Mr. Mayor and Mr. City Manager – STOP IT
Mr. Mayor and Mr. City Manager,
If the situation in Port Orange government was not as serious as it is both of your comments would be comical. As it is you both need to STOP IT with the blame it all on unnamed citizen activists and council members. If there was anything other than a cesspool of deceit and management incompetence underlying recent criticism Port Orange’s citizen activists would have dried up and blown away long ago.
Mr. Manager, after costing taxpayers nearly $15,000 per month for the past 18 months, let me challenge you to list those departments that are in better shape today than they were the day you were hired.
Would it be Fire, Public Works, Public Utilities or perhaps it is Finance because in today’s paper you are quoted as being most pleased with the “tremendous job” your CFO performed as a result of his “ endless hours.” If he in fact worked endless hours he must not have had clue number one about what he was doing because for most of last year he did not even ensure the City’s bank accounts were reconciled on a timely basis, AND this year he was apparently un-able to detect over $400,000 in un-authorized expenditures.
By that measure and with performance thrown out the window your Directors of Works and Utilities must have done tremendous jobs also, AND I guess if I worked endless hours on the space shuttle you would have to logically conclude that I too had done a tremendous job ?
I would not conclude any such thing because in the non ICMA world people are judged on performance and not on effort.
And Mr. Mayor I would challenge you to go ahead and cite those instances of Council interference which you are alleging.
You of course will not because you know long serving dedicated employees of Port Orange would match you 20 to 1 with details of your behind the scenes manipulations. A prime example of which is your announcement that you are searching privately for an interim Manager. Who authorized you to do any such thing ?? AND who in their right mind would want to choose from your selections considering the very fact that if you have selected them it means more than likely you believe you can control them, AND who are you to decide that Shannon Lewis would make a fine acting manager ??
AND AS for your lament that “you have not experienced this kind of political situation in your 4 terms “ you are correct, you never did and that was because of your pocket votes in the form of Martin, Pohlmann and Kennedy. Well what you are experiencing now is called opposition to your behind the scenes manipulations and you are not handling it well.
Mr Kisela you have done enough damage through your excuse making for dismal management performance. You are leaving and that is a good thing. Please do so without causing further harm by acting on your boastful “commitment to making sure that qualified interim individuals are appointed to these position before I leave” Port Orange cannot withstand any more ICMA individuals that meet your definition of the word “ qualified “
Mr. Mayor, for as much harm as the Manager has caused you have caused immeasurably more. You need to follow Manager Kisela’s example and leave also so as to allow Port Orange government to reform itself without your interference and let the rebuilding begin in an atmosphere free of fear and intimidation.
Ted Noftaall
Well said Ted. I feel exactly the same. You couldn’t have said it better It’s going to take some doing to overcome the damage that these two ass clowns have done along with the previous CM and finance director. I hope council does their homework on the next CM and establish who the boss is. We need to get rid of that last vestige of city government slime, Pick up the pieces and move forward. I think Donna Steinbach would be a better choice for interim manager. I have worked directly with her and Shannon. She did a decent job as interim utilities director. She actually listens to people and displays some wisdom. She has more experience and a broader scope of experience. Regardless of who they pick they can’t be influenced by the mayor.
I read on the CM’s e-mails that Ford’s opponent is trying to dig up dirt on him. I wonder if the mayor has anything to do with this? Is this an act of desperation? Most of the people in his district know him personally. He gets out and about and gets to know the people he represents. He represents all of the citizens quite well at council meetings and he shows the courage to do the right thing. He gets my vote.
Mayor Green are your losing your mind? You went on Channel 9 TV at 6:00 tonight blaming a few city activists for causing your MIT team to resign.(and I say your MIT team).That was an insane statement which again, leads me to believe you are losing your mind.
The fact of the matter is that these activists (and they are growing) had the intelligence and expertise to uncover all the wrongdoing you so desperately want to cover up. Your schemes are falling apart at the seams. Why don’t you just call it a day? I’m sure you have plenty of money set aside for retirement plus your social security checks so why not just go away and tend your lawn and cats?
