Commissioner wants more accountability for some city staff
BY ANITA TODD, Special Reports
HAINES CITY – During a City Commission meeting held here on Feb. 20, Commissioner Kim Downing asked for better accountability of some staff members.
Downing said recently it was brought to her attention by members of the community that the City Clerk’s office and the Community Revitalization Agency (CRA) staff were often not available. She said she had been told that they also did not return phone calls, and that communication was poor overall.
“I called and got the same thing – no answer,” she said.
The policy called for the City Clerk, Sharon Lauther, to notify the City Manager, Jim Elensky, when she would be absent or needed to leave the office. Downing asked that from now on, in addition to Elensky, all the Commissioners receive an email when she and/or members of the City Clerk’s office would not be in the office.
No one attended the Commission meeting from the CRA. The City of Haines City CRA remains steadfastly committed to its redevelopment mission of creating a sustainable downtown, revitalizing and improving neighborhoods, and encouraging economic growth within the CRA District, according to the City’s website.
The office of the City Clerk is the information hub of the City of Haines City, and the City Clerk serves at the pleasure of the City Commission, according to the City’s website.
The City Commission meetings are held the first and third Thursday of each month. Workshops begin at 6 p.m. with the regular City Commission meeting beginning at 7 p.m. In March, the meetings will be held on the 10th and 20th.
