Before the election, our mayor declared that we do not have a revolving door for administrators in our city. The candidates running against her disagreed. And time and time again, we see good people come and go with the latest being Cynthia Cave from Economic Development. We’re left again wondering why.
Questions that will likely go unanswered:
1. Why wouldn’t the mayor know of any issues with a senior-level staff member?
2. Is our mayor missing yet another opportunity to be open and transparent with citizens?
3. Why would the EDA be surprised at this firing/resignation?
4. Were any members of the EDA unhappy with Ms. Cave’s performance?
5. Were any Council members unhappy with Ms. Cave’s performance?
6. If a staff member does indeed have an issue, is there a process for correcting the issue before being fired or forced to resign? Was this process used?
7. Which staff members were downsized and/or demoted? It seems that bragging rights of the city indicated that no positions were lost as a result of this year’s budget process. Is that accurate?
8. Is it a fact that the economic development budget was cut by 37% after Ms. Cave reduced the budget by the requested 10%? If so, who made the reduction decisions? Someone other than Ms. Cave? If Ms. Cave made the reduction decisions, was she instructed to cut to the 37% level? If so, by whom?
9. Should we be applauding a department head who is trying to be more fiscally responsible by significant cutting of the budget?
10. Why wouldn’t Councilman Parr not want to know why his top Economic Development person was fired/resigned, especially when he is the liaison to the EDA?
11. If Sparta staff shared that the project is still on its timeline, then what is the issue? Is the issue with the signing of ProLogis?
12. What is the connection between the mayor’s State of the City address and touting the Spartan deal (which was not yet a done deal) and Ms. Cave’s firing/resignation? Were citizens, businesses, and other community members told something that was not true?
13. Is there a process in place for staff to receive feedback related to the city’s planning processes? If not, why not? Is there a turf war here?
14. When Councilman Parr ran for the Suffolk borough, he indicated that he wanted to see many improvements in the planning process. What specific changes has he helped make? Since this is something he told people at community gatherings, why wouldn’t he be concerned about feedback related to the planning process?
15. Kudos again to Mr. Barclay for picking up the phone and asking questions. Why aren’t other council members doing the same?
16. What the heck is going on here?
From the Virginian Pilot Ledger Star – Dave Forster
Suffolk economic development director quits
Suffolk economic development director’s resignation letter
Ex-Suffolk development official says she was forced out
From Suffolk News Herald – Tracey Agnew
Cave leaves economic post
Cave given choice: “Resign or be terminated”
34 comments:
If you want these questions answered why not contact Debbie George the Communications Czar? You may have to wait two or three days for a non-response but like VP Biden she always finds a way to implant her foot in her mouth. OR why not go down to the FOIA Office and have the lovely Diane Klink help you request documents concerning Ms. Cave? She always greets you with a smile and discreetly hides important documents as working papers. Perhaps the HR Director knows something of what transpired. HA! Better yet, ask the Deputy City Manager the man that demanded Ms. Cave's departure with no advance notification. But he was just following orders like a good little partisan he is. The person with all the answers is our beloved City Manager Ms. Selena (we're gonna be in court again) Cuffee-Glen.
You know after these past few months under SCG, I can safely say the city was better managed under Herbert and Standish.
Adult beverage...check
Comfortable chair...check
Popcorn...check
Let the games begin....
“It’s not really my business,” the mayor is reported to have said this week.....It must be above her pay grade.
There was at one time a growing tendency to think of the mayor and our other leaders as a rational thinking being or group, which is absurd. There is simply no evidence of any intelligence down on Market Street.
Suffolk leaders compared to Washington leaders:Thye share so much
Bennett/Charlie Rangle Congressmen
Milteer/John Cold Cash Jefferson Congressmen
Gardy/John Murtha Congressmen
Barlow/Joe LIberman Senator
Charles Parr/Harry Reid Senator
Charles Brown/Jesse Jackson Jr.Congressmen
Linda Johnson/Nancy Pelosi
Barclay/Dcik Cheney ex VP
It's as obvious as black and white. Purge the ranks, promote incompetents, embrace mediocity and CYA by celebrating diversity. Quotas anyone?
Another "Three-Ring-Circus" in Suffolk. It seems to even the most challenged observer, that the operation of our city is being handled by either liars or the incompetent. If the DCM is acting on his own initative (unlikely) he has placed the City at risk. This episode looks like a good case to go to court. How much will that cost us?