This attempted intimidation to silence citizens who are interested in what is going on in their government will not fly. The mayor’s remarks indicate a gross disregard for citizens of all view points but his. This statement by Mayor Green on public tv should be refuted by all city council people who should be safeguarding the rights of citizens to question their governmental administrations.
I call upon Dennis Kennedy, Drew Bastion, Don Burnette, and Bob Ford to issue a public statement censuring Mayor Green of condemning citizens who want to keep their taxes down. Taxes to remedy the losses will become an issue which Green is already preparing to blame on citizens. The issues right now are continuing losses of city financial revenue due to inept administration. City council, the Mayor has made a public statement about his constituents which you must counter.
City council, do not make the mistake of being quiet about this constitutional right of citizens.
You must speak out. — hank
This should only serve to inspire citizens to step up, speak up and become even more involved. Mayor Green’s tyrannical reign needs to come to an abrupt end. He will be a tough nut to crack, as he is a crusty old man but it can be done.
Poor move and choice of words to use in a public interview. He would be better off remaining mute. We cannot embark on a new regime if Green remains. What say you City Council members ? Don and Drew, you are safe, Bob will roll with it and get re elected, and if you put the peer pressure on bobble head Kennedy he may cave in possibly. Momentum is building fast to oust Green.
Here is the deal. I understand we have to watch our government and make sure they are doing the right thing. I dont understand why we cant do that in a possitive way. It baffles me why there is a need for so many personal attacks on individuals, where fact is probably being replaced with opinion. I would like to hear possitive ways to fix the problems, not just the 2 percenters bad mouthing everything and being so negitive. Please 2 percenters lets suggest solutions besides fireing everyone who dissagrees with you. I do realize the first thing you all will say is that its fact not opinion and if everything was transparent you would not have to be so mean. I also realize that you are the 2 percenters and not the majority. Sometimes the way you write makes me think you are just big bullies, other times it seems your just so emotional you type before you calm down. I think sometimes everybody gets emotional and doesnt think about other peoples feelings. Just wish we could move forward in a possitive way. I do understand that running government is not about careing about feelings and is about being responsible workers and elected officials. I am sure your ready to tell me that if you hurt some feelings that is fine and your mission is about makeing the city a better place. I agree, but if you owned a bussiness and i delt with you and said hey you doing a great job but the people you employ are not only idiots but ugly, you wouldnt take me seriously. I am sure we can find a better way to communicate with elected officials and with city employees. I also think but am not sure that city government has to follow different accounting practices then the private sector but i only read they cant balance a check book. I have also read that public works cant mow. What does that mean? I have seen them mow. Also have heard about the huge amount of overspending on water meters. I may be wrong, but i thought i read that the money was budgeted for the meters but the reporting process failed. That means to me that all of the money was there for the meters and no money was stolen, hidden, just the procedures failed somewhere. That being said, the city had all the money budgeted for the meters and the meters were needed so the city could start collocting income from previosly non working meters. Where is the problem? Hope that we all can find a positive non name calling way of resolving problems.
Tired of 2 percenters I don’t think you get it. These activists that you call the minority that are emotional nonobjective bullies are growing exponentially and have a lot of support on the city council. They also have a tremendous information pipeline coming from the majority of long term city employees that are organizational stakeholders and are concerned about the organization and city they hold dear and have committed themselves to throughout their life from imploding.
Public health and safety employees in law enforcement, fire and rescue, and public utilities are taking a stand and fighting for the integrity of the organization instead of heading for the hills. They are not taking golden parachutes and heading for greener pastures like the management team that Alan Green has imported here.
The bottom line is that there is a new paradigm emerging that is not based on opaqueness, souther plantation owner mentality, and special interest, but is more interested in the present citizen demographic and constituency. You are simply seeing the exponential awakening of the constituency of this bedroom community tuning out of Dancing With Stars and tuning into POG TV and the special interest victimization that is being insidiously perpetrated against them.
