(Updated at 9 am Wednesday) – The news broke late Tuesday afternoon and seemed to catch just about everyone off-guard. According to the City’s release, Mr. Emlen informed the City Council that he has accepted a position as Director of Resource Management with Solano County. City Manager Emlen’s last day in Davis will be Friday, September 24. “The City Council is currently looking at options for filling the position, both on an interim and a permanent basis,” the release said.
Mr. Emlen is taking a position as Director of Resource Management in Solano County. The position represents a salary bump for Mr. Emlen up to $176,000. More than that, however, it represents a chance for Mr. Emlen to escape the bright lights of Davis and the heavy scrutiny. This is undoubtedly a far more low-key position.
He was able complete the fire department merger this year with UC Davis, which will likely save the city a good amount of money.
By the same token, he is inextricably linked with the council majority – and therefore it is difficult to determine where they ended and he began. While I am sure he will point to the last round of MOUs as a success, and certainly the council stamped their approval on that process, one has to wonder if a stronger city manager would not have pushed for outside negotiators and greater levels of savings.
By the same token, he made no plans to release the MOUs publicly, and instead released them once complete, which limitied discussion and the ability of the public to weigh in.
He looked particularly bad trying to handle the fire department scandal that emerged in July 2008 when the Grand Jury issued a report citing hostile work conditions. While he allowed for an independent investigation, he failed to plan for the inevitable report. He was therefore caught flat-footed for months before essentially sealing the report from not only the public, but also council. The council did not insist on seeing it, but he used his influence to put the council in the position where they would have to publicly overrule him, and three members of council were not willing to do that.
The city allowed key economic spaces to languish for years. It took four years to fill West Lake, East Davis Manor languished for seven, and while he can claim success on Trader Joe’s, that too turned into a bit of fiasco as Trader Joe’s insisted on a specified location that was already occupied.
Still I think he would point to Trader Joe’s, Target, and the Bike Museum as a variety of successes he has enjoyed.
We will be left to ponder the true nature of his decision. Did he see the writing on the wall with a new council? Was it simply time? Or did he have an opportunity to make more money with a less stressful job?
The key question now is who will be the interim, and who will be hired as the new permanent City Manager.
A couple of quick points. First, the two most obvious choices for interim are Ken Hiatt who heads planning, and Paul Navazio who heads finance. My guess is they will choose Mr. Hiatt as the interim, believing that Mr. Navazio’s work in finance is more pressing than work in development.
Second, the question turns to the search process. I will not wager any guesses there. However, I do really hope that the city hires from outside the city’s employees. The reason is they simply need new blood and new ideas.
One issue that was never resolved with Mr. Emlen is the city ordinance that the city manager move to Davis. For whomever they hire, I think that needs to be clear from the start. I think the city manager should live in Davis. It gives them a stake in the community. I think too many of our employees live outside of the community, and that means they view their roles very differently. They do not have a stake in city policies working, or in the ability to save money and spare the taxpayers, because they can simply move to another community if this one has problems.
While the Police and Fire Department hires were and are extremely important, this one is not, obviously, done by the city manager. This is a hire that is done by council, and, in part, the success or failure of it will be part of their legacy. To a large degree, the success or failure of reform efforts will fall on whether the city hires a city manager capable of leading the council and the city in the right direction. That’s why I think we need an external hire, and also why I think they have to do it right.
—David M. Greenwald reporting
Financially, this is a slight upgrade from Davis City Manager. According to the Solano County website ([url]http://www.solanocounty.com/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=2850[/url]) (see page 25), the Director of Resource Management (whatever that means) makes from $145,031.76 to $176,286.96 per year plus benefits. I presume it also has a 2.5% at 55 pension plan, though I did not find that. Emlen now is making $158,000 as the Davis City Manager. [quote](Solano) County offers CalPERS Health Insurance plans to all full-time and part-time employees working at least 50%. CalPERS offers both HMO and PPO plans with out-of-state coverage. The County contributes up to $1,057.26 to a cafeteria plan with a cash-back option. Cash-back options vary by bargaining unit. [/quote] By contrast, the City of Davis cafeteria medical benefit is worth 50% more. You wonder why Davis is going bankrupt?
