Brentwood Ways and Means Monday covered sidewalk ownership and responsibility, deciding to match city practice to the code, then adjourned before completing the full agenda after a heated discussion between City Administrator Bola Akande and Ward 1 Alderwoman Maureen Saunders.
The committee was discussing a proposed code of conduct for aldermen.
Ward 4 Alderman Tom Kramer said they need to consider future boards and city administrators that would use the code. He said, as he had previously, that he didn’t like Mayor Pat Kelly’s original draft, calling it “heavy handed.”
Saunders said, as she had in the past, that aldermen should be able to talk to department heads without going through the city administrator.
“We hire and pay top dollar to these department heads,” Saunders told City Administrator Bola Akande. “There’s no reason for you to need to know I’m asking Gina (Jarvis – finance director) questions if it’s just educating me on something.”
Akande replied, “I just don’t know why you have a city administrator. If the goal is to usurp them why do you need a city administrator?” Saunders said a city administrator is needed, but not someone to “micromanage.”
Saunders told Akande that if it’s the problem she says it is, it needs to be documented. “You do not try to fix the problem without identifying the problem, so we need to know specifics that I have met with department heads.” Saunders had previously asked each department head at the meeting if she had met with them; they all said no. Saunders said she had met with Fire Chief Ted Jury about fire trucks once.
Akande said she doesn’t mind being asked tough questions in a meeting, but doesn’t like staff members being cornered in a hallway, being told to research something by the next day. Saunders said she had done that once.
Akande continued, “I would like staff to be able to do their jobs without anybody questioning their capability, their skill level, or if they’re the right fit for that job, or maybe whether they need to be removed,” Akande said. “Those are things that I’ve experienced here, Alderwoman Saunders, and I’ve never experienced this with any other alderperson other than you.”
Akande then said Saunders had told someone, “Bola Akande needs to be removed — you know who you said that to,” Akande said.
“No, I don’t,” Saunders said.
Akande said she had heard the same thing from other third parties.
“Once again, Bola, that’s hearsay,” Saunders said. Akande said she has an email to prove it.
At that point Ward 3 Alderman Andy Leahy moved to adjourn the meeting, which Alderman Patrick Toohey seconded. The committee discussed replacing a boiler at the community center before adjourning, but costs related to the East Central Dispatch transition and the charter performance bond request were left to another meeting.
Here’s the headline from the entire deal…….Bola has an attorney who is the gatekeeper of access to city emails? What a joke!
I’m sure the new Code of Conduct outlines such practices: All email messages between city employees and elected officials will be archived by the employees personal attorney.
Next!
I heard the administration does have access to all the e-mails sent to brentwood.gov. I do not contact anyone on that site. And it is not just Bola.
This practice is not new in organizations with sensitive information sites, like hospitals or Boeing. An IT “super-user” can backdoor access information, unless the http:// web address reads https:// The s indicates a secured line. Brentwood’s website does not have a secure public line.
I seriously doubt Bola knew how the mayor operated for years without meaningful checks and balances, before she came on board. Look at all the garbage that has surfaced. People are just catching on.
This email chain took place outside of the city emails so not subject to sunshine law……Completely, where have you been man? I miss your comments. While I often disagree with what you’re saying most of the time I find the comments entertaining. Your comments have a style and charisma this new generation of city haters “Completely” lack. ……The real issue from this article is that Bola is telling Maureen that the code of conduct is needed because when she (Maureen) deals with city staff and does not get the answer she wants, she turns the interaction hostile. This was not the answer Maureen wanted from city staff Bola, therefore she turned the conversation with Bola into a hostile one. Maureen proved Bola’s point better than Bola ever could of………… Most of the comments below illustrate Bola’s point as well. Maureen and her cronies are turn into nasty bitter unhappy when they don’t get their way. They think throwing stones at people will bring change. To bring change you first have to win over those around you and become someone everyone respects, then you can have honest conversations with those you disagree with about change and find some common ground. But Maureen and her cronies just try and tell everyone “do everything our way or we will attack you personally”, the result is most of the community and its elected officials have turned their backs on her and she just has gotten nastier. That is why this circus continues…..Here is a free life lesson for most of you angry bitter people, when there is a majority that you disagree with, build a relationship with them and over time you can help them see your point. Don’t demand they do things your way, give them all the finger when they say no, and then claim a conspiracy when they dislike you for giving them the finger.
