There’s a good argument to be made that Wichita should just get over the Pat Salerno debacle already, but it was hard not to feel further insulted over Salerno’s decision to pass on becoming Wichita’s city manager in light of this: Salerno is now among 56 applicants for the job of city manager in Deltona, Fla., a planned retirement community of 84,000 and home to one of Florida’s largest sinkholes. Then again, it’s further affirmation that Salerno wasn’t right for Wichita.
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21 Comments
home to one of Florida’s largest sinkholes.
Well, there it is then.
Sounds perfect for Pat Salerno. Its in Florida, the state where he has expertise and knowledge of the state laws, politicians, culture, so forth. Plus he’s probably getting near retirement. All he has to do is avoid stepping into a sinkhole.
Sounds more like the size of city he could handle. Sunrise is what, 90,000? Wichita is too large for him to handle–thankfully he must have recognized that he just couldn’t do the job. Better that he stay in a quiet little retirement home.
Does it really matter? the city screwed up the search totally in the first place. Makes me wonder if they will do (or even capable of doing) it right this time.
regular - well said
Our City Council dodged a bullet on this one, and Wichitans were the benefactors. He gave us a gift, did we forget to say thank you? Thank you Mr. Salerno!
“Then again, it’s further affirmation that Salerno wasn’t right for Wichita.”
True, but then again very possibly after coming to Wichita and meeting with city government he quickly came to realize the level of dysfunction and dysfunctional people he would be involved with and wisely knew to get the heck out of Dodge, er..Wichita.
Setting aside any animosities it just seems that the fit was not there. Salerno’s experience is with bedroom communities near metropolitan areas. Wichita is NOT such a community. We are a self-contained city with all of the challenges that entails. In fact, WE are the main city of our metropolitan region, not the other way around.
IF we need to look elsewhere for a Manager I would think we would be looking for similar experiences - for example Rockford IL or Des Moines IA.
That said I’d like to see us continue with our own home-devceloped talent - we might just have a winner in place right now.
Of course the Salerno’s love Florida! Why else would they turn down the high salary package the City of Wichita offered him? Mrs. Salerno most likely put her foot down and declared no amount of money would be worth giving up wintering in Florida for cold winters in Wichita!!!!! Even if the new Florida job is in a city with a giant sinkhole! Go figure! Oh well, Wichita’s gain, sinkholes loss!
As some WE Bloggers have said, and I agree, the Wichita City Council should retain acting city manager, Scott Moore, for at least a year for following reasons:
1) Evaluate Mr. Moore’s performance,
2) Improve Wichita’s infrastructure, streets, bridges, storm sewers, sanitary sewers, water lines, fire stations, etc.
3) Re-position Wichita’s police patrol centers and scheduling to get more coverage of Wichita in evenings when most needed.
4) Evaluate City’s department heads and make changes as needed.
5) Reorganize City of Wichita organization chart to achieve current goals.
6) Invite the citizens to participate in city government activities to achieve “buy-in.”
WE Bloggers … additional ideas?
Whatever happened from ‘promoting from within’ you know, from the people that actually do the work and aren’t just figure heads?
Maybe this fiasco will encourage the cith council to do what it should have done in the first place; practice a little due dilligence. Who in their right mind hires the first and only person that interviews for the job? Could the council do anything after this that makes them look more incompetent?
XXX, I go back to replacing the blue roof because painting it would void the warranty. I truly thought nothing could make them look more incompetent, I was wrong.
About the only thing that the City Council might do to appear more incompetent would be to offer the City Manager position to a person without taking any applications from anyone.
I think there should be a lottery held to see who gets the City Manager position.
No doubt it will be someone out of state, because no one in Kansas ever wins the lottery.
Linda, I’m afraid it’s only a matter of time before the next oportunity for them to make themselves, and us by extension, look stupid.
JWink
“4) Evaluate City’s department heads and make changes as needed.
5) Reorganize City of Wichita organization chart to achieve current goals. ”
It’s not that I dont think those things need to be done, however, it’s a good idea to hire someone and give them some input on those most important issues. They might have some valuable insight as an outside. And, they have to work with the people and the chart.
People tend to support that which they help to create. Or so one of my mentors once told me.
I think it would be a good idea for your last point (6) to be stressed, and not just in the “visioneering” process. If the “people” of Wichita, however one defines “people”, knew what they wanted for and from their city and their government, it would be a lot easier to deliver it.
Or as my Dad used to say, “if you dont know where you’re going, any damn road will take you there”.
heheheheh
Another thing my Dad used to say applies.
“You can have five years of experience, or one year of experience five times over.”
One thing about Scott Moore, you’ve definately got more than “five years experience” and not just “one year five times over”.
City of Austin politics are brutal. If he was tempered in that fire, he’s strong steel.
“Linda, I’m afraid it’s only a matter of time before the next oportunity for them to make themselves, and us by extension, look stupid.”
Which is what cracks me up about the discussion on the bizblog about incentives and economic development.
Most of the companies I worked with wont come to a f@#ked up city no matter HOW low you cut their taxes or HOW much money you throw at them.
Stability, a good direction and potential for the future, and peace will make your community an attaractive choice.
Or as Patrick Swayze said in Road House “people wont come to a slaughter house”.
Do a post-abortion on the city council, and start a “Wichita Idol” contest, open to any and everybody, and the winner(s) get to hand out no and low interest loans to failing businesses . . .
Never mind, they already did that.
Or . . . have a huge prayer meeting, hosted by none other than Phil “I ain’t a loser” Kline, and loudly prayer for a real city leader . . .
Nope, done that too.
S**t, I guess we’re stuck being leaderless.
This blog reminded me of the familiar saying - “Laws control the lesser man…Right conduct controls the greater one.” (Chinese Proverb).