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Residents press council over staffing turnover and communications; some call for city manager review
Summary
Multiple speakers cited high staff turnover, poor communication and alleged procedural missteps by city management; one speaker urged the immediate release of the city manager while others asked for a public performance review.
Several people used citizen input time to press the council about organizational leadership, communication failures and staff turnover under the current city manager.
Shelby Coleman, citing a spreadsheet she brought to the meeting, said 270 full-time employees have left since the current city manager took office and estimated more than half of recent hires had left within a year. Julie Blakey and other speakers criticized the city manager’s handling of prior projects and alleged procedural errors tied to park decisions; Blakey asked the council to make the city-manager performance review public and called for removal. The mayor interrupted when remarks veered into allegations and the council recessed into executive session to receive legal advice about procedural issues; the executive session concluded with no action taken.
Council members acknowledged communication problems and said the alternatives study and public engagement are intended to rebuild trust. Several council members also defended staff achievements and emphasized the need to balance prompt service delivery with public involvement.