When people wake up and are empowered, and find out that not only are they being victimized, but they have the power to vanquish their oppressors it becomes contagious. This is a growing movement that is embracing a new paradigm that seeks to reward value and seek commonality that is in the best interest in the many instead of the controlling and obfuscating few. So you better get used to it because these are not 2 percenters, but this is a revolution of the people. Allen Green is like the devil making his last insane stand to try to preserve a self entitled paradigm that he feels is his monarchal right. You can either support the old paradigm with mayor Green or you can embrace the new paradigm with the stakeholders of this community. It’s your choice!
Is that you Bob? Can’t we all just get along?
Dear tired:
You may be confusing some personal attacks as coming from our named activists rather than from other people who write on this blog. There was one, what I thought unnecessary attack from an activist who is going through personal health problems in his family, and although such an attack was not warranted, the health problems might have been a contributing factor to his not too nice goodby to Mr. Kisela.
Would you agree that it is not too easy to show a positive, smiling face, when addressing negative issues, which keep recurring over and over again? I hope you can see that reality. If you care about where tax payers’ money is being loss, it is difficulty to put on a happy face, happy days are here again, for its a good day for singing a song, zippity do da. Don’t you think?
I wonder if you would consider that if the activists amount to less than 2 percent of the people of Port Orange, that you consider that those supporting City Hall mistakes too are less than 2 percent. 98 percent of people responding to a city sponsored survey reported satisfaction about Port Orange. Recently at a city hall cra meeting, one of the 2 percent supporting giving 10 million dollars to the Grand Master Developer, diabolically stated that 98 percent responding to a survey represented 98 percent of the 86,000 people living in Port Orange. I wish you would focus some attention on that kind of misrepresentation.
Although our activists may not speak for over 2 percent of the citizens in Port Orange, there opinions are as important as yours. You can get tired of it all, but the constitution will not let you silence these 2 percenters as you call them. You are free not to listen to them. You are fee to offer your own opinions. You did address some
real issues in your comment, and I will let people more knowledgeable reply to them.
If you are tired, turn the computer off and go to bed. LOL – hank
I am never going to be tired of listening to peoples opinions i think that its a very positive way of understanding the world. I do think that when you say negetive things about some people or departments it is more devestateing than any of you relize. To me its like saying all Muslims are terrorists when in.fact a very small minority of there people are doing horrible things. I know i am not the smartest person on the planet, but i do relize that some blame is being shared. That being said i think some people are wearing there hearts on there sleeves and i give the benifit of the dought. Please dont tell me about the Constition, i served my country and understand everyones rights, like my father and his father did. I think everyone has the freedom of speech, the only diffence between you and me is we can voice our opinions but the city workers couldnt tell you how they feel or you would have them fired or you would bad mouth them to death. I served my country so please dont think i dont respect freedom. Please relize that i do agree with you about river walk, waste of money in my opinion, but the personal attacks to me are very uncalled for. Every one has the right to free speech, includeing who i call the 2 percenters. But if you want me to take you seriously please stop calling everyone incompetent and stupid. I have roots here, Daytona born, grandfather was a Floridian, lived here in this great city, and more than likely I have had relitives liveing here longer than most people and i am proud of that. I love this city and i think we can solve our problems in a more possitive way. I just want to make the city better and do it in a positive way
Sir, you are not non objective, please be honest with everyone. You have your opinions whitch i welcome. If the 2 percenters were not objective there would not be so many personal attacks. Thanks for your reply. I was just re reading and you said do to health problems someone posted comments and i should agree its ok. The truth is no. No i do not agree. I watched my grandfather die from cancer and at no time did.he.decide to belittle other people. So respectfully sir i do not except his sickness as an excuse. My grandfather died and never and i mean never blamed or accused or was mean to anyone. Now i do understand that not everyone can be as great as my grandfather, but i was raised to not live by excuses even if your sick
I will give you the last word, but if you care to, I am interested in why you think I am not being honest. ” . . .please be honest with everyone”.
Imagine how the employees feel, walking on egg shells at all times. Heaven forbid one make a mistake, it may mean you are suspended without pay. Why won’t anyone act on the REAL problem in the finance department, the Comptroller? That’s the common denominator in all the issues within the finance department. Always dodges the blame and is the first one to point at everyone else. The comptroller has the authority to approve or deny purchases and yet comes out smelling like a rose when a contract is over spent.
