Comments on: Century’s Newly Hired Town Clerk Leaving

By: David Huie Green

David Huie Green — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 06:48:05 +0000

REGARDING:
“Minutes are to report the highlights of a meeting and are to be kept as brief as possible. ”

Yep. who said what about something off subject does not belong in minutes. Generally I know you want the form: Motion by…., received a second. After discussion motion carried/failed. It doesn’t matter what the discussion was, only what the resolution of the motion was. More than that is simply silly.

Someone insisted on more?????

David for not considering war stories
and fishing tales as part of the minutes

By: observant resident

observant resident — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 03:01:44 +0000

I understand that none of us really know how difficult your job (Ms. Peters) has been as the new town clerk. I am not trying to be mean. It is, however, difficult to get past the the fact that you seem to be on Northescambia.com and frequently commenting on the website during working hours (9:43am August 3).

I understand that you are very frustrated, but you yourself are giving your critics ammunition to use. You are never going to convince people by constantly defending yourself. Quit trying!

By: Darlene Peters

Darlene Peters — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 23:47:40 +0000

P.S. to George from Brewton,
I agree, it should be a 40 hour work week for the Town Clerk. I have been putting in 50 to 60 hours per week since I started. Thanks, Darlene

By: Darlene Peters

Darlene Peters — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 23:41:50 +0000

To George from Brewton,

The minutes at the Council Meetings are typed every word “verbatim.” According to Robert’s Rules of Order, there are specific items which are typed verbatim. Minutes are to report the highlights of a meeting and are to be kept as brief as possible. There have been three hour meetings which were transcribed word for word resulting in a 26 page document.

Therefore, there is the extra time to transcribe every word “verbatim” (try it sometime). I type an average of 70 wpm and it is still extremely time consuming. I believe this time could be spent more productively, for such things as completing important financial tasks. In addition to the extra paper used because of it.

Recordings are kept if anyone has a question regarding what has been said, so I think this is something that could be remedied. This is a decision the Council has to make.

To the other comments, I speak for myself, not for the Town, and I put my name, not a pseudoname. I am not getting full pay for part time. My move to Spokane Washington was unforeseen when I took this job, these things happen.

Darlene

By: [_]\

[_]\ — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:09:00 +0000

OK OK OK I take it back, Not the janitor………..BUT sometimes its best just to clean house and start over, BUT please not the janitor.
Maybe Brenda would do a better job.

By: Casandra

Casandra — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:33:43 +0000

How can the council be involved in anything if we can’t even get enough votes for a quorum due to members missing and those who are present refusing to vote? (See article re: Hawkins vote at Monday’s meeting). It seems to me that the council gets involved when they feel like it.

By: concerned

concerned — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:49:17 +0000

I don’t think this is about the employees. They are doing the best they can when they are working with a new clerk that is now leaving, No one has been hired in Karen’s place, a worker that is pregnant and out on a regular basis, and a Mayor and Council that are not doing what they were elected to do. The Mayor should be trying to get these positions filled with qualified people as soon as possible and quit letting people that turn in a notice continue to work part time and drain the town when there is no benefit for the Town and it’s citizens. Everyone would like to work part time and draw full pay but that is not getting the work done in City Hall. Council please get involved in the hiring, at least have a work shop and look at all the applications and then let the Mayor make his reccomendation and you will know if the best applicant was reccomended

By: YELLARHAMMER

YELLARHAMMER — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:34:36 +0000

I love the commits about Centry in my opinion there are running a close second to the SRIA.

By: David Huie Green

David Huie Green — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:20:51 +0000

REGARDING:
“Get rid of EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE right down to the janitor’

It’s fun to spout off, but getting rid of everyone would mean the water would soon be off or infected. The sewage would be backed up. The gas would stop flowing.

Getting rid of everyone would bring much unhappiness and makes no real sense.

Besides, what did the janitor do wrong???????

By: David Huie Green

David Huie Green — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:17:36 +0000

Obviously minutes are needed because they are the official record of the decisions of the council. If you don’t record the decisions, there is no reason to have meetings in the first place.

I remember an instance where the one recording minutes often reversed the decisions of the board by giving votes different outcomes. She only heard what she wanted or expected to hear. We finally had to keep a tape recorder running and still had to correct the minutes at the next meeting because she either wouldn’t listen to it or still didn’t hear it right.. (This has nothing to do with Century, simply an observation from another instance and situation.)

I assume she meant some other matter was a source of inefficiency.

Could be wrong, it happens way too often (doesn’t stop me, though)