TALLADEGA — The Talladega City Council held its last meeting under the management of Sue Horn Wednesday night, and discussed a laundry list of pending items that will need to be addressed at some point after Horn’s resignation goes into effect Friday. The council also discussed how to handle day-to-day operations until a permanent replacement can be found.“This is a historic meeting,” Council President Dr. Horace Patterson said. “We are at the beginning of a new era.”
Horn said afterward that she already appointed Beth Cheeks to succeed her in the office of City Clerk (which Horn also held). The council appointed President Pro Tempore Dr. Lance Grissett to approve expenditures above $1,500, which cannot be approved by a department head, and appointed Cathy Fuller personnel officer, a position Horn held for most of her tenure with the city, but which Fuller held briefly under the previous administration.
All of the city’s current department heads will meet at least weekly, with Finance Director Terri St. James assuming the leadership role.
Grissett said he had contacted Bill Curtis at the East Alabama Regional Planning Commission and asked for some names, possibly of retired people, who might be interested in the interim manager position on a part-time basis, possibly two or three days per week. Patterson said he had made a similar request of the League of Municipalities.
Grissett said he had already gotten a couple of names from EARPC. Patterson said the League would advertise the position for five days before making a recommendation.
Patterson opened the meeting by reading a prepared statement into the record refuting the assertion Horn made in her letter of resignation regarding the undue influence of the group Citizens For Good Government, and then went on to outline the city’s priorities under a new manager.
The statement said:
“During this period of transition, the name of a respected group of citizens has been raised as having control of this administration. This is not true. As president of this council, I have not been made aware of any efforts or requests from the Citizens For Good Government to improperly control or contrive any instrument to control this august body. At this time, when today’s innovations can quickly become tomorrow’s antiques, we need our entire community working together in a spirit of unity. We have before us some unprecedented opportunities, but they are mixed with keen competition. The future of this city is bright if we will come together, plan together and work together. We must discard the ‘I’ mindset and maintain the concept of ‘we.’”
Patterson went on to say, “We have re-established boards to advise us and committees to lead us in securing a professional city manager, approaching annexation responsibly and revitalizing the downtown area. We need support, advice and cooperation from all segments of our community. A clear impediment to growth arises when inactive citizens view attempts to bludgeon the good name of those who seek to serve. I apologize to any of those affected by unsubstantiated charges. We will soon meet with our bond attorney and determine the steps we must take as we seek to realize a most positive goal. We are presently working to secure a professional to work with us on a part-time basis until we hire a city manager. The word ‘manager’ is, I confess, as far as I am concerned, a misnomer. We are looking more for a leader than a manager, and I am convinced that we will succeed during both the interim and the long-range period. This city belongs to each of us as surely as if we have laid every brick and driven every nail to build every city building. We have a major investment in this city, not only in terms of the taxes we pay, but in the lives of others. We owe it to ourselves and our children… Grissett and I have met with department heads this day. We will support them as they continue to serve you. We are convinced that we will ‘hold on to the best of the past as we reach for the best of the future.’”
The one major controversy that might arise from Horn’s departure concerns her accrued compensatory time. Horn has some 1,091 hours of comp time accrued over her career with the city. Along with unused sick leave and vacation time, 1,000 hours of comp time would keep her on the city payroll until November.
Patterson said he had calculated the overall cost of this using Horn’s salary as city clerk, the position she held when the city barred department heads from earning further comp time. The total cost to the city, including benefits, would be $54,561.87.
Horn said even after the freeze, two other department heads had retired and been paid comp time at their current rate of pay. Horn’s salary jumped $20 per hour when she was appointed manager, which brings the overall cost to $77,560.
Both sides agreed to submit the issue to the city’s attorney and wait for an opinion. Horn will use up the vacation and sick leave, which are not in dispute, first.
The council then voted to accept Horn’s resignation 4-0. Councilman Eddie Tucker was not present.
Also Wednesday, Horn and the council discussed:
l The Bemiston Recreation Center and Avenue H drainage grant projects, which have now been officially closed out.
O The draft of the audits for the city and the Water and Sewer Department, which Horn said she had recently received.
O A $129,000 “windfall” from the principal on the Department of Human Resources building.
O The South Street sidewalk project, which Horn said could be engineered using existing documents.
O A finding by the U.S. Department of Labor of 14 violations involving work done by minors.
O Acquisition of Waldo’s water system.
O Two possible bond issues.
O A solar panel for the Mt. Olive Well storage tank, although Horn said she didn’t know if the project would have to be bid.
The council took the following actions:
O Voted to abandon a grant to renovate the caboose behind the Chamber of Commerce building.
O Agreed to ask for an ordinance making the Heritage Commission an agency with a city appropriation, rather than a department of the city.
O Announced a meeting for 2 p.m. today with EARPC.
O Heard Horn say, “Thank you to all our employees. It’s been great working with you. I’ve enjoyed some good times and survived some bad times. And now I’m going turkey hunting.”
Further coverage of Wednesday’s meeting will appear in Friday’s Daily Home.
