Mayor's late-announced personnel shuffle prompts council referral and criticism

Mayor Grove told the Alliance City Council on Dec. 15 that he has reorganized utility and safety-service responsibilities, naming Blaine Lewis as the new Safety Service Director (designate) and moving Mike Dreger to lead the city's four water departments, saying the two appointees bring "79 years of experience" to the operation. The plan, the mayor said, is intended to consolidate oversight of Water Distribution, Water Treatment, Wastewater Treatment and Water Billing and to free the Safety Service Director to focus on the remaining city departments.

Council members raised repeated procedural and substantive concerns about how the personnel changes were announced. Councilwoman Sheila Cherry and Councilwoman Jennifer Kiko objected that related documents were delivered to the clerk’s office minutes before the meeting and urged that late items be tabled in the future; Cherry said, "this should never happen," and called the late delivery unfair to residents who expect transparency. President Arthur Garnes said he would break ties if needed and suggested tabling in some cases; Clerk Staci R. Gurney said the materials had been filed late.

Council members pressed the mayor on whether the positions had been posted for internal or public applicants, how candidates were selected, and whether moving duties would change compensation. Kiko asked whether the posting process had occurred and whether other city employees had the opportunity to apply; the mayor replied that the process included interviews and that the selected candidates were not Alliance residents. Councilman Dr. Lohnes questioned whether the mayor has the authority to create or reclassify positions or to set pay without Council approval and moved to refer the matter to a joint meeting of the Finance and Safety & Judiciary committees for review; the motion passed by unanimous roll call of the six members present.

Safety Service Director Mike Dreger told council that no formal action is required immediately and that the retirement triggering the reorganization does not occur until late February; he also said a public-works grant deadline motivated last-minute ordinance submissions tied to street resurfacing. Public commenters criticized the council for perceived inaction and "rubber stamping" of administration proposals; Brandi Douthitt urged members to resist backroom deals and hold the administration accountable, while Ben Bolog questioned enforcement priorities and the fiscal sense of lateral pay moves.

Next steps: Council referred the reorganization to a joint Finance and Safety & Judiciary meeting in early January for review of statutory authority, compensation questions and alternatives. The mayor announced the new appointee's proposed start date of March 1 and said more implementation details will follow; council requested that the Law Director review the mayor’s authority to hire and to adjust job classifications before that committee meeting.