ALEXIS WRITES ABOVE: “After the last BOA meeting I want to know why Alderman Toohey is involved with our money. The Alderman votes to eliminate jobs and to assuage his guilt, comments on trying to find a way to pay them extra beyond what I am sure is already spelled out in our city policy.
If you feel this guilty about cutting someone’s job, use your money not the taxpayers to make yourself feel better. Do you realize how ridiculous this looks, I thought you had a financial degree.
You should not be in charge of taxpayers dollars when you so willy nilly toss them around as if you have your own personal piggy bank sitting in the Brentwood taxpayers pocket” Obviously you are generous in volume of words to be bitter. What about a response to Alexis? Have a good day..
I won’t reply to such trash as I would be reinforcing such behavior. How about, “Alderman Toohey, I am curious as to your comments about why you think these employees should get a severance package. What was your reason behind that? Respectfully Yours, Alexis (her last name here).
Yet you have no difficulty ‘trashing’ others. That’s a pretty interesting internal dynamic you have going on there. A lot of us see how bad communications have affected the interactions of the Brentwood administration. I have witnessed and been involved in a lot of violent assaults due to where I worked. I didn’t start them, but I did finish them, using specific disarming words and being respectful of each party’s difference of opinion. I NEVER SEE THAT IN BOA meetings. If an old lady can stop smack-down fights–surely our elected officials can speak civilly to each other. Who knows? They may even find they like each other.
I never said “Don’t trash people”. The point was if there is a majority of people you need to work with you, win the me over, don’t trash them. I have not desire or intent to win you, Muareen or her supporters over, I do not think you will ever be happy.
Patrick you post a reasonable statement. Then you self-destruct in your final line by posing a personal and negative supposition
I think most everyone would be much calmer if transparency was a common function and not an exception to issues re B’wood admin. Maureen is just the City’s poster model for the ongoing quest for this transparency.
You made a fine start though.
In my opinion, the current struggles Brentwood is experiencing is not a gender issue.
We hired a woman as the new City Administrator. As such, we owed her the support and respect needed to do her job. No different than we owed our newly elected Alderman the support and respect needed to do their jobs. As one who attends meetings, I would argue we have fallen short in both cases.
That said – I think we do a disservice to all professional women to equate Brentwood’s current struggles to anything other than what it is – Change and growth. Change and growth is often difficult even when it may well lead to a better result.
Valerie Williams post is right on track. The existing culture of publically demeaning women in City Hall is as insensitive as my analogy of a Michael Vick dog pit atmosphere in Brentwood administration. This analogy made me sick–but it clearly put people on the same page of disgust re attacks on Alderman Saunders. I don’t think however, this is only a gender issue: men against smart, women.
The article by Doug Miner stated the woman City Administrator has a history of directing her insulting, snappy (dismissal of Saunders in other BOA meeting) “That’s a waste of time.”. This comment was directed at Alderman Saunders when legitimate questions were asked. I have yet to hear Ald. Saunders ask a ‘wasteful’ question. Additionally, it is not up to Bola or any other Alderman to determine what is “wasteful”, esp. when they have no answers to a given line of inquiry.
Bola appears as the only African American, since I don’t know what happened to Alderman Harper. She may feel if she doesn’t go along with the “Big Daddy and his cronies” she could face the same thing. The point is that this problem is not specific to men.
Whatever else, there is absolutely no excuse for, as you say “ganging up” on Alderman Saunders. She listens to the details and questions gaps or conflicting items. This should be seen as a positive, but Saunders takes a beat-down for it–and Bola’s ‘annoyance’ and ‘tiresome blow-off’ of Saunders can be seen on the u-tube record.
