Letter to the editor: concerns about town manaager

mltc8_6_13Mayor and Town Council,
I must say that you ( all of you) disgust me at this point. We as the town citizens are under the impression that you are intending to dismiss our latest town manager and hire a new one. You must have been planning this for quite some time. We don’t know what your current motives are but I can tell you from our side they are disingenuous. What does this say about the 5 of you. Not very good things I can tell you that if you don’t already know. I do know that you folks chose Marianna to be the Assistant Town Manager and then the Town manager. It was your choice and no one else’s.
This was the third town Manager in almost as many years. What does this say about our town council? I know what it does not say. It does not say that the past town managers are all that bad ,they are what they were and you have blinders. What is does say is that all of you town council members are incapable of the task of hiring a Town Manager. You are incapable of properly vetting the person applying for the job. In other words you are incompetent in performing one of the most important jobs of your position.
I hope you will not stick us for another Golden Parachute separation package.
I am to the point where we there needs to be some type of Legal intervention through the courts. I believe we could get some injunction if we can provide a merit.

So on the other hand if the above is not true then what you did was hire Marianna to run all the upper paid staff out of town either through elimination of positions or though a type of harassment. Harassment to the point where you demand a person to take on the workload of several other full time positions and demand the same level of work. To me that is outrageous. I realize that there is a certain amount of waste in Government but to demand what was cruel and probably illegal if challenged by the worker.

Take Johnny Goetz’s position he was hired as a inspector. At the time of his departure he took on code enforcement, top inspector, Trash, and other jobs.  I am sure that it will take several new employees to fulfill the tasks Johnny performed. I do not say this because I like Johnny , I say this because I know it to be true. All of you know I bucked heads with Johnny plenty. What I learned and thought is that Johnny was here to stay. So I figured out that I needed to work with him instead of against him. I sat in on meetings in order to make the changes so that all of the contractors would be on the same page of the code and in compliance. This was working but know Johnny is gone. I have to start over. There is a new code coming in January and I will bet you there will be once again a great level of lack of enforcement and compliance.

Johnny , Ray , Mark, and others made far less mistakes costing the town than that of the Airport Director had. Yet in the case of the Airport director you would not fire him early on. In a small town we do not want your current style of management. It is abusive, arrogant and will get us into trouble again.

Lastly if the rumors are correct that you intend to hire Tom Cage I strongly advise against this. I have nothing against Tom as a person or a businessman. However I feel he lacks the education and qualifications as Manager of Government operations. What we do not need is a person who does not know the law fluently as to the running of the local government. That is how things get screwed up and loose 40 plus Million. I can’t emphasize that enough.

Martin Kleinbard

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Marv Liddel
Marv Liddel
10 years ago

MMM is only following order of the council. She is not the problem, it is the council. They keep firing town managers who tell them what they don’t want to hear, even though it may be the truth. They are distroying the community they proclaim to support. Recall is the… Read more »

Don
Don
10 years ago

I’m somewhat saddened at what this issue is doing to the Mammoth community… I’m an outsider looking in but have a little bit of experience in California representative government, on the local level… I am saddened do to the morale effects and financial effects upon local business, the local community,… Read more »

Next election is a long time away
Next election is a long time away
10 years ago
Reply to  Don

You can be sure that the majority of we constituents, taxpayers, and citizens of Mammoth Lakes are not the biggest fans of any of those involved in this ongoing travesty.
But there is far too much time until the next election. And those involved know it.
We are screwed.

Reality Reigns
Reality Reigns
10 years ago

Maybe now the people of Mammoth will take notice and get involved. Hopefully the next election won’t have candidates seated without having to be voted in. To MK – Your dreaming if you think any of the money flow to MLT from the Town will be stopped due to the… Read more »

MK
MK
10 years ago
Reply to  Reality Reigns

to Reality,
I would bet money that MLT will have it’s budget reduced once money flows in from TBID.
That will be reality.

Show us the way
Show us the way
10 years ago
Reply to  Reality Reigns

Okay “Reality Reigns” – you’ve shamed me into taking action.
So name the place and method on how you personally will be “getting in the game” and taking the town back.

Desert Tortoise
Desert Tortoise
10 years ago
Reply to  Don

Don offers a perfectly reasonable statement and all he gets is a thumbs down?

