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Staff presentation calls for culture and systems overhaul to restore morale and public trust
Summary
City consultant Mr. Kronoff told the Fernandina Beach City Commission that improving morale requires accountable leadership, clearer work standards and technology updates; staff launched a leadership Ascend program and plans permit-software and asset-management changes to boost service and transparency.
Mr. Kronoff delivered a wide-ranging assessment of city operations, telling the Fernandina Beach City Commission that successful change is individual and must be done "with you, not to you." He said the change process moves from resistance to observation, engagement and finally acknowledgement, and that leaders must include employees throughout the transition.
Kronoff highlighted three drivers of low morale: lack of accountability, weak communication and unclear expectations. He urged "accountable leadership" — leaders who own mistakes, fix them and move on — and pointed to a recently launched internal leadership development program called Ascend, which has run two sessions with nine total sessions planned; Kronoff said the first class will finish in July.
The presentation also cataloged operational gaps the city is addressing: antiquated permitting and facility systems, frequent leadership turnover in department heads, and staffing risks from imminent retirements in code enforcement. Kronoff said the city is on schedule to deploy new permit software in early May and is working to implement asset management, cross-training and clearer work plans so staff priorities better align with the budget.
On customer service, Kronoff credited planning staff with changes that let frontline employees resolve more issues directly. He said the city is updating the technical review committee (TRC) process to foster interdepartmental collaboration and emphasized that analytics and clearer public reporting will be needed "so the community as a whole" understands what the city is measuring and why.
Commissioners applauded the presentation; one called it "a breath of fresh air" and another urged broader community engagement on follow-up items. Kronoff closed by asking commissioners whether there were elements they wanted staff to drop from consideration; after brief discussion, the commission moved on to the Ybor Alvarez item.
The presentation did not include a formal request for action; staff framed the remarks as an informational assessment and offered to return with more details on specific initiatives.
