public records with a "political agenda."

On Tuesday night, Mayor Mark Abbott called for a criminal investigation, but even his own city attorney said he has provided no facts to back up the charges.

On Wednesday, Calhoun promised a strong rebuke to Abbott's allegations against City Clerk Shirley Dresch, who has worked for the city for 25 years.

"I'm looking into what, if any, options are available to to help protect my employees from such libelous allegations," Calhoun said. "I've got some pointed things to talk to him about."

Dresch said she and her staff did their jobs.

"He can have anybody he wants investigate me. I welcome them," Dresch said. "I didn't do anything wrong. It's an insult to all of us here."

On Tuesday, the council engaged in its standard sparring during a two-hour debate on board appointments. Regular attendee John King was removed after he allegedly raised his middle finger to another resident and shouted profanity as he was escorted from council chambers by Port Richey police Chief Bill Sager.

The foul language caused the city and Bright House Networks to cancel the scheduled Wednesday night cable television broadcast of the Port Richey meeting. Calhoun said editing the tape might be considered a Sunshine law violation. Broadcasting the expletive could lead to Federal Communications Commission fines.

"I don't want a Janet Jackson situation," Calhoun said.

A few minutes before the outburst, Abbott strayed from the usual council bickering with charges that Dresch is "running City Hall with a political agenda." Asked for clarification Wednesday, Abbott said: "The city clerk's office is playing politics. They control information in the city and they distribute it to who they want, when they want."

He said Dresch and her staff did not mail out letters to certain volunteer board announcing their terms were up and then failed to publicize the Oct. 25 council meeting where replacements were chosen.

Abbott made similar but less specific complaints about the city to the Pasco County legislative delegation on Nov. 1. Abbott said he called in complaints to both the Pasco-Pinellas State Attorney's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He said the state attorney's office told him to handle the matter internally. He had not heard back from FDLE.

Both Abbott and Calhoun have asked City Attorney Shauna Morris to look into the matter. Abbott asked Morris to determine whether Dresch violated city rules. Calhoun wants to know what authority he has to stop the mayor from intimidating employees.

Morris said Wednesday that it appears Dresch did send out the notifications, which is standard procedure. It remains unclear why some board members did not get the letters. The city charter does not require the clerk to notify volunteers when their one-year terms are up.

She said unless Abbott produces more specific facts, there is nothing more to investigate.

Calhoun praised Dresch: "I've not met a clerk in my years of working with municipalities that has a better work ethic or works harder on behalf of the city than Shirley Dresch."

[Last modified November 10, 2005, 11:56:53]