Question: Is this good news for our budget? Will Solano County, not Davis, be picking up his retirement /health insurance expenses?
Opinion: The replacement selection will really tell us how the new City Council sees our needs and direction for the future.
Good Riddance.
Can we get someone better? Is there any public input? This is a key position.
In case anyone other than me is interested, I found this recruitment flyer ([url]http://www.co.solano.ca.us/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=8548[/url]) for the position Bill Emlen accepted.
The flyer describes what the department function is:
The Department of Resource Management provides for the well-being of Solano County’s present and future residents and the public at-large through administration and enforcement of Federal, State, and local laws and policies pertaining to environmental health, building construction, and land use planning, which have been adopted to preserve and protect the individual, the public, and the environment. The Department has a clear mission to focus on furthering the economic stability of the County. The Divisions that report directly to the Director of Resource Management include the following:
• Building and Safety Services;
• Environmental Health Services;
• Planning Services;
• Public Works Engineering;
• Operations; and
• Administrative Services.
The flyer then says what the Director does:
The Director of Resource Management is a department head with the overall responsibility for accomplishing and furthering the Department’s goals and objectives throughout the County’s incorporated and unincorporated areas.
This position serves as a key member of the executive management team and is directly responsible for leading a highly complex and diverse Department with an operating budget of $10 million exclusive of capital improvement projects and approximately 118 employees.
The Director will have knowledge and career expertise in the some of the following areas, with a preference for and an emphasis on community development and public infrastructure needs. Career specialty areas may include:
• Land use and planning;
• General Plans and Specific Plans;
• Development related issues including subdivisions;
• Environmental Impact Reports and CEQA;
• Building construction and safety;
• Public works, transportation and engineering including flood control, and drainage;
• Public finance including budget oversight, bonding and infrastructure
financing;
• Environmental health and safety; and
• Waste management.
The Director will identify future needs based on the overall strategic direction of the County and will commission studies and reviews to determine appropriate policies and approach for this agriculture-based county. Oversight of consultants and the public bid process will continue to be important to the County as service delivery continues to be evaluated for improved efficiencies and cost-savings.
This executive, through division heads, has responsibility for planning and directing all operations including the development and maintenance of a viable, comprehensive, long-range General Plan for the physical, social and economic development of the unincorporated areas of the County.
Strategic oversight includes the preparation and maintenance of area and community plans, lighting and landscape districts and special districts.
The Director is also responsible for the administration of the County subdivision and zoning ordinances and the development and maintenance of a base of information on related conditions within the County. The Director will need to be sensitive to the economic contributions made by the expansive agricultural community in Solano County and at the same time, realize the potential conflicts that will arise with ongoing development in the region.
Other broad-based responsibilities of the Director of Resource Management include:
• Planning, organizing and directing the Department’s mission through subordinate division managers to achieve efficient operations and to meet internal and external organizational and service goals;
• Overall fiscal responsibility and fiscal integrity for the Department budget;
• Strategic planning of short- and long-range goals and objectives for the Department of Resource Management;
• Oral presentations to the Board of Supervisors, citizens groups, regulatory agencies, business and agricultural communities, interested persons and stakeholder groups;
• Serve on local and regional committees to address County-wide concerns;
• Successful track record of dealing with regulatory agencies; and
• Engage in a collaborative and strategic approach to achieve the Department’s and the County’s overall success.”
They finally describe their ideal candidate:
Solano County is seeking an individual who is progressive, forward thinking and able to bring a broad base of skills to this dynamic organization. The successful candidate will be a self-starting, energetic, creative, and results-oriented professional.
This individual must be comfortable in directing a varied and diverse workforce with distinct technical and functional responsibilities and be seen as a collaborative and confident leader. This ideal candidate must work well with elected officials, advisory boards, officials from all levels of government, and the general public.
