Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/194514
Sarasota News Leader October 18, 2013 Page 19 Barbetta cited the email during a subsequent County Commission meeting, saying he would not vote to proceed with any mowing contracts till the allegations had been fully addressed. "The same people are here that put us in this position," he said, "and, unfortunately, because of our charter, I can't do anything about it." Only the county administrator may "dismiss" employees, per the charter. Toni Giddens tells the News Leader the alleged boat get-together "absolutely never happened." Tom met with Barbetta once in 2012, Toni says, and she later met with each commissioner individually, but that has been the extent of their personal contact with the board. She says she was "astounded" when she first read the public emails. Richards, who has complained about mowing contracts as well, also denies the boat incident happened and says retaliation against him and Storm Tech is the only plausible motive for the accusations. "Why else would you throw the three of us in a boat together? That's a no-brainer," he tells the News Leader. Commissioner Joe Barbetta watches a presentation during a budget workshop. Photo by Rachel Hackney you about two ethics complaints that have been lodged against you," and it quickly turned into a "heated discussion." He wrote that Uebelacker had promised to speak with the employee who had made the allegation to ask for proof, something Uebelacker strenuGiddens agrees. "We have nothing in common ously denied. except the mowing contracts," she says. "It's Barbetta also wrote that Uebelacker told him almost intimidation." that if the employee had indeed invented the Barbetta calls the suggestion of impropriety "vicious." "I don't understand how someone could make that statement," he says. But it was Uebelacker's handling of the situation that really irked Barbetta. charges, Uebelacker would notify County Administrator Randy Reid "and there would be consequences for the employees who lied." Barbetta says he believes the employee should be fired. Uebelacker eventually brought up the allegations in a one-on-one meeting with Barbetta. According to an email sent by Barbetta on Oct. 9, that conversation began with Uebelacker telling him, "I'm here to talk to Uebelacker declined to provide the name of the employee, writing that to do so would violate the promise of confidentiality made to whistleblowers. "You have previously and routinely publicly called for the termination