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Residents and commissioners warn high turnover is hurting Palatka operations
Summary
Speakers at the meeting and several commissioners said frequent staff turnover is undermining city operations; resident Alan Sheffield described the pattern as "crippling," and commissioners voiced support for the manager while acknowledging concerns about stability.
Public commenters and at least one commissioner said high turnover in Palatkas staff is harming city operations. Alan Sheffield told the commission his travels had left him out of the loop but that the "amount of turnover" signals a broader problem; he urged the city to retain and support experienced employees instead of treating governance like a sports roster.
Commissioner Davis and others said they supported the managers decisions while acknowledging the difficulty of disruptive change. "When a leader leads an organization through a disruptive shift... decisions need to be made to proactively and sometimes... require restructuring operations," Davis said, adding that the commission should expect to make hard choices while working toward stability. Commissioners repeatedly praised the managers transparency even as they noted the political and operational challenges created by staff changes.