Personal characteristics will include a confident and professional presence, excellent business acumen, and articulate, with excellent communication and organizational skills. The top candidate will be known as an innovative problem solver who possesses a strategic approach to managing a diverse workforce and an ongoing commitment to enhance customer relations.
The selected candidate will be a flexible and situational manager who is participatory, yet willing to make decisions, drawing on successful experience in serving the public sector. Additionally, the Director will be instrumental in maintaining, improving and expanding services to protect the individual, public and the environment, and as a result, further the economic stability of the County.
Good Luck in Solano County Mr. Emlen.
Solana County has a great deal of progressive planning elements including several Wal-Mart Supercenters and other big box stores, and loads of car dealerships.
And Mr. Jelly Bean.
Interesting he didn’t go for another city manager job. I will never understand why he was given our job with no recruitment for other candidates.
And guess he didn’t have to move to Davis afterall.
An interesting question is who the Davis City Council will pick as the interim city manager. The obvious candidate is Paul Navazio. However, there are a few other prime possibilities:
• Katherine Hess
• Ken Hiatt
• Bobby Weiss
• Avatar?
• Melissa Chaney
I sense that there are some posters on here who don’t favor the policies which have been pursued by the city council and hold that against Bill Emlen. I don’t. I think on balance Bill was a good manager. He might not be the most dynamic guy, but he is competent, articulate and a pleasant human being who (I have been told repeatedly by his subordinates) is a pleasure to work for and in tough times has helped keep morale up. Managing human beings is a great skill that a good city manager must possess.
While I don’t like all the policies the city has adopted since Bill became city manager, I really think you have to put the onus for that on the city council. It’s their policy. They asked Bill (and his subordinates) to implement their policies. He did what they wanted him to do. If he had instead bucked them and tried to impose the sort of policies I would have prefered, he would have been fired. The city manager’s job is not to tell the council what their policies ought to be. His primary responsibility is to follow through with the direction set by the council. The city manager is first and foremost an administrator, not a legislator.
Also, while there were a few mistakes (like the problem with the cell phone poles in West Davis), I can’t think of any serious blunders committed by Emlen as city manager. The worst episode which I partially blame on Bill is the non-response response to the grand jury report on the DFD and the non-disclosure of the ombudsman’s report of the same issue. However, I again put most of the blame for that on the city council, where they ordered an investigation without bothering to look at the results and without figuring out a way in advance to square so-called private personnel matters with a need to know what mistakes had been made by Chief Conroy.
In replacing Bill permanently, the city should not be looking for a miracle worker with an agenda of his own who they expect will ride in on a white horse and resolve our serious long-term budget troubles. The council must fix those problems in the labor contracts. The new city manager should have a lot of Bill’s skills, especially a manager who works hard and inspires his subordinates to do the same.
[i]”… the Director of Resource Management (whatever that means) makes from $145,031.76 to $176,286.96 per year plus benefits. I presume it also has a 2.5% at 55 pension plan, though I did not find that.”[/i]
I found it: CalPERS – California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) 2.7% @ 55.
That might not be better than Davis’ 2.5% at 55, because it’s possible he will have to pay the employee share. In Davis, nothing is deducted from his salary to fund his pension. Nonetheless, if he ultimately retires after 36ears in the CalPERS system and his final salary is about $180,000 a year, his pension will start at $174,960 per year.
36 years
To answer JustSaying’s questions:
The day that Mr. Emlen stops working for Davis, the City is no longer paying towards his eventual retirement. That fact does not change even as he moves to a higher formula in his new career.
The City only pays retiree medical for those who retire “from the City” (i.e. retire while they are employed). As I understand it, we have just lowered the “unfunded liability”. I wonder if the “unfunded liability” cited in past information disseminated, takes into account the fact that those employees who leave Davis for reasons other than retirement while a City employee, are not eligible for that benefit.