I worked with Ms. Cave while she was here and found her to be a knowlegable and personable professional. She was responsive, prepared, and looking to get the job done. Perhaps that was her failings in the feudal society run by our beloved City Manager, who uses the management style of Henry the Eighth. "Take the heads of anyone who disagrees with me or steps out of line". I have never understood the reasons for firing the past City Manager, Steve Herbert. To place such an incompetent like Ms. Glenn in his place has prove completly to be an utter failure, but our hansome council and mayor seem to disagree. That is revealing in representing their motives and intentions. The real problem is, how do we get rid of them? They seem to be able to raise enough money to stay in place, but at what cost to our beloved community? I am calling on our Mayor, Linda (whom I did not vote for) Johnson, to "get involved in this situation" and provide some of that good ole'-fashioned leadership she says she posesses. Then how about some real insight from our council leasion Charles (I'll bury you if you don't agree with me) Parr.
This entire episode is third-rate and shows how troubled the management and leadership of Suffolk is being handled. Time to fess-up and tell the truth, even if it hurts. I only hope when it is time for Ms. Selena (I'm in charge at an undisclosed location) Glenn to be fired is treated with the same disdane! Things have gotten worse since she came to our city and it looks to only get even more so if something is not done!
Read this excerpt from the speach of Mayor Linda Johnson: "Speaking of growth, 13 companies announced major expansions, and 24 new
businesses made Suffolk their home. This is a diverse mix of companies ranging from major
defense contractors and manufacturers to banks, health care facilities, restaurants, and fitness
centers. All play an important role in providing new opportunities for our citizens.
We congratulate and welcome all of you!
Just over a month ago, Governor Timothy Kaine announced that SPARTA Composite
Products, a division of SPARTA, Inc., will invest 13.2 million dollars to open a manufacturing
facility in Suffolk. The company will manufacture composite parts for the aerospace and
defense industry, creating 198 new jobs over a 5 year period. We successfully competed
against Georgia, Florida, and Iowa for this project. The quality of life here in Suffolk, close
proximity to excellent academic institutions and a high-technology skilled and disciplined
workforce were the driving forces in SPARTA’s decision to call Suffolk “home”. This new facility
is expected to be operational in December 2009, and hiring will begin in the 3rd quarter of 2009.
This project is a great complement to Suffolk’s growing and impressive aerospace cluster."
How much is fact and how much is fiction? Perhaps Ms. Cave was the only one who really knew and that is why she was forced to resign. Will we ever get the truth from our lovely City Manager, Ms. Glen? Most likely not and that is how the Council wants it.
I wonder if the mayor and some of the other puppets have taken tghe atitude to keep Robert Barclay out of the communication path?
The Mayor embarassed Governor Kaine by prematurely announcing the 13 million SPARTA Composite project only to see it collapse because of the failing economy. So Ms. Cave falls (is pushed by SCG) on her sword in retribution. Do you think they are that disfunctional and insecure that they must take an innocent city employee's professional scalp? Mayor Johnson in the eyes of DNC Chair, Governor Tim Kaine has been marginalized and will no longer be taken seriously. Now begins the all too often negotiation process between lawyers. Budget Officer Ann Seward will be busy juggling accounts to ante up the cash necessary to cover for our city leaders stupidity.
A long court filing will ensue and an out of court settlement will be had by Ms. Cave in the range of about $450,000. And it will all be paid from the City Treasure that we all just paid for our over priced homes. How can we fix these things?
City of Suffolk in court? Never in a life time. sarc
What talented professional would ever want a position that has experienced turn over under such dubious circumstances? The City Manager will likely go back to her diminished list of friends and acquaintences and find another warm body to fill the seat. It will be a person that woefully lacks the necessary technical skills but is a good YES man. In these hard times what department could be more important to the future of Suffolk than economic development.
There is a big difference in getting served with a lawsuit and settling out of court (as Suffolk has almost always done before going to trial with a jury). In court you really do have to defend your position or actions, or you may find that you in fact damaged someone and have to pay to make them whole again and that can cost big! Suffolk (you and me) may have to pay for this error or failure of proper personnel management and policy. If there was an issue that rises to need for dismissal of an employee like Ms. Cave, was there any note of such issue in the person's file, and was she ever given notice of such fault or failure? To just summarily dismiss someone due to "not fitting" seems to be the posterboy example of poor, if not reckless personel management. The usual process that any court would examine and expect is one where a city employee is given notice and possibly counciling to correct performance deficencies (even for an "at-will" employee).
The City Manager and especially the council should insure that such a fair and reasoned policy is how the senior staff deals with employees. If not, perhaps some of the rumors that take exception with Ms. Glen's management style and abilities are accurate and she must change. This change can only come from the involvement of our representative, where our council is in fact involved in such policy that define the process. That apears to have failed in this case and they need to correct such or we will. One can only hope that this failure does not lead to another claim in court that cost the City and citizens great expense, due to a large monetary settlement and the black-eye and embarassment that always follows.
