Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/92622
Sarasota News Leader November 9, 2012 lems that they had seen to the commission- ers, Barbetta said, "Certain employees blamed them for the problems instead of taking the personal responsibility." Regarding Reid's demotion during the sum- mer of Dave Cash, who works in operational management, Barbetta said, "I respectfully disagree. … Dave Cash is not the person ul- timately responsible. He was one employee who was put in an awkward position to try to solve a huge problem. It's never been re- solved. … It will never change until a major shakeup occurs." Barbetta pointed to the county's library system and its Emer- gency Management Department as two operations functioning very well, calling them "second to none. … Why? Because of the managers." Page 38 Thaxton also concurred with Barbetta that Cash "was not the problem." Reid said he had been putting faith in staff members' accounts of what had happened in the past. He reiterated that he was taking an intensive look at the county's Operations and Maintenance Center, noting that 13,000 work orders remained unresolved. He also pointed out that new staff members who recently had come to work for the county would be handling oversight in problem areas. questioning staff's professional recommendations. That is a model that's destined to fail. We have to have complete trust in our staff. Jon Thaxton Commissioner Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton said that while he typically was not on Barbetta's side in these types of issues, in this case, "I think he's spot on. … Mr. Reid, this has been going on for many, many years." Whenever private individuals tried to alert the commissioners to a problem, Thaxton said, "It was always dismissed. There was always an excuse. … Now as it turns out the outside contractors were correct more than they were incorrect." What was especially troubling to him, Thax- ton said, was that "this board should not be questioning staff's professional recommenda- tions. That is a model that's destined to fail. We have to have complete trust in our staff." This board should not be Commissioner Nora Patterson said she was unsure whether she agreed with Bar- betta and Thaxton. "I don't know whether [staff members] are responsible or wheth- er the system's respon- sible, but we definitely need a new system for who's responsible for what." "My concern," she continued, "is getting this stuff mowed at the moment." Patterson added that she forwards emails to Reid and other staff whenever constituents write in about areas that are overgrown. "I won't necessarily get an answer [from staff]," she said. "Right," Chairwoman Christine Robinson said. "I want an answer," Patterson continued. Al- though she appreciated the fact that the coun- ty Communications Department was sending out regular emails about the mowing sched-