Somebody just doesn’t have their facts straight… the way PERs retirement benefits are calculated are as follows:
# of years @ Agency A times the retirement factor for agency A (Davis, 2.5 @ 55) times highest year’s salary (in Davis, other agencies may have average of highest 3 years)[this “highest salary” is computed at retirement]; plus,
# of years @ Agency B times the retirement factor for agency B (Solano County, per Rich, 2.7 @ 55) times highest year’s salary (highest or average of highest 3 years, per Solano Co’s contract).
Rich’s numbers assume 1 year highest salary ($180,000), and 36 years @ 2.7%. Not a happening thing.
hpierce, I looked into that question when a City of Davis employee retired, who had worked 30 years, 20 of those at 2.5% at 55 and the last 10 here at 3% at 50. What I found was that the person’s pension was calculated entirely based on the 3% at 50. As such, that person’s pension was 90% of final year’s salary here in Davis. If your story were true about that retiree, the pension should have been 80% ([20 x 2.5] + [10 x 3.0]) of final salary. Yet I know for a fact it started at 90%.
If you can site some specific verbiage from CalPERS which confirms your assertion, I’d be happy to say I was wrong and that I misinterpreted how the system works. Until you show me that, I will continue to believe what I noted above.
Good Riddance.
Can we get someone better? Is there any public input? This is a key position.
I nominate Rifkin.
Rich… go to the PERS website…. follow links for ‘members’, local agencies, and you should be able to find the retirement calculators… if you “add own information” you don’t need to login (no userid/pw… anyone should be able to do that… I copied the link http://www.calpers.ca.gov/index.jsp?bc=/member/online-svcs/retirement/my-tools/calc-my-retirement/rpcs.xml, but haven’t tested it. I can also pdf to you a redacted member statement if the link doesn’t work. You’ll see that, for miscellaneous local agency members, I am correct. I must acknowledge that I’m not familiar with public safety (only folks with 3% @ 50). There may be wrinkles there that result in the answer you cited. Also understand that some folks can buy service credits for military service, and/or “air time”… you can (again, no login needed) download the applicable “member benefit” booklets. See: https://www.calpers.ca.gov/mss-pub/SearchController?viewcategory=action&PageId=SearchCatalog&category_code=4&subcategory_code=170 (again, haven’t tested this link, but should work).
Rich (and anyone else that’s interested)…. the first link I copied, doesn’t work, as copied… try :
http://www.calpers.ca.gov/index.jsp?bc=/member/retirement/home.xml
scroll down (left margin) to “online services”
scroll down (center section) to “calculate my retirement: enter my own data”
play with your scenarios
BTW… will be interesting to see if CC, for the long term, finds an in-house candidate for filling the position [other than for the obvious interim basis], or if they do a search (outside). If they do the latter, it will be interesting to see what talent/experience they can recruit, at the current terms, assuming retention of the ‘residency requirement’ (yes, acknowledge that wasn’t enforced recently), current salary, and the modification to most groups’ retiree medical requiring a minimum of 5 years city service (still about the “mean” tenure for City Mangers/City Administrators in CA, as I understand it) and 10 yrs total PERS service to qualify at all (@50%), and 5+ years with City and 20 years total for PERS (or equivalent) to get to 100% retiree medical. I’ll bet they (CC) will need to negotiate a “golden parachute” clause, as CM’s serve at the pleasure of the CC.
Rich (and anyone else that’s interested)CORRECTED…. the first link I copied, doesn’t work, as copied… try :
http://www.calpers.ca.gov/
on bar, select ‘for members’
scroll down (left margin) to “online services”
scroll down (center section) to “calculate my retirement: enter my own data”
play with your scenarios
rich rifkin: “I sense that there are some posters on here who don’t favor the policies which have been pursued by the city council and hold that against Bill Emlen. I don’t. I think on balance Bill was a good manager. He might not be the most dynamic guy, but he is competent, articulate and a pleasant human being who (I have been told repeatedly by his subordinates) is a pleasure to work for and in tough times has helped keep morale up. Managing human beings is a great skill that a good city manager must possess.”
