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Nov 4, 2020
Mayor, Council members, Administration and members of the public, Lynda
Paquette outside city limits
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you again this evening. Thank you
for the work you did here this evening as well!
Because of some of the rumors and conversations that have taken place since
your last meeting, I wanted to remind everyone, especially the public, that all of
the discussions and meetings regarding the filing of the permanent City Manager
position from 2019 can be viewed on Seward Civic Engagement on Facebook. If
you need help finding them let me know, and I'll help!
Having sat through all of those events and with the hindsight of over a year of the
CM that got hired, I can summarize what's happened by saying that the City did
not get what they were looking for as stated to the firm in those meetings.
Additionally, I just wanted to remind you and the public that there were multiple
controversies and challenging situations that arose within the first 90 days of the
previous City Manager getting hired. There was a questionable and possibly illegal
inquest into a Councilperson's residence, an unwillingness to meet with residents
and citizens, an apparent, what can only be called a "lying dust-up," and the very
meaningful conversation that I had with him.
As a result of that conversation, some of you may recall, I suggested to Council
that since you were well within the first 90 days, and since your new hire had
admitted he regretted his decision and he wished he'd never taken the job, that
you cut your losses right then. There were not the votes at the time.
For anyone genuinely involved in the City's workings, this should not have come
as a surprise if you go back to the initial meetings with GovHr and what got stated
as the desired candidate's qualities. It's that simple. It's not personal.
Firing people is difficult. Firing people you know and like is even more difficult.
Firing our friends is terrible. But we can't let our good feelings for our friends get
in the way of what's best for Seward. That's a chronic problem that Seward has,
and Seward really needs to deal with it and overcome it. So, let's accept the firing
and be honest that it was a difficult and painful decision that was long overdue.
Thank you to the new council members who were ready and prepared to take the
best steps for Seward moving forward. I know myself and many others are
beyond relieved and look forward to an experience more along the lines of Jeff
Bridges, a great person to work with and around. He may not have been perfect,
but he was professional, authentic, honest, transparent, effective, productive.
Perhaps most important, he was willing to meet with everyone and open to
listening and communicating. I have a renewed enthusiasm as one of your PACAB
Commissioners as well and very much look forward to Seward's future. I know
many others who are excited as well.
Again, thank you for doing the hard work. It is much appreciated by the
community as a whole and at large.