Alderman Saunders is genuinely needed in our City Government. She is trust worthy and can logically defend her positions. She does not back down, but shines a “bright light” of reality on a corrupted and dysfunctional “boy’s club” administration. The Administration does not like that–but who would?
Finally, in cleaning house–Alderman Saunders’ husband who routinely speaks at the BOA meetings would be a very good Mayor to replace Mayor Kelly. Alderman Kramer would also be very good. There is a lot of good in Brentwood–but when systemic wrongs are operational in the administration–we need what Alderman Saunders brings to the table.
Maureen – I apologize for the actions of our City. It is an embarrassment….there is just so much that needs to be “corrected in this city”…..including how to facilitate meetings. One of the key roles of the chair of a committee is to facilitate the discussions and to call for order when discussions get out of hand and become personal. And our city administrator should not be using her position to attack individual alderpersons. Unfortunately, I don’t think any Code of Conduct is going to make the actions that I witnessed at the Ways and Means on Monday go away or make the meetings more “professional”.
It is ironic that the City is so focused on the “code of conduct” to the degree that it is…yet fails to provide this level of focus on fiscal performance and management (e.g., have the time clocks been installed in the fire department yet?).
It seems that some parts of the code of conduct are included to address an incident that happened one time many years ago. None of the city department heads indicated that Maureen has interfered with their work by asking too many questions or coming up to City Hall to request meetings with them.
I also know council people in other municipalities and they have access to city employees for asking questions.
I have to agree with Mary and Susan here, it does appear the guys simply cannot handle a very intelligent, well spoken female in Alderman Saunders. They outnumber her 6 to one, and she still holds her own. The boys throw their little cuts and jabs in, and her response stays on focus simply asking for the facts and an explanation.
Ten bucks to a dollar these guys know the game they are playing and have every intent of being as cruel as they act. It is obvious in watching BOA meetings that they enjoy the game of ganging up on Saunders, as they hope to take her off course.
Speaks very poorly to the professionalism some men have toward female co-workers. The boys always remain respectful when disagreeing with each other, just when a female disagrees it becomes a disgraceful case of gender bias and becomes personal.
Being afraid of a female being right does not make you guys look weak. I am sure most men in the audience would even be okay with it.
From what I have seen at meetings she has never had a problem admitting if she made a mistake or misspoke. She also readily admits when one of you gentleman have a better idea than her.
Very sad that in 2014 that men still act this way when they have right in front of them a person who is simply trying to help them make the city better and more professional. Unfortunately because she was born a female some men can’t handle that situation.
In a business if a guy were doing what she is doing they would be called tough and dogged, for women who act like this there is a different language, very, very sad statement that society still needs to work on this.
After the last BOA meeting I want to know why Alderman Toohey is involved with our money. The Alderman votes to eliminate jobs and to assuage his guilt, comments on trying to find a way to pay them extra beyond what I am sure is already spelled out in our city policy.
If you feel this guilty about cutting someone’s job, use your money not the taxpayers to make yourself feel better. Do you realize how ridiculous this looks, I thought you had a financial degree.
You should not be in charge of taxpayers dollars when you so willy nilly toss them around as if you have your own personal piggy bank sitting in the Brentwood taxpayers pocket.
These are not personal issues, these are straight attacks at Alderman Saunders because she is digging where they don’t want her to dig. The only way they can distract her is making it personal.
There is nothing personal about asking for proof that an ordinance is needed. Yet it becomes an attack on her just because that is the only direction that someone who does not have the correct answer can go or they are wanting to hide the truth.
I can’t find anything more hypocritical than this group passing a code of conduct when you look at what they allowed to happen to the city of Brentwood as attested to in the state audit.
If the men had any true ability to see what Saunders brings to the table they would sit back and realize she is asking some really good questions. We saw that before they passed a bill without getting a signed agreement for Hanley Industrial that said they would pay their part. Saunders asked do we have a signed agreement, we did not. That is smart business. They tabled the ordinance which was the right move.
If the male ego was not so fragile perhaps the gentlemen would realize, she does her homework and has the ability to bring a lot to the table. Woman today are highly educated and can keep up with you guys, sooner or later you will have to accept that fact. It’s okay to let them be your equal.