Couldn’t disagree with you more. I got a taste of what Mr. Emlen is really like during the “merger” fight over the survival of the Davis Senior Citizens Commission. Some managers appear affable on the surface, but have their lackeys do the dirty work behind the scenes. Nor did Mr. Emlen seem to have very good control of many on his staff – the whole New Path fiasco comes to mind.
“That’s why I think we need an external hire, and also why I think they have to do it right.”
…no question about it. Emlen’s “promotion” to city manager was fatally flawed from the outset because he was a consummate Davis city staff “insider”. Landy Black’s success with the DPD is a good example of what a “strong” leader, without the baggage of long-time personal working friendships with those whom he must now tell what and how to do things, can accomplish.
All along along
There were incidents and accidents
There were hints and allegations
[[url]Paul Simon[/url]]
No bodyguard to call Al. He could have used one.
Old Chinese Proverb:
A Fish Rots from the Head
If there are problems with our planning staff (and there are) Emlen must bear responsibility.
Hey all, just now got the press release and have updated this story. Just a few quotes and such.
Bill Emlen never had the taste or talents for the job of City Manager.
The Peters principle comes to mind… people often rise to the level of their incompetence.
I wish him well and that he finds his new position a better fit.
[i]”The Peters principle comes to mind …”[/i]
It’s the Peter Principle, not the “Peters Principle.” It was coined by a guy named Larry Peter, who was an Education professor at USC.
Here is an interesting observation. I’ve noticed Solano County seems to be hiring a lot of new people lately. Has anyone noticed ads in the Help Wanted section of the Davis Enterprise. I’m wondering why, in light of the current economic downturn. Is Solano expanding bc they have found a magical pot of money, or do they have a hard time keeping people? Just wondering…
““I have thoroughly enjoyed working for the city of Davis. This community is a special place. We have a phenomenal staff, a dedicated City Council and an involved and caring citizenry,” said Mr. Emlen in his announcement of his intent to take the new position. “Although I am saddened to leave while so many important issues are under discussion, I am very much looking forward to this new opportunity to serve Solano County.””
He enjoyed working here bc Davis is such a special place – but wasn’t willing to live here even tho his contract required it at one time. LOL at the platitudes…
Bob Dunning for city manager fair and to the point !
[quote]If you can site some specific verbiage from CalPERS which confirms your assertion, I’d be happy to say I was wrong and that I misinterpreted how the system works. Until you show me that, I will continue to believe what I noted above.[/quote]
Let me know if the information I posted was useful…
David… this information (Bill’s choice to move on) caught Dept Heads/ staff by surprise… as well as City staff (other than Dept Heads)… in the interest of “transparency” (w/o ‘violating’ privileged sources, if that’s necessary) how did you find out so fast? CC member, Mr. Emlen, city staff, divine revelation, other? Way word got out was clumsy at best…
hpierce: I was wondering the same thing. Bill Emlen called me late yesterday afternoon, but I was on another line and told him I would call back. When I called back, he said had just been talking with Rochelle. He also told me he had not gotten hold of Joe yet. He asked me not to tell anyone until everyone could be informed. Yet David’s initial article was posted around 2:30, presumably before he had talked with me, Rochelle or Joe.
I too was wondering who leaked the story to David.
okay, local issues aside. we’ve got a corrupt government..from politicians to regulators..EPA head Lisa Jackson and Thad Allen are in bed with BP..that’s obvious. Here is a link to some petition sites to remove these corrupt “regulators” from their position before they let energy companies do even more damage and at the expense of US, the tax payers and human beings who desire clean air and water..
Petitions to sign~Stop the Corexit~CLEAN energy~stop OFF shore drilling~No and Label Gmo’s~ask Lisa P. Jackson to Resign.
.by Please Stop the Toxic Chemicals they are using on the OIL SPILL. on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 at 10:19pm.Sign as many as you can and pass them on..
