An effort to privatize Troy’s building department took a step back Monday night as the City Council allowed employees to make another attempt to hold onto their jobs. The City Council postponed approving a contract with a Colorado-based Safe Built over additions to the $748,500 fee the company proposed to the city on April 5. Building Department Director Mark Stimac said that number could be closer to $1 million. Troy building department staff was allowed to counterbid on Safe Built’s proposal in order to retain their jobs with the city. It submitted a bid of $1.17 million. Stimac added that $1,009,000 was “a number we could have worked with if we had to.”
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Former Troy City employee Jeff Verhoef sent me this email on the day after the Council meeting...
Not sure if you saw this last night...but something very unusual happening during the deliberations about privatizing the Building Department. When I first tuned in, I found it very strange that Mark Stimac was sitting in the audience, without suit coat and tie, as if waiting for his turn to speak on the issue. Mark, it seems, tried to take off his "department director hat" and represent his employees' bid to continue running the department at a reduced cost, as opposed to privatizing with Safe Built. It sounded as if this representation was suggested and encouraged by the Mayor. This move made by Mark, I think, completely took John Szerlag by surprise, because he said after Mark was finished (and I'm paraphrasing) that the discussion that took place between the council and Mark was dysfunctional towards the City of Troy organization. He said that Mark Stimac can't simply take off the director's hat - he is always a director, even while he sleeps - and that Mark bucked the chain of command and ignored the HR Director, the Assistant City Managers, and the City Manager in terms of the recommendation. Szerlag went so far as to say that the entire discussion and Mark's actions were "insulting". John went on to say that at the next staff meeting, he will congratulate the HR director and the assistant city managers in bringing the City Council an option to save money that is in line with council's direction. I have a feeling that Mark at the very least will be suspended, if not outright terminated for this action....I know John is a stickler for protocol and chain of command...and I know Mark Stimac well enough, I think, that for him to take this kind of action - well, I'm wondering if he just didn't feel listened to.
Jeff gave me permission to quote his email.
If anyone on City Council or in City Hall wants to add his/her comments, they are welcome to do so.
Isn't it funny that John Szerlag during his first stint as City Manager would often comment that he wears two hats when he dealt with TDDA issues. One as the Troy city manager and the other as the executive for the DDA and he was always able to do each job with out one interfering with the other. Yet, according to him, Mark Stimac is incapable of separating his department head position and one as just a member of the public or even just an employee of the city. The arrogance of this so called city manager became very evident when John "#@#@#@" Szerlag made his comments.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest mistake made by our elected officials for the past 20 years was hiring this [you fill in the blanks] last year. It's obvious from the facial expressions and comments made by staff that John "#@#@#@" Szerlag runs the city like a little dictator. Anyone that doesn't do what he says will be dealt with harshly. As long as 4 stooges sitting at the council table do as he commands, he will continue to run this city into the ground. God help this city because the deceit and deceptions promulgated by those in power have stirred up the hornets nest in our city. Just witnessing the verbal and written comments made before, during and after the millage issue shows just how much damage these incompetent buffoons have caused.
Some will say I am being a little harsh with my words but being politically correct and polite will not bring to light the mess and stench coming from city hall and the council chambers. Wake Up Troy, we are being bamboozled by management and city council.
I thought Mark gave a good prestation when he was there. All the deptment that have said things, are unhappy that they were not given the chance to say they would take a cut in pay. Other people from different depts have stated the same as Mark's dept.
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