CC Minutes - 04/17/06 Process Session

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the e-mail to be offensive as well but he had been unable to talk to Assistant Manager Carlson about it because he was out of town, and would talk to him when he returned. She had asked at the April 10 meeting when the manager had knowledge of the e-mail, and it was her recollection that he indicated he knew about it for about a month. She found that disturbing, because to her knowledge, City Manager Taylor had not taken any action. Ms. Bettman perceived the e-mail as evidence of a larger, underlying problem. She suggested the manager was tacitly approving such conduct by taking no action and that the e-mail was “the tip of the iceberg.” Ms. Bettman said that the council had to act on record, and went on to assert that City staff had the ability to keep its e-mail hidden from the public and from the council. That was not a “level playing field.” She was not interested in policy rhetoric or a scripted apology; she wanted to see genuine reform. Assistant City Manager Carlson apologized for the disrespectful e-mail he sent Ms. Bettman and for any offense he caused. He took responsibility and said he attempted to treat all with respect. Sending the e-mail had not represented normal behavior for him. He regretted he had been unable to be present at the meeting last week to address the issue but had been out of town caring for an ailing relative. Assistant City Manager Carlson said that when he sent the e-mail he had been at home sick, and had intended to forward the e-mail to his wife Becky Carlson, the Administrative Division Manager of Public Works, to respond to Ms. Bettman’s question regarding the use of City funds for the Parks Foundation award ceremony. He clarified that City Manager Taylor had not been aware of the e-mail and had not received it. He said he attempted to recall the message but had been unable to do so. Assistant City Manager Carlson apologized again to Ms. Bettman for the content of the e-mail and accepted responsibility for his mistake. He reiterated that the manager knew nothing about it. City Manager Taylor questioned whether a process session was the appropriate forum for discussion of a specific personnel issue. Mr. Kelly said the subject was a delicate one but thought City Manager’s remarks were unfortunate in that he perceived them as setting an adversarial tone. He had no intention of discussing any individual, but the only place the council could discuss a personnel matter was in an open session. He did not think that the manager meant to suppress the discussion, but that was the message he gave. Mr. Kelly believed the issue was a broader one of the organizational culture. He said it was his perception as a sitting councilor that a distinct minority of city staff viewed elected officials as somewhere between irrelevant and a temporary annoyance. He did not think that was the way to foster a partnership. He hoped that City Manager Taylor could lead actively and do something that seriously addressed the issue of the council as a “side show” for some City staff. Mr. Kelly said he could understand that staff had professional experience he would never have, but the City Council and Mayor were in charge. City Manager Taylor indicated his concurrence with the remarks of Mr. Kelly and pointed out that every time he spoke to staff or groups he stressed the importance of elected officials being the heart of a legitimate democracy. In City settings, he frequently discussed the need for employees to respect reach other, and especially to show respect for those who choose to serve the community as elected officials. Ms. Bettman expressed skepticism that City Manager Taylor’s remarks were being reflected in the organization. She was still very unclear as to when City Manager Taylor had knowledge of the incident. MINUTES—Eugene City Council April 17, 2006 Page 9 Process Session