✔This PETITION call for new law on all chemicals dispersants ~
by Dr. Riki Ott (Toxicologist)
PETITION TO THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
TO AMEND THE NATIONAL CONTINGENCY PLAN (NCP) PRODUCT SCHEDULE AND
TO USE EMERGENCY POWER TO DELIST PRODUCTS OF CONCERN
De-list toxic products from the US EPA Product Schedule for Oil Spill Contingency Plans ~ http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/delist/
✔Petition to Halt the Use of Chemical Dispersants in the Gulf of Mexico.
Dr. David E. Guggenheim is president of 1planet1ocean.
http://1planet1ocean.org/petition-to-halt-the-use-of-chemical-dispersants-in-the-gulf-of-mexico/
✔Stop the Use of Dispersants in the Gulf Target:U.S. Congress http://www.thepetitionsite.com/25/stop-the-use-of-dispersants-in-the-gulfhttp
✔Stop all Federal Contracts with British Petroleum http://www.petition2congress.com/2/3337/stop-all-federal-contracts-with-british-petroleum/
✔Stop BP’s new project in B.C.’s Rocky Mountains http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-bps-new-project-in-bcs-rocky-mountains-now
✔you can Tweet your message to your rep. Officals on this link… Stop the Corexit NOW! 2gov – Civic Participation Made Simple
http://2gov.org/
✔☏ the White House
Whitehouse Hotline 202-456-1111 ..
or email
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
✔Find out who your rep is and contact them regualrly.
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
✔Support the FRAC Act of 2009
Co-sponsored by Sen. Casey and Sen. Schumer, to amend the Safe Water Drinking Act to repeal Bush Administration exemptions for hydraulic fracturing.
http://environment.change.org/petitions/view/support_the_frac_act_of_2009?suggested=true
✔”I oppose any cuts to Social Security benefits, including raising the retirement age.”
http://pol.moveon.org/sspetition/?r_by=-9467140-8SIDSCx&rc=paste
✔✔Help End Our Dangerous Addiction to Oil and Say No to the Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline.
Tell Secretary Clinton and President Obama to help end our dangerous addiction to oil and say no to the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.
https://secure2.convio.net/sierra/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=4689
✔The People want Lisa P. Jackson (EPA) to resign or be fired
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/firelisapjackson
✔☏ Lisa Jackson, head of the EPA 1-202-564-4700
✔Tell Congress: Donate All Oil Company Campaign Contributions to Save Gulf Wildlife
http://www.change.org/petitions/view/tell_congress_donate_all_oil_company_campaign_contributions_to_save_gulf_wildlife
Petitions to sign~Stop the Corexit~CLEAN energy~stop OFF shore drilling~No and Label Gmo’s~ask Lisa P. Jackson to Resign.
.by Please Stop the Toxic Chemicals they are using on the OIL SPILL. on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 at 10:19pm.Sign as many as you can and pass them on..
Thank YOU!
this is the MOST IMPORTANT!
✔This PETITION calls for new law on all chemicals dispersants ~
by Dr. Riki Ott (Toxicologist)
PETITION TO THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
TO AMEND THE NATIONAL CONTINGENCY PLAN (NCP) PRODUCT SCHEDULE AND
TO USE EMERGENCY POWER TO DELIST PRODUCTS OF CONCERN
De-list toxic products from the US EPA Product Schedule for Oil Spill Contingency Plans ~ http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/delist/
✔Petition to Halt the Use of Chemical Dispersants in the Gulf of Mexico.
Dr. David E. Guggenheim is president of 1planet1ocean.
http://1planet1ocean.org/petition-to-halt-the-use-of-chemical-dispersants-in-the-gulf-of-mexico/
✔Stop the Use of Dispersants in the Gulf Target:U.S. Congress http://www.thepetitionsite.com/25/stop-the-use-of-dispersants-in-the-gulfhttp
✔Stop all Federal Contracts with British Petroleum http://www.petition2congress.com/2/3337/stop-all-federal-contracts-with-british-petroleum/
✔Stop BP’s new project in B.C.’s Rocky Mountains http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-bps-new-project-in-bcs-rocky-mountains-now
✔you
✔☏ the White House
Whitehouse Hotline 202-456-1111 ..
or email
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
✔Find out who your rep is and contact them regualrly.