MK
MK
10 years ago

Yea the thumbs down was not mine, However I think the members reflect before they make decisions but I am baffled as to what they reflect upon. Com-on it seems too often these things are brought about during a holiday. Why do they have bring out such dirt at these… Read more »

Must be from an elected official
Must be from an elected official
10 years ago

The thumbs down must be from an elected official.
Sadly, these people are so out of touch and in love with themselves and their position that they’ve lost contact with reality.

MK
MK
10 years ago

Management by intimidation is screwed up.
Unfortunate Her orders were to cut, and cut she did.

Why the fiscal troubles in California?
Why the fiscal troubles in California?
10 years ago
Reply to  MK

Californians have adopted a direct and participatory democracy rather than the representative democracy favored by James Madison and other founders. The California approach opened the way for a major role for voter initiatives. These initiatives were used sparingly for much of the 20th century, but then in 1978, Californians passed… Read more »

mk
mk
10 years ago

Why the fiscal troubles in California? You have no clue to the financial problems and causes that are burdening the Town of Mammoth lakes. Did you hear that the town lost a 30 plus million dollar lawsuit that ran up to over 40 million. That is cost an extra 3… Read more »

So how do you propose we get rid of them?
So how do you propose we get rid of them?
10 years ago
Reply to  mk

So when are you going to initiate a recall, carry picket signs demonstrating your angst, and get the ball rolling to remove those “arrogant bastards” that you speak of?

(chortle)

No taxes No services
No taxes No services
10 years ago
Reply to  mk

@mk

Nonsense.
If you cannot raise taxes to pay for your municipal services –
your municipal services (and some very talented people) will deteriorate and go away.

MK
MK
10 years ago

Taxes ….
If you have not heard there is TBID now.
I am sure the budget for MLT will go away once the money flows from TBID

TBID is expected to raise millions.

Desert Tortoise
Desert Tortoise
10 years ago
Reply to  mk

Prop 13 has a little known provision that allows business properties to be bought and sold multiple times without them being reappraised and taxes raised on them. If no single person owns a 50% of more interest in a commercial property, it can be sold as many times as the… Read more »

MK
MK
10 years ago

Desert tortoise

And you know this to be true of many properties here in Mammoth?

We need a leader who lives here
We need a leader who lives here
10 years ago

Dear Martin, You, (as many else have been) have been buffaloed by MMM and her PowerPoint Presentation skills. The finance director can do the same job she does. We need a leader who lives here, cares about the people they’ve known for years, and can relate to each and every… Read more »

BS
BS
10 years ago

Please tell me you’re not suggesting that the finance director should be the new town manager? We should all shudder at that suggestion!

Elect the Town Manager
Elect the Town Manager
10 years ago

Dear Mammoth Councilmen,
Have the position be an elected one.

Dude!
Dude!
10 years ago

Electing a town manager would work out about as well as electing a town council.

Desert Tortoise
Desert Tortoise
10 years ago

Read the California Government Code. In a General Law city, there must be five elected council members, one of whom will carry the title of mayor to chair council meetings and for ceremonial purposes, and there is a city manager who is a civil servant appointed by the city council.… Read more »

MK
MK
10 years ago

I have not been buffaloed, the town council has. I always knew she was here as the hatchet. I called her on it in a personal conversation. I also called her on the point that she does not appear to have a vested interest in our town. You did not… Read more »

What makes a good Town Manager
What makes a good Town Manager
10 years ago
Reply to  MK

A good town manager should be like a coach – not a hatchet man. Cut the staff in half, make the remaining staff absorb the remaining work and threaten to fire them if they don’t perform to your standards. Management by intimidation is the nastiest style of management. And anyone… Read more »

Desert Tortoise
Desert Tortoise
10 years ago

Do you have any idea of the nature and quantity of reports required by the state and Federal government to account for your tax money? We face the same decision in our community, who to cut due to reduced revenues, but you can only cut so many admin staff before… Read more »

Help Us !
Help Us !
10 years ago

Mr. Kleinbard,

Thank you for stating what needs to be said. How can we help make it correct? This is Insane !!!

MK
MK
10 years ago
Reply to  Help Us !

You ask what can be done. Well I was not able to show up to the meeting before closed session but many others did. This sent a message once again to those 5 on the top. It seemed to work for now. I hope they can learn to work with… Read more »

AS
AS
10 years ago

Aren’t these public officials you are talking about? Which doesn’t that mean that the resident’s elected them to make these decisions? This is why it is important to vote, so you can elect someone that will work in your best interest. Too little too late.