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Restarting city manager search would be best

Re: City manager search puts Dunedin in turmoil, editorial, June 11.

City Attorney John Hubbard confirmed that the charter requires the City Commission to appoint a city manager and does not provide for an interim or acting city manager. However, it is unclear if he addressed whether the charter actually prohibits an acting or interim person to exercise duties to manage the city. Unless there is actual language of prohibition in the charter, it would likely be a flawed interpretation to suggest that the city could not have persons covering any position, including that of city manager, in an interim period while a job search is ongoing.

For example, in this case, the city manager retired. Under your reporting of Mr. Hubbard's interpretation of the charter, that would mean that the city would have to have a city manager in place the very next day or the city would have to operate without any person exercising the duties to manage the city until such time that a new manager was actually hired. That interpretation defies logic and flies in the face of day-to-day practicalities.

It does not make sense that the commission would have appointed anyone until it completed the search process, particularly if it would take four votes to later fire that person, a person who was never appointed to the position in the first place.

Assuming these statements attributed to Hubbard are accurate, it makes one wonder if he is an advocate for the city and its commission, or for one of its employees who is a candidate. If there is no prohibition language in the charter, then this interpretation is certainly suspect at best, but even if this interpretation is correct, why did Hubbard not bring this up at the very start of the process to head it off, rather than wait until near the end and allow the city to go through needless time and expense? Could these comments on the charter interpretation have been made with some bias in favor of Maureen Freaney as a candidate for the city manager job?

The two "surprises" at the meeting are an interesting conflict in themselves. On the one hand, Hubbard is stretching logic and reality to suggest that Ms. Freaney is somehow the city manager when she was never appointed by the commission, and Ms. Freaney applying and interviewing for a job with Pinellas County, suggesting that she understands that she had not been appointed as the city manager of Dunedin.

The commission made it clear that it owes it to the city to follow through with the full process. Since it is said that many of the "better quality candidates" have dropped out because of the lengthy process, it might in fact be wise to restart the process by bringing in "new quality candidates." Unfortunately, the consultant's recommendation is probably the best to follow, and that is to go back and start over, but if this be the case, the process must be compacted into a shorter period of time.

James M. Hammond, Dunedin

No matter the caller, dispatchers must not dismiss any 911 call

Re: Dispatchers charged for ignoring 911 call, story, June 8.

The death of a 46-year-old Detroit woman, whose 5-year-old boy dialed 911 twice reporting that his mother had collapsed, is proof that dispatchers cannot pick and choose which calls are worthy of responding to. Even if the call appears to be a prank, it is still worth investigating, because it could be a matter of life and death.

Clearwater paramedic Trevor Murray lost his job, as well as his paramedic license, for ignoring the call of a mentally disturbed woman the Clearwater firefighters referred to as a "frequent flier" because of her frequent calls. My suggestion is to state in big bold lettering "DO NOT DISMISS ANY 911 CALL'' on the first page of every training manual.

JoAnn Lee Frank, Clearwater

Deputies may seem reactive if they're outside their jurisdiction

Re: Police officers have proven their dedication to Tarpon Springs, letter, June 5.

In response to Tarpon Springs City Commissioner Peter Nehr's letter regarding the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, to state that Pinellas County deputies are mostly reactive and not proactive is not accurate. Have you ever ridden with a Pinellas County deputy to compare the two agencies?

If you are implying that sheriff's deputies are only reactive in the city of Tarpon Springs, I would agree. The residents of Tarpon Springs pay taxes for the Police Department to patrol our streets and detect and act on crime in the city. Residents in unincorporated Pinellas County and various contract cities pay taxes for sheriff's deputies to patrol their streets and detect and react to crime.

Obviously, while deputies travel through the various cities in Pinellas, they will act on crimes observed.

Larry Weglarz, Tarpon Springs

People who lose pets in a storm need ample time to reclaim them

Re: County's plan to care for lost animals for year is a tax waste, letter, June 1.

I would like to address Joan Mills' letter about her concern that the county is wasting tax dollars to insure that pets in a disaster are kept safe.

I believe there is a misconception about the one-year fostering of pets. When animals were brought here from the area hit by Hurricane Katrina, they were placed in shelters to ensure that they were physically okay, then fostered to families who agreed to keep them for a period of time (30 days). Then if the owner did not claim them, they could be adopted. Of course the shelters had to keep some animals for a variety of reasons.

People who lose their pets in a storm should have ample time to retrieve them and 30 days is, in my opinion, too short. However, one year is way too long. I think 90 to 120 days would be a good compromise.

Folks (like myself) who foster these animals are responsible for their well-being, feeding them, etc., at their expense. If you foster for a nonprofit, the rescue organization usually pays for veterinary care.

Also, remember that unless these animals are legally surrendered, they are not supposed to have any invasive procedures, such as spaying or neutering.

Now, about the traveling veterinarian issue, I have an issue when folks have pets that perhaps they cannot afford. At least we have a service that can provide low-cost shots, spaying and neutering, which ensures that at least these pets cannot reproduce and are safe from disease.

Nancy Dively, Tarpon Springs

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[Last modified June 12, 2006, 20:56:38]