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
✔Support the FRAC Act of 2009
Co-sponsored by Sen. Casey and Sen. Schumer, to amend the Safe Water Drinking Act to repeal Bush Administration exemptions for hydraulic fracturing.
http://environment.change.org/petitions/view/support_the_frac_act_of_2009?suggested=true
✔”I oppose any cuts to Social Security benefits, including raising the retirement age.”
http://pol.moveon.org/sspetition/?r_by=-9467140-8SIDSCx&rc=paste
✔✔Help End Our Dangerous Addiction to Oil and Say No to the Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline.
Tell Secretary Clinton and President Obama to help end our dangerous addiction to oil and say no to the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.
https://secure2.convio.net/sierra/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=4689
✔The People want Lisa P. Jackson (EPA) to resign or be fired
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/firelisapjackson
✔☏ Lisa Jackson, head of the EPA 1-202-564-4700
✔Tell Congress: Donate All Oil Company Campaign Contributions to Save Gulf Wildlife
http://www.change.org/petitions/view/tell_congress_donate_all_oil_company_campaign_contributions_to_save_gulf_wildlife
also check out this whistleblower video on youtube about the deceipt within the EPA to cover up the truth and let BP have free reign over our water…
what’s more important to you ppl, clean water or oil? if you had a choice between the two for survival, what would you choose?
You can’t survive without water, but you can survive without oil.
http://theintelhub.com/2010/07/28/epa-whistleblower-public-cant-handle-the-truth-regarding-corexit9500/
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://environment.change.org/petitions/view/support_the_frac_act_of_2009?suggested=true&h=05972
also, fracking is completely dangerous…Call Obama and tell him that if NOTHING CHANGES, THEN NOTHING CHANGES…
You guys know better than to ask that question. All I will say is that the City Hall leaks like a sieve.
David… normally, a resignation (with proper decorum) goes like this:
CM informs his/her bosses, i.e. CC
CM informs his/her core group (dept heads)
CM broadcasts news to remainder of staff, media, etc.
Somebody, intentionally or not, ‘robbed’ Bill Emlen of a graceful announcement… nice that you can wrap yourself in the “freedom of speech”/”freedom of the press” flag(s)… as is your right… no ‘style points’…
As I understand it, yesterday, rank & file staff resented (often aimed at Bill) the way things went down on the announcement. Good job. Not.
I’m not sure why this is aimed at me. In your view, I should not have run the story because it was released properly? I’m not even privy to that information.
Not sure what you mean by “released properly”… feel free to explain what you mean… certainly it does not appear to have been “released” by Emlen or his staff (at his direction)… as I understand it, in manners such as this, a journalist would attempt to contact the subject (Emlen) for confirmation/comment. Perhaps you did so. You had little detail when you first released it. Given the information you had to share, and the apparent lack of “time sensitiveness” to the general public (would people’s lives been different if they found out the next day?), had I been in your shoes, I think I would have waited, at least a few hours, like the close of business that day. As it stands, it appears like you wanted to be first, say something along the lines of “see the ‘scoop’ I got”. You were absolutely within your right, no real harm, nothing to get excited over/drag out a discussion, not much ‘class’. Just my opinion, and I fully realize that most other readers/contributors would disagree. Also, was NOT[u]not[/u] ‘aiming’ (as in trying to hurt/inflict injury) at you. Just sharing my perspective, for you to take or leave, as you will. I have more of an issue with whoever ‘passed’ on the information in an untimely manner. IMHO, beware of who did that… they might use you in the future for their own purposes.
ignore second not in previous post… “dumb-thumbed”
As you will see, I edited that, my own dumb-thumb, meant to say “improperly”
Honestly, I didn’t see the harm in printing it when I did. I had assumed by the time I got it, it was public knowledge or soon would be.
In my view, there was no real harm here as you said. People upset over this are wasting a lot of calories on nothing.