Could it be that the city will not fire the CM because they dont want to go to court and or to settle out of court with her???
My oh my, what a web we weave. If only the voters considered the consequences of leaving all of these folks in office. Now we are stuck with them and will be reading this stuff until next election. Her highness doesn't have a clue about how to run a city, except when it comes to benefiting herself and her cronies. So having a "yes sir" city manager is exactly what she has and what she wants. "it a great time to be in Suffolk".
The comment about the CM does not seem like how it is. She seems to be empowered by her easy ability to meed the demands of the mayor and council. They seem happy with her because "she is responsive" to thier direction and command. They seem to have overlooked alot to get that one trait that they covet so much. It maked it easy to control things if you can count on a city manager to just roll-over when asked, rather than lead as the chief executive. Power for all now seems to be in the hands of a few on council and that is just how it is.
What is the big deal? This is Surpirising SUFFOLK!
The council will always do what is best for their cronnies and themselves. Just wat who get the Golf Course of penneys on the dollar tonight. Might it just be a well connected City Planning Commissioner? Looks like it to the fly on the wall!
The one and only hope for economic development is to promote Ms. White the marketing mogul from Tourism. She has proven her ability to bend and twist numbers to prove that through her efforts she has generated millions of dollars entering our city. She is so talented that even our local newspaper reporters print everything given to them without so much as a question.
We know she cooked it all up taking full credit for meal and gas purchases. The interesting aspect is she was never challenged by anyone on council, the City Manager or any of the past Directors for Economic Development including Deputy Dog Roberts.
Our beloved City Manager Cuffee-Glen needs to do the right thing by generating another round of lawsuits at our expense.
This issue, like ost in Suffolk seems to just go away with time and lack of any recognition of the failings of our over acomplished City Manager. The cycle seems to be lay-low after an eruption like this and then get ready for the next big stumble. At least we know for sure one things will happen and that is another blow-up as we watch the show on Market Street.
When are those news hounds at the SNH going to go up to the City Manager's office or catch her in the city hall parking lot and demand an explanation. If they don't maybe someone from Inside Suffolk can. It's about time Suffolkians get the facts from the people they are paying.
There are no answers to get. This decision was made in a fit, just like most on Market Street and no one will say that publicly. We live in a "Fuedal Society", where the queen has no clothes and not one minion is brave enough to say so. We deserve this situation, since we are the ones who vote these characters into office. Then they decide to hire and praise the superior staff that we have.
"There have never been so many, distrubed by the utter failure of so few, who acomplished so little, at such a great cost!" A life long Suffolk Tax-Payer.
Just in case no one knows there is one more prominant position being forced out of the city of suffolk. Tom Patrick, the director of Information Technology for 26 years was demoted to asst. director last year to "streamline upper management" This year his position is not in the budget at all. Come July 1st a new position of Chief Information Officer which is open to the public will be running the department. While Tom may apply for the position he is not assurred of getting it. Tomm now has 27 years of dedicated service to the city and is near qualifying for full retirement. It seems that the city is not going to allow that to happen though as he will not have a job at the end of the month. Quite a shame once again.
A newly appointed member of the economic development authority has resigned before his first board meeting.
Jim Shirley said Wednesday that he disapproves of how the city handled the departure of former Economic Development Director Cindy Cave. Cave submitted her resignation suddenly last month. She said later that the deputy city manager had told her she would be fired the same day if she didn’t resign.
Shirley said he felt the city should have addressed the conflicting reports regarding the departure, noting that EDA board chairman Howard Faulk had said Cave chose to leave.
“Just to clear the air,” Shirley said. “Because you would think the chairman would know if she were being asked to resign – but maybe not.”
Shirley is a member of the planning commission, but he expected to leave that body soon as he took his seat on the EDA.
Jim Shirley for Council! He seems to be the only person who has a position that understands just how wacky city government and the dopes on Market Street have become! Why did Ms. Glen really push to oust a new hire? Does anyone believe that boy-dopey our deputy city manager would so such without orders? Ms. Glen is slipping under the wave of her own bad or lacking leadership as more people recognize her as a tired, worn, and incompetent never-was that is in a job over her head. Ms. Cave had more potential than all the goofs in City Hall. We will see more disturbing and depressing news from her crew, I am sure.
Has this thread run out of steam? I hear that Ms. Cave is up for a job with another locality. Any news? So far everyone we fire in Suffolk, gets a better job with another local city. Seems like it just might be good to be fired by the Suffolk idiot squad after all.
