Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workplace Conduct topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Live Oak manager says staff feel 'beat up' after council interactions; letters allege hostile and coercive conduct
Summary
Staff in an annex building sent a letter alleging hostile, coercive interactions and pressure from council members; the manager said his role is to protect employees, reported department heads have threatened to leave, and urged council to treat staff respectfully to retain them.
Council discussion shifted to workplace conduct after members said they had received a letter from annex staff alleging increasing hostile and coercive interactions by council members that make it difficult for staff to perform duties.
A council member summarized the staff letter and requested specifics, naming employees who signed the document (Nicholas, Anthony, Emily, Tim, Christian, George Curtis, Jamie and Miss Lucas). The speaker said the letter accused council members of pressuring staff into actions that may not align with policy or legal requirements and asked for concrete examples so the board can address them.
The city manager responded that his duty is to protect employees and to stand up for them when they raise problems. He described an adversarial atmosphere at the dais and said department heads had told him they might leave if they are publicly criticized again. "So the only person you have to beat up is me," he said, and urged council members to treat staff as employees to improve retention.
The transcript records accusations from staff via a letter and a management defense on the record; it does not show a formal investigation, a council response plan, or any disciplinary action. Council members requested more specificity from the letter's signatories so allegations can be investigated in compliance with open-meetings requirements.