It seems people believe that public sector workers are overcompensated but Emlen leaves and gets a job that pays more so how can you say he was overcompensated by Davis?
” Somebody, intentionally or not, ‘robbed’ Bill Emlen of a graceful announcement… “
DPD: In my view, no problem. Real transparency are facts.. we can do without the spin and political theater that attempts to shape public opinion. The views expressed here on Emlen’s tenure as our City Manager would have been exactly if he had been allowed his “graceful announcement”.
Mr. Toad: This may surprise you, but I don’t have a real problem with the level of compensation that Emlen was provided in Davis. He was well below what many other city managers get.
TOAD: [i]”It seems people believe that public sector workers are overcompensated …”[/i]
No one said ALL public sector workers are overcompensated. I definitely believe that many public sector workers are overcompensated. When we get 100 qualified firefighter applicants for every open position, that suggests we are paying too much.
I also know that most public sector workers are paid substantially more than they would make in the private sector. For example, our parks maintenance workers cost us roughly 7 times as much per hour of work than people who do the exact same jobs working for most gardening services in Davis make. I suspect that if you polled people in Davis who hire gardeners to maintain their landscaping and asked them, “Who would you hire, Private Pablo who will cost you $10 or Public Pablo who will cost you $70?” even the union stooges would hire Private Pablo.
[i]… but Emlen leaves and gets a (new public sector) job that pays more … [/i]
You do realize that his new job is also a public sector job? It sounds like you don’t get that. It sounds like you don’t understand that public sector employers who pay too much for their employees are not looking out for the best interests of the taxpayers.
[i]” … so how can you say he was overcompensated by Davis? [/i]
I have never said Bill Emlen was overcompensated by Davis. He might have been fairly compensated.
But now that Emlen is going to make substantially more money at Solano County, that raises the question: Is that agency overpaying him? I don’t know the answer to that. But I am certain that many people working for Solano County are grossly overpaid. There is no doubt about that.
I am not a constitutional lawyer but it seems to me DG is protected by the 1st amendment here. If we were talking about valuable secrets that might jeopardize a military mission that’s one thing, but Emlen’s retirement is probably somewhat less critical.
His salary does not strike me as too high given the responsibility. On the other hand how many planners does a slow/no growth City need? Do we need 4 man firefighter crews who can retire at 50? How competent is our planning staff? How complicit in some recent decisions that frankly many of us do not think were in the interest of those of us who live in Davis?
Dr. Wu , Are you Rich Rifkins girlfriend ?
[quote]”Way word got out was clumsy at best…”[/quote][quote]”I too was wondering who leaked the story to David.”[/quote][quote]”David… normally, a resignation (with proper decorum) goes like this….Somebody, intentionally or not, ‘robbed’ Bill Emlen of a graceful announcement… ” [/quote] I was speechless for awhile, but just can’t stand it any longer. If all this “no class…no style points” talk is a joke, I just don’t get it. If it isn’t humor, it’s just a pile of crazy talk!
Since David didn’t leave up his initial report, I’ll have to paraphrase: “We’ve learned that City Manager Bill Emien is leaving Davis for a position with Solano County.” Then followed this detailed UPDATE story, then an interview with the subject. This is the way a news story normally is reported.
The Vanguard is news/opinion blog, not the Davis City publicity website or the Emien Family holiday letter. If David’s news story was not accurate, post comments that he’s not doing his reporting job properly. In the case of the Emien new position story, he actually did a great job of timely and accurate reporting.
[quote]”As I understand it, yesterday, rank & file staff resented (often aimed at Bill) the way things went down on the announcement. Good job. Not.”[/quote] Are we supposed to believe this? In the interest of “transparency,” how did you find this out so fast and so specifically? Mr. Emlen, city staff, divine revelation?
Of course, odds favor that Bill Emien “leaked” it to you since it would be such a self-serving report for him to have out in a blog. And who would know better that Bill felt so resented than the target himself! One more thing for which people now can criticize Bill–not a thoughtful move on your part.
When is Bill’s last day?