Hey, who hired Ms. Cave? In the private sector anyone who hired and then fired someone without cause in so short a time period was looked upon as a poor judge of character or insecure. Ms. Cave was obviously sacked by SCG in another one of her purges. Stalin pales in comparison.
What does SCG stand for? S=Sloch, C=Controling, G=our Goof-offs or Slouch Controlling our Goof-offs!
We need a city manager, not an experiment in how quotas just don't work! Ms. Cuffee should not be the dog-catcher much less the CEO of our City. How did this happen? Was it the desire for the mayor and council to over-conrol after Herbert left? If so we swerved into the ditch and we now have mud on the wreck we call city government.
All errors in hiring judgement can be fixed by firing the City Manager. The only thing holding such an act back is who would want the young man who is Deputy City Manager (with a temper) to be the head honcho? I do not agree with Mrs. Glen in this, but who will we get if she is fired? A wet-behind the ears boy who will throw a temper-tantrum and fire anyone that "just does not fit"? How did we get into this situation again? seems like everyday we get another bloody nose in how our city is run and it will never end until we get people in charge who care more about us than feathering their own nests.
The Deputy City Manager lacks the organizational and communications skills necessary for the job. More importantly by his actions he lacks the trust of city employees. He was chosen by the obviously insecure SCG for exactly those reasons.
It is unfortunate that those on this blog seem to continually smear the good name of a young inexperienced manager like our Deputy City Manager. He has only done the bidding of Mrs. Cuffee-Glenn because she does not want anyone's (employment) blood to appear on her hands so she can be the "Good-Manager". I am sure that the Deputy City Manager does not take into account the affect that his part has on the victims of these actions, but real lives are being destroyed and an adult (even a young man) should know that. It is kind of like when the German private said he was only following orders that the General told him to do, when he shot civilians lined up at the ditch. But the thing that is most chilling is what the Deputy City Manager will have to say when it is his turn to be fired. "I was only doing what I was told to do"? How does this action now look, and in this light, Patrick? These comments are being read in the City Manager's office and they need to be precise. They need to be accurate and place the responsiblity where it should lay and that is with the only person who could make this kind of decision, the City Manager. I am sure they all think they are doing what is right, but that does not make it right. In these times of hardship, one's job should not be used to club them into line or to intimidate other's who might not tow the given party-line.
So ease up on young Patrick. He is only taking orders. The real issue lies with Mrs. Cuffee-Glenn and her handlers. I see it almost every day from my little corner on Market Street.
I see Ms Glen almost every day and she is a disturbing person that sends a chill down my back everytime. She smiles, but behind those smoldering looks that underlies that smile is a really unhappy person. Is there a problem at home or is she just caught in the web of others and she is not happy? Perhaps she feels like the president of Iran, where she is directed by the Supreme Leader, in our case that is Mayor Linda. I try never to shake hands with Mayor Linda for my fear I will not get it back. How this will end or workout I just do not know but it is fun watching from a distance. I will just keep my head down in my office and watch from a few feet away from the manager's office to see how it works our. Something is brewing and there jsut may be a surprise coming soon. The talk in the office is who or what will be next. Many say Morre will be fired soon or Mills may quit. Who knows how our little saga will proceed but we all love to watch so long as they do not send the death-stalker (Patrick Roberts) to fire us too. I just want to keep quiet until I can add a few more years to my state retirement and then I will slip away from this madhouse they call city hall. I am making this comment from my computer at home, so no blame for use of my government computer at the office. They actually have told us all that nay uses like this at work and we are going to get cut off at the knees or worse. so the above is on my dime and without my name or I would get the boot.
another one bites the dust.
Read soon that another Chief Purchasing Agent for the City has recently been fired. The last Purchasing Agent was fired about 8 or 9 months ago. The PA that was fired a few days ago was described when being hired as having a wealth of knowlege and experience and a good fit for Suffolk.
perhaps it is the cell phone policy that did her in??
What was the reasoning for the firing? Is there something for which we can follow up?
All of us little city employees in our little Castle called City Hall are keeping our heads low so as not to get fired for the smallest infraction that might affend the high and might "Highness SCG". Most of us are not going to do or say anything and loose a good job in this enviroment. I am just waiting out a few more months to retire and I will speak my mind then. I have even given some thought to running against the truely stupid bully Counciman Parr. It is entertaining to see the comments of Parr and Johnson supporters from the SCCA group talk about negativity and running for office! If you want to know where most of those comments come from just eat at the "toemain palace" at the SCCA.
The chance to run to replace some of those like Parr is apealing to me. Time will tell, but I will continue to keep my head down and make it to retirement. Hope all do understand and keep these comments in mind during the upcoming council election for the Suffolk Burrough.
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