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Letter to the editor

Bickering dominates commission's meeting

Morale, confidence, competence and political motives are all up for discussion.

By Nick Johnson, Times Staff Writer
Published February 24, 2008

ST. PETE BEACH - Questions about morale have begun to swirl after Tuesday night's special meeting that pitted some of the city's commissioners against City Manager Mike Bonfield.

A "confidence" vote was called a week earlier by Commissioner Ed Ruttencutter after Bonfield's annual review revealed several low marks by Commissioners Linda Chaney and Harry Metz.

Many residents in attendance voiced concerns that the vote was politically motivated by two commissioners with close ties to the political action committee Citizens for Responsible Growth, who wanted to fire Bonfield before the March 11 election.

"I decided that there was a wide enough range that we needed to talk about it," said Ruttencutter, who's also a mayoral candidate. "To me, it wasn't personal. To me, it wasn't a meeting to fire the city manager."

Instead the result was a failed vote of confidence, in which only Mayor Ward Friszolowski and Commissioner and mayoral candidate Mike Finnerty showed support. It was followed by a failed motion to re-evaluate Bonfield in several months, which only Chaney and Ruttencutter supported.

Metz said he didn't support either motion because he wanted Bonfield fired then and there.

The discussion came just weeks before three commission seats are up for re-election and just weeks after the hiring of a new city attorney. Friszolowski said the timing was part of a deplorable political move.

"The only thing accomplished was complete uncertainty about the future, which leads to bad morale among the employees and leaves the residents wondering what is going on," Friszolowski said.

Bonfield has repeatedly expressed a similar opinion asking that the commission allow him to do his job or take the necessary action to replace him.

"What happened basically is three out of five commissioners voted to not have confidence in me but left me as the city manager. So, I think that's pretty confusing for city employees," Bonfield said.

Commissioners Chaney and Metz have both approached other department heads about replacing him, Bonfield said during Tuesday's meeting.

One of the chief complaints brought by the two commissioners was the perception that Bonfield was presenting information in a biased manner.

Both Chaney and Metz, who previously petitioned on behalf of the CRG, accused him of being a sympathizer of the rival pro-development political action committee, Save Our Little Village.

"I told him I thought he was part of the SOLV movement, before I became a commissioner and even more so after, and he said he was not ... but the perception is still there," Metz said.

The squabbling between commissioners has begun to take on an air of predictability, with Chaney and Metz openly leaning toward policy supported by CRG and opposed to SOLV and Finnerty and Friszolowski pushing in the opposite direction. While Ruttencutter maintains that he is independent of either group, lately he has sided with Chaney and Metz during the selection of a new city attorney and the vote of confidence in Bonfield.

While city staff has been hesitant to speak to the issue, many residents have been vocal about the division within their governing body.

"I sit there and watch them do nothing other than continue to drive the city apart and be more divisive and that's not what the city needs," said Kenneth "K.C." Clark, a St. Pete Beach resident who spoke at the meeting.

He was one of the many audience members who went to show their support for the city manager.

Friszolowski, who is not running for re-election, said Bonfield was the best city manager in the 14 years he had served on the St. Pete Beach commission.

"The problem right now is with the City Commission; it's not with the city manager," he said.

"I believe the citizens are getting tired of all this fighting. ... What are you going to do for the community?"

Credit card complaint

City Commissioner Linda Chaney decides to withdraw some expense reports after complaints about a charge on her city credit card. 16

[Last modified February 23, 2008, 21:58:47]