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Tampa worker quits to avoid discipline

The man, who worked in the city's business department, was accused of visiting inappropriate Internet sites during work hours.

By JANET ZINK
Published December 7, 2005

TAMPA - A city of Tampa employee was forced to resign after city officials discovered he was using his work computer to visit sexually explicit and automobile sales Internet sites.

Steve Erdmann, the city's chief site plan reviewer, on Friday gave up his $76,356-a-year position in the the city's Construction Services Center instead of facing disciplinary action that could have included firing, city officials say.

Erdmann, who lives in Valrico, did not return calls for comment.

City records show that several customers of the Construction Services Center, which reviews site plans and issues permits for development, have complained about Erdmann since he started with the Business and Housing Development department in June 2003. One customer alleged that Erdmann demanded unnecessary revisions to plans that were costly and delayed the project, according to a notice of disciplinary action completed last week.

Another customer said that during a visit to Erdmann's office his "computer monitor was displaying something that was clearly not city related."

A review of his city computer revealed that from June 2005 to August 2005, Erdmann, who supervised 11 people, spent a "significant portion" of work time visiting adult sites and conducting personal business on line.

That violates city's rules. A personnel manual specifices that the city's computer and e-mail system must be used only for city business.

"We set a very high bar when this administration took office for integrity and compliance with personnel policies," said Mayor Pam Iorio's chief of staff Darrell Smith. "This particular employee did not follow personnel policies that were clearly there and have been reinforced repeatedly over the past few years."

Early this year, a Tampa fire department captain was dismissed after bringing two strippers to a North Tampa fire station and allowing them to be photographed naked with fire trucks as a backdrop. The photos ended up on the Internet. Four other firefighters were suspended for lying about the incident.

Last year, the city fired four parking division employees for using city computers to send e-mails with discriminatory references regarding sex, race and ethnicity, and with sexually explicit jokes and photographs.

[Last modified December 7, 2005, 18:58:02]