by Anne Scheck
NEW YEAR REPORT
City Councilor Resigns
ALSO: MINET Debt in Water Bills
NEW YEAR REPORT
City Councilor Resigns
ALSO: MINET Debt in Water Bills
KEN DAY RESIGNS CITY COUNCIL SEAT
Ken Day resigned from the Independence City Council earlier this month, citing several issues that prompted him to re-evaluate his position on the council. Chief among his concerns was a lack of "initiative and commitment" he perceived among some council members. "I applaud them for volunteering, but with the job comes expectations of involvement," he said. As an example, he cited a planning session on strategic development where several councilors had no "suggestions or critique."
They seemed to "almost always go along with the mayor or city manager rather than questioning and/or offering alternatives," Mr. Day said. He also acknowledged having difficulty working with the city manager, David Clyne, whose management style differed so much from his own. Mr. Day, a former CEO, noted that there are many different ways to lead groups of people, and he acknowledged that his results-oriented, problem-attacking style is only one of them. However, Mr. Clyne "created more issues and confusion than he needed to," Mr. Day said.
One example is the announcement last year by the city manager of his impending retirement, which circulated around Independence. This prompted the city to invite a local expert to address the ramifications of a multiple-month-long search for a replacement city manager, a presentation that was given at the last council work session. "Then, at that meeting, the city manager said no, he wasn't retiring in mid-2018. He was going to stay till Independence Landing was completed," Mr. Day said. This meant another relatively long period of work with Mr. Clyne, which Mr. Day said for him was "the straw that broke the camel's back."
When contacted by email, Mr. Clyne said Mr. Day “never shared with me why he chose to resign. I was as surprised as most. “ Mr. Clyne said he considered Mr. Day someone who was “really starting to learn the role of councilor" and was “interesting and frequently helpful to a broader understanding of discussions and issues,” in part thanks to Mr. Day’s business background.
“I wish him well in his return to private life,” Mr. Clyne said.
Mr. Day said another key reason was transparency -- that issues were being discussed in executive sessions that he felt should be discussed "openly, in public."
[The Independent will take a close look at the financial issues that have been the subject of so much speculation and debate in the next issue of The Independent, available in February at Brew and Tap House, The Ovenbird Bakery, Elite Cleaners and Tailoring and Robin’s Roost, all downtown, and The Starduster at the airport).
Ken Day resigned from the Independence City Council earlier this month, citing several issues that prompted him to re-evaluate his position on the council. Chief among his concerns was a lack of "initiative and commitment" he perceived among some council members. "I applaud them for volunteering, but with the job comes expectations of involvement," he said. As an example, he cited a planning session on strategic development where several councilors had no "suggestions or critique."
They seemed to "almost always go along with the mayor or city manager rather than questioning and/or offering alternatives," Mr. Day said. He also acknowledged having difficulty working with the city manager, David Clyne, whose management style differed so much from his own. Mr. Day, a former CEO, noted that there are many different ways to lead groups of people, and he acknowledged that his results-oriented, problem-attacking style is only one of them. However, Mr. Clyne "created more issues and confusion than he needed to," Mr. Day said.
One example is the announcement last year by the city manager of his impending retirement, which circulated around Independence. This prompted the city to invite a local expert to address the ramifications of a multiple-month-long search for a replacement city manager, a presentation that was given at the last council work session. "Then, at that meeting, the city manager said no, he wasn't retiring in mid-2018. He was going to stay till Independence Landing was completed," Mr. Day said. This meant another relatively long period of work with Mr. Clyne, which Mr. Day said for him was "the straw that broke the camel's back."
When contacted by email, Mr. Clyne said Mr. Day “never shared with me why he chose to resign. I was as surprised as most. “ Mr. Clyne said he considered Mr. Day someone who was “really starting to learn the role of councilor" and was “interesting and frequently helpful to a broader understanding of discussions and issues,” in part thanks to Mr. Day’s business background.
“I wish him well in his return to private life,” Mr. Clyne said.
Mr. Day said another key reason was transparency -- that issues were being discussed in executive sessions that he felt should be discussed "openly, in public."
[The Independent will take a close look at the financial issues that have been the subject of so much speculation and debate in the next issue of The Independent, available in February at Brew and Tap House, The Ovenbird Bakery, Elite Cleaners and Tailoring and Robin’s Roost, all downtown, and The Starduster at the airport).
Discrepancy in Water Bill Pertaining to MINET will be reported in the next Linking Letter for e-mailing. The city’s utility consultant, Steve Donovan, said slightly over $14 of water-sewer billing goes to MINET debt payment. A letter sent in the last bill puts the amount at just above $6. The explanation from Gloria Butsch, finance director, is that she used the actual allocations from the 2017 billings in information inserted in the last bill and the higher dollar amount is a projection for 2018.
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