How about the enhancement to the computer system that was purchased approximately three years ago, because the comptroller HAD to have it, that would have prevented over spending on a contract? That enhancement still sits unused why? Because the comptroller doesn’t want it used. Without this enhancement the vindictive games continue, someone makes a mistake and the comptroller points the finger at anyone that can be the scapegoat of the week. Enough already. Figure it out and get rid of the current comptroller….
Stella has to go maybe EmbryRiddle will take her back, she needs to quick treating her employees like trash. Who does she think she is? All her team members are gone! Stella get with it or your gone too!
How is it that no one sees the common denominator comptroller/controller is in control? They removed her from council meetings long ago because of her condescending tone with the council and others but she remains. What does she have over them? That is the question that needs to be asked. Shelley and Saunders can’t control her and she gets off scotfree.
WHY THE CURRENT RIVERWALK CONCEPT
Has anyone ever questioned the present Riverwalk concept, its history and its evolution?. Have there been any competing or alternative visions on how to develop that part of the Port Orange US 1 corridor? Who’s vision is this anyway? Have we ever considered an alternative vision that would be more advantageous to the citizens of our community? I would like to propose an alternate vision for a Riverwalk development that would cost much less and provide value to the citizens as well as the production of an atmosphere unique to the greater Halifax area that would make Port Orange the art and entertainment Mecca of East-Central Florida. This vision would be similar to what has been created at the Jacksonville Landing.
The Jacksonville Landing is a 126,000 square feet (11,706 m2) shopping, tattoo, dining, clubbing, and historic museum complex in downtown Jacksonville, Florida.[1] It was built by the Rouse Company at a cost of $37.5 million and opened in 1987.[2] It has been compared to New York City’s South Street Seaport, Boston’s Faneuil Hall or Miami’s Bayside Marketplace,[3] all developed by Rouse.
Instead of building two 170 feet high rise condominiums overlooking Dunkin Donuts, Skips Boots, Seven Eleven, and the US 1 corridor blight, why not have a cutting edge arts & entertainment complex that will provide a wide menu of activity and entertainment choices for our community that drives surrounding business to our municipality.
The current Riverwalk concept has one restaurant called Captain Daddy’s, some kiosks, and a few small divided barely usable parks. I think most of our citizens will not frequent Captain Daddy’s, and those that try it will soon get tired of it. I can see Captain Daddy’s ending up as a favorite lunch or after work cocktail hangout for people like Buddy Lacour, Lance Green, Ben Don Burnette, and all the wannabe politicians, realtors, developers, contractors, and politically connected businessmen. This will become an egomaniacal edifice to special interest figures and a social club for the second generation southern plantation owner’s progeny.
A Riverwalk that excludes the high rise condominiums and mirrors the Jacksonville Landing entertainment complex would cost a fraction of what the current Riverwalk complex costs. There would be many restaurants in different price ranges. You could visit for fine dining, eat at a moderately priced venue, or eat at a venue like Hooters, Chicago Grill, TGIF, etc. There would be a variety of music and entertainment venues for a night out on the town. There could be specialty shops, kiosks, and venues for children and families.
A large central area and park with a bandstand that could accommodate concerts and festivals could be designed.
We could have a cutting edge jazz festival, classical music & wine tasting festivals, Martini festivals, Art festivals, various music festivals & special events. There could be a water taxi service that tailors people up and down the river, so they can come from other locations like the Deck Down Under restaurant & adjacent river front venues, and any accessible venues on the east & west side of the Halifax river. With the millions of dollar in TIF money saved we could redevelop the US 1 corridor eradicating blight and encouraging the development of classy riverfront venues that are linked to the Port Orange Riverwalk Landing by the water taxi service that would tailor people back and forth between the Riverwalk Landing and alternative venues down the US 1 corridor.