Susan–absolutely TRUE on point after point. Alderman Saunders follows the rules and she is bitterly treated with hostility for just that. She asks how decisions are made–and she is beaten for that. She points out glaring flaws in failure to follow ordinances and laws, and the 16 wheeler of “Mayor Crony’s” truck takes direct aim at HER. Now Bola is injecting personal issues, which sidetracks the discussion of issues–and Ald. Saunders gets it again. I do not think Bola has been here long enough to know how she would feel if her own (old expression from old guy) t*t was caught in the ringer. Ald. Saunders might then look a lot different to her.
The problem that our city administrator and the old boys club have with Saunders is she simply want the truth, and the old school has no desire to share. She makes decisions based on fact not hearsay. Tough question are to be expected and as a voter that is want we not only want, we demand based on past performance. Again, had someone asked for a factual accounting of our charity golf tournament, perhaps we would have realized the tournament lost money. Perhaps if someone would have asked is it legal to take benefits without proper procedure, this would not have been an audit concern. Perhaps if someone asked can we bonus employees attendance pay someone would have discovered it is against state law. Finally someone has the courage to ask why and asking for proof. prove.
Our Alderman are now going to vote on an issue about asking for information. They are will to vote again with no facts to back up the assertions that it is even a problem. They have no facts because our city administrator won’t give them any facts. That is negligence on the part of the Alderman. I say shame on the Alderman who already have already been fooled once to now allow themselves to be fooled again. Your last City Administrator made you look incompetent and foolish and now you are back doing the same thing.
I would not let these people run my seven years olds koolaid stand. The mayor and his little boy band need to go.
Amen.
Could you please elaborate on the business that was handled last night? Brentwood Ways and Means Monday covered sidewalk ownership and responsibility, deciding to match city practice to the code? What does match the city practice to the code refer exactly? just curious.
Marion, the majority of sidewalks in the city are owned by the owner of the property which the sidewalks lay. The majority of maintenance for those sidewalks is the responsibility of the property owner. There is some maintenance the City does perform on the these sidewalks based on the code (ex. if a tree root shifted a sidewalk). If the City was to perform maintenance beyond the its code, then a legal argument could be made that city has assumed ownership of the sidewalks and is responsible for all maintenance which would create a large financial burden for the city. As such a decision was made to ensure the city only perform maintenance in conformity with the code. Nothing to the code was changed, not was additional liability put on the residents.
I would like to set the record straight. I ran into an employee on my way out and asked her if this person could obtain some information. I did feel it was information that someone in their position at any other company / city should have on hand. The past issues with the city is that the aldermen didn’t have the necessary information. I stand by my interaction and have never received a complaint from the employee or. Bola. In my opinion, Tom Kramer, as chairmen should have reigned in the conversation and prohibited it from becoming personal. Bola introduced personnel issues,
I simply asked to document the number of requests for information, and types of request, so we could properly define the problem. Bola stated it was a waste of time and Tom Kramer has refused to have the problem documented for the past two meetings. My husband has asked for documentation of the requests for the past 60 days from Aldermen at two Board of Aldermen meetings and not received an answer. You can’t fix a problem if it is not properly documented and identified.
Yesterday was the first day I learned of the negative email I wrote about Bola. I met with Bola after the meeting and asked her for a copy of the email. She said it was from two years ago and that I would have to go through her attorney to get it. I apologized profusely if I wrote that email. There is no excuse.
Bola and I met and are going to work on our communication skills. I am looking forward to putting any negative feelings in the past and moving forward.
Also, Doug I believe Alderman Leahy moved for adjournment and Alderman Toohey seconded the motion. Please check.
Maureen Saunders
Alderman Saunders–I hope you extended to Bola, a “welcome to the Michael Vicks dog-fight pit of our top administration”. She is now cutting her teeth in the “good ole boys network” of under the table deals, abusive closed door policy & project determination methods and selective failure (Alderman Kramer) to document information related to how things will be done on behalf of Brentwood.
