Council out of CRA search
As seen in Highlands Today
By: JOE SEELIG
SEBRING –The search for a new Community Redevelopment Agency executive director took a twist Tuesday when the Sebring City Council voted 3-1 to pull personnel and support; in essence dissolving the CRA Executive Director Search Committee.
City Councilman Scott Stanley was absent from the council meeting. Councilman John Griffin cast the dissenting vote.
The search for a CRA executive director has been ongoing since Pete Pollard retired after 30 years on Feb. 29.
In early April, his executive assistant, Robin Hinote, was named acting executive director until a replacement is selected by the search committee and approved by the CRA board.
Hinote reserved comment Wednesday because she is an applicant for the executive director position.
The item was brought to the forefront Tuesday after newly seated search committee member and councilman John Clark received a letter from CRA board Chair Kathy Malie to all committee members outlining four CRA board complaints.
According to minutes from the last CRA meeting, CRA Commissioner Gene Brenner suggested Malie write a letter outlining the discontent that CRA board members felt on changes the selection committee made without consulting them.
The other commissioners agreed.
Clark said the letter, at the least, annoyed him.
“After a lot of reflection, number one, I would request that the city remove themselves from the process entirely,” he said. “The CRA is an autonomous board unless the council decides to be the CRA. I’d just like to end it. That means no city staff. If that’s not acceptable, then I remove myself from the committee.”
Councilman Andrew Fells was liaison to the CRA when the CRA board voted to comprise the committee of two CRA members, two council members and city staff because it wanted to follow the city’s hiring policies.
Ever since the search committee started, members of the CRA board sought to shift back some responsibility to the CRA, he said.
“At this point being responsible for the taxpayers’ dime, I don’t think that it’s beneficial for city staff to put their time into this,” Fells said. ” … Or city council members’ time.”
Griffin said staff, such as human resources specialist Charlotte Mann, City Administrator Scott Noethlich and Assistant City Administrator Bob Hoffman, all knowledgeable about hiring people, should remain.
Brenner said as an autonomous board the CRA should be left to hire its own director. CRA Commissioner Lorrie Smith asked that the council remain involved. Three council members disagreed with her.
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