The City of Port Orange could employ special event coordinators that facilitate a steady stream of special events that would turn Port Orange into the jewel of Volusia County and the arts & educational Mecca of East-Central Florida. The revenue that this would generate for Port Orange would be awesome and the developers would be lining up for the opportunity to be part of this phenomenon. This centralized Riverwalk Landing from which all else would flow could be built for less than $50,000,000 and could be finished in fours years.
I would like to hear if there is anyone out there that could embrace a vision like this. Feel free to expand on this vision because a truly great vision is one that is subject to critical analysis, evolution, and the consensus building and expansion of ideas that goes into a truly improvisational masterpiece.
It all sounds very good to me.
We could also have a small water park, fishing and picnic area that our kids could enjoy. We really need to offer something that would not be too expensive for our families.
To Tired: The problem with the $411,000 unauthorized spending on meters is that we paid people quite well to control spending and money in the finance dept. that weren’t doing their job. I hope this explanation is simple enough for even you to understand. Incompetent management got rid of incompetent management and the rest of them left on their own accord. I want the great city I grew up in, not the city it has become. Yes the city can mow. The city wants to privatize the mowing because it is less expensive. I have owned a business in Port Orange and it was wonderful but I had to get a job that had benefits. Yes they do have more than balancing a checkbook, but we are paying for people that have accounting knowledge and should be proficient at their job. The senior team should have the experience, knowledge to lead, train and support their employees. We have not had this type of management in place for a long time. We keep getting management that has no idea what is going on, that will not listen to long term employees that have been with the city since it was a small bedroom community. The mayor is on his own agenda to make his legacy. Maybe I’m a 2%er!
Is mayor’s son reportedly diversifying into the backyard lawn irrigation service at the Cypress Head golf course or is he simply draining his lizard?
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Please let Pam Bondi come into this Port Orange situation and dig deeper into Allen Green’s dealings and bring this insanity to an end that so many decent people can regain their peaceful life and restore order to the workplace.
Hey mayor Green, no more Range Riders, no more Lifesavers, no more interloping Managers In Transition, and no more mayoral nuthugging obsequious incompetents.
Flocki :
All correct, and no more Mayor Green !
Ken Parker’s legacy went up in flames at the end and your’s is as well.
Retire and enjoy life. It’s going to get ugly.
Thanks Woody for pointing out Scary Sonya’s EMail to the C/M requesting all sort of records on Bob Ford. I read it too.
She can’t be the smarty pants she thinks she is if she is trying to dig dirt up on a fine gentleman who has served his district well. He’s fought tooth and nail to keep things on the up and up on council despite beng thwarted by Green, Kennedy and other former council members. She hasn’t got a chance in hell of winning that seat, especially in light of her performance in Buddy LaCours behest at the last council meeting. What else did Green and LaCour promise her??? (other than campaign contributions.)
I worked for 17 years for a local PD and through 4 Police Chiefs. I can tell you that there will ALWAYS be people suing the Police Departmetn and the City. Most of these go nowhere. STOP WASTING OUR TIME SONYA.
Out of all the posts and replies I have ever read on this site, that is easily the dumbest, most hypocritical reply ever. I thought we were in this to save money and make everyone accountable for their actions, especially when it comes to our hard earned tax money?
Apparently there were some big buck out of court settlements Ms Mazie.
I like her and Ford. But don’t blame her for his past .
Message for Allen Green.
http://www.wearing-adult-diapers.com/ABDL.html
Don Juan’s vision for Riverwalk sounds fantastic. I am sitting here visualizing it. We have absolutely nothing like this going for the area Nothing in Ormond Beach or Daytona. Where are the creative thinkers in all of this? I love the idea of water taxis, etc. Three condos, some small parks are not going to cut it. It will be an ugly blighted area frequented by few. One restaurant? Come on boys. Don Juans’s vision is more than brilliant, would cost the city far less and would bring in more revenue for the city than LeCours project. Hey Buddy don’t you think this would make you a lot more money??? How about hoppin on the Don Juan bandwagon, just make sure you leave Allen at home. He is really not helping your cause. If you don’t want to participate, how about selling the property back to the city so they can develop something such as this ? This guy, Don Juan whoever he is is a visionary.and exceedingly intellingent in my humble opiinion.