This administration has deteriorated to a dichotomous choice: “step n’ fetch-it” cronyism on the Mayoral side, and open disclosure of information to Aldermen and residents for decisions that reflect the populous. And please don’t tell me it’s because I don’t “like the Mayor.” I think he is a splendid man–but not a good Mayor. He plays too many games. I suppose we will see if Bola is independently grounded–or beholding to the Mayor who hired her. [Of the few encounters I have had with Bola, she has been very efficient and comprehensive. But none of my interactions rose far up the food chain–so do not comment on whether she will be swishy or grounded.
If residents are given a choice between a swishy group of politico glad-handers, vs. grounded, professionals asking intelligent, reasonable questions like Ald. Saunders, and other (aldermen) who would see residents better informed–who do you want handling your tax dollars? Swishy or grounded?
btw, i do NOT care what any poster writes as a “smack-down” back to me–because they are part of the “MV dog-fighters”. I am one dude who couldn’t care less about my detractors.
From watching BOA meetings on u-tube, I think Mr. Saunders or Ald. Kramer would be great mayoral candidates to replace the current mayor.
Please stop with the Michael Vick dog fight analogies.Most people find animal cruelty intolerable and the comparison grossly insensitive.
I am sure you are correct, Tiber.
Maureen – I checked, and you were correct in that Leahy moved to adjourn and Toohey seconded. I’ve fixed it – thanks.
Was this a government meeting or junior high school kids…
Wow – she said she said… sound like jr. high
Amen to your comment Beth. It seems our local municipal “city of warmth” government is acting like big government! Nothing will be accomplished swiftly if these attitudes continue. I hope they can move past personal issues and begin to represent and speak for the people that live in the respective wards, the alderman are supposed to be our spokes persons.
Bola Akande is CORRECT! The are two conflicting groups here and Bola knows it. She probably has the toughest job in Brentwood. I find that she is a personable person who has responded to my queries and suggestions every time I see her.
Since there ARE two conflicting groups here, if there are questions about how her department is handled or questions about particular jobs being done, they should be addressed to her, personally.. Her job is to see what needs to be done, prioritize the work, assemble the means to complete the tasks, and to implement and oversee the tasks to be completed until the project is completed and the sight is cleaned.
I worked in the aircraft industry for 34 years, and in other jobs for 10 years. The correct response to any question an employee is, “I don’t know everything about this job, please ask my boss.”
Quit going behind the City Administrator’s back if you want to know what, who, where, where, when, WHY or how a job is being done. The Bola Akande is the boss; talk to HER! That is the professional way. In this case, MAUREEN is WRONG. The employee that she asked, works for the administrator, NOT FOR MAUREEN. If Maureen was paying the employee $12. Per hour to do a job in her house, I’ll bet that she wouldn’t want that person to take an hour (that she was paying for) do some work for another person.
And, thanks Val for bringing SEX into the discussion, like always.
Apologize for yourself, Maureen. Do the right thing, next time. Go ask the boss.
Hi Steve. The other side is that of that linear style of work you described and is more in line with City Admin. is professional work. I worked for 30 years in hospitals in 3 states and on two continents. If I said, ‘just go see my boss’ I would have been fired for grossly ineffective performance. It was my job to know what both the left hand and the right hand were doing, and that info would determine what was required of me. I see Bola as a professional vs a technician. (I hope that came out properly.)
Next, Ald Saunders always apologizes if she is incorrect. She is not incorrect–she is taking the professional (vs technicians) approach to her work. I should think Bola of all people would be inclined to a similar mindset. Bola is a nice person–and needs to work as a team member. She is not a single relay fuse for all things having to do with Brentwood City Hall– as in line type work.
cc, There IS a gender issue in this unfortunate situation. Perhaps it is too embarrassing for you to come to terms with. If you contribute your denial in support of the problem, then …you may inadvertently be contributing to the problem. Perhaps you notice Bola is both a woman and a Black woman. Black women rate upward in the hierarchy than white ones–so your statement is flawed. The disrespect for women is glaring and widely known.
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