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HIGH SPRINGS – The proposed firing of High Springs City Manager Jeri Langman served to embroil the City Commission in a series of skirmishes over the wording to be included in the City’s formal notice to Langman.  During the September 20, 2012 special commission meeting, the Commission struggled to formulate a resolution to provide notice to Langman of intent to terminate her employment in 10 days.

Due to lack of agreement among commissioners and input from residents, the wording changed often enough that Mayor Dean Davis called for four 10- to 15-minute breaks to allow City Attorney Ray Ivey to change the wording and bring the updated resolution back to the commission for review.

This was done despite the fact that Ivey, who was scheduled to resign from his post the following day, brought with him three different versions of Resolution 2012-R(A)1, which he said he wrote based on comments from different commissioners as to their reasons for Langman’s termination.

Confusion ensued as commissioners sorted out the three separate resolutions, with Ivey’s help, trying to decide which was the most appropriate.

Time and again, when commission agreement on wording seemed to have been reached and Ivey updated the resolution, commissioners altered it again, sending Ivey back to the drawing board for further updates.

Following suggestions by audience member John Glanzer, who previously served as the mayor of the City of Newberry as well as the interim city manager of the City of Archer, that commissioners consider wording indicating Langman was removed without cause, the Commission voted to list that “the city experienced a change in direction of goals in management.”

Glanzer suggested the change in wording would allow Langman to apply for unemployment compensation, and also help heal the split that naturally occurs when residents support either the city manager’s or Commission’s point of view.

The fifth and final alteration to the resolution occurred when City Clerk Jenny Parham pointed out that the commission was amending a resolution, requiring that the resolution be referred to as Resolution 2012-R(A) instead of 2012-R(A)1.

The final resolution was passed by a 3-2 vote with Mayor Dean Davis, Vice Mayor Bob Barnas and Commissioner Linda Gestrin voting in favor and Commissioners Sue Weller and Scott Jamison dissenting.

Earlier in the meeting Weller suggested the resolution should be handled at a regular city commission meeting and not at special commission meeting scheduled for discussion of the City’s annual budget.

Jamison objected to the whole procedure stating he believed there was “enough blame to go around.”

According to Section 3.03 of the city charter, on which the resolution was based, Langman, as a charter officer, “must accept the offer of a public hearing or file a written response within ten (10) days of the adoption of the preliminary resolution or the resolution becomes final at the expiration of this ten-day period” and she is terminated on that date.

Langman has not commented publicly during the proceedings.  However, in a letter received by commissioners at a Sept. 24, 2012 special commission meeting, Langman requested a copy of any documents, “declarations or public notices of the change in goals and direction of the city of High Springs” as indicated in Resolution 2012-R(A).

Vice-Mayor Bob Barnas indicated his intention to contact Langman’s attorney personally as the letter indicated a copy of the letter had also been sent to her attorney.

No other action was taken during the meeting to address the request.

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Email Cwalker@alachuatoday.com

HIGH SPRINGS – The proposed firing of High Springs City Manager Jeri Langman served to embroil the City Commission in a series of skirmishes over the wording to be included in the City’s formal notice to Langman.  During the September 20, 2012 special commission meeting, the Commission struggled to formulate a resolution to provide notice to Langman of intent to terminate her employment in 10 days.

Due to lack of agreement among commissioners and input from residents, the wording changed often enough that Mayor Dean Davis called for four 10- to 15-minute breaks to allow City Attorney Ray Ivey to change the wording and bring the updated resolution back to the commission for review.

This was done despite the fact that Ivey, who was scheduled to resign from his post the following day, brought with him three different versions of Resolution 2012-R(A)1, which he said he wrote based on comments from different commissioners as to their reasons for Langman’s termination.

Confusion ensued as commissioners sorted out the three separate resolutions, with Ivey’s help, trying to decide which was the most appropriate.

Time and again, when commission agreement on wording seemed to have been reached and Ivey updated the resolution, commissioners altered it again, sending Ivey back to the drawing board for further updates.

Following suggestions by audience member John Glanzer, who previously served as the mayor of the City of Newberry as well as the interim city manager of the City of Archer, that commissioners consider wording indicating Langman was removed without cause, the Commission voted to list that “the city experienced a change in direction of goals in management.”

Glanzer suggested the change in wording would allow Langman to apply for unemployment compensation, and also help heal the split that naturally occurs when residents support either the city manager’s or Commission’s point of view.

The fifth and final alteration to the resolution occurred when City Clerk Jenny Parham pointed out that the commission was amending a resolution, requiring that the resolution be referred to as Resolution 2012-R(A) instead of 2012-R(A)1.

The final resolution was passed by a 3-2 vote with Mayor Dean Davis, Vice Mayor Bob Barnas and Commissioner Linda Gestrin voting in favor and Commissioners Sue Weller and Scott Jamison dissenting.

Earlier in the meeting Weller suggested the resolution should be handled at a regular city commission meeting and not at special commission meeting scheduled for discussion of the City’s annual budget.

Jamison objected to the whole procedure stating he believed there was “enough blame to go around.”

According to Section 3.03 of the city charter, on which the resolution was based, Langman, as a charter officer, “must accept the offer of a public hearing or file a written response within ten (10) days of the adoption of the preliminary resolution or the resolution becomes final at the expiration of this ten-day period” and she is terminated on that date.

Langman has not commented publicly during the proceedings.  However, in a letter received by commissioners at a Sept. 24, 2012 special commission meeting, Langman requested a copy of any documents, “declarations or public notices of the change in goals and direction of the city of High Springs” as indicated in Resolution 2012-R(A).

Vice-Mayor Bob Barnas indicated his intention to contact Langman’s attorney personally as the letter indicated a copy of the letter had also been sent to her attorney.

No other action was taken during the meeting to address the request.

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