The notification, from Scott Letteney, Deputy City Attorney (and -- we didn't know this! -- "Interim City Administrator") says only:
Effective April 13, 2009, City of Racine Public Health Administrator Janelle Grammer is on an administrative leave. Because this is a pending personnel matter, the City cannot further comment.Grammer, you'll recall, the city's Health Director since 2005, hasn't been at work, as far as we know, since some time early in December 2008. Originally, she was due back at work Dec. 22, but soon after what we've heard was a negative personnel review (based partly on a two-week unexplained absence in September), she filed for a Family and Medical Leave, and her return to work had been successively postponed, from Jan. 22, to Feb. 17, to some time in March.
In the middle of all that, of course, came the city's loss of a $60,000 United Way grant aimed at assisting at-risk families with children under the age of five, administered by the City Health Department under Grammer; problems with a program aimed at fighting infant mortality, supported by a $500,000 state grant; and her FMLA discrimination complaint against City Administrator-at-the-time Ben Hughes. Hughes resigned in mid-February, and Grammer's complaint was dismissed by the state Equal Rights Division in March.
So now Grammer's FMLA leave is an "administrative leave." Hopefully, we'll learn shortly how that changes things. In the meantime, we assume that Marcia Fernholz is continuing to fill in ably as the city's interim public health administrator.
UPDATE: The Journal Times reported late Monday that Grammer was told the leave is "involuntary" and will last until May 4, during which time she'll remain on the payroll.
If you want more history, click HERE to search our archive on the matter.
The JT reported the Interim City Administrator stuff shortly after Hughes resigned.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you're mistaken; check the archives (theirs and ours). There's a difference between FMLA leave, invoked by Grammer, and involuntary leave, ordered by the city. Grammer was told of the latter today.
ReplyDeleteNot only is he interim but he's been blabbing to people around city hall that he wants the job permanently!! So far we (the employees at city hall) can't tell that he's done anything to earn the extra pay he's getting.
ReplyDeleteLetteney also runs the Human Resources office since he and Hughes eliminated the Human Resource Director position and the guy does't live anywhere near Racine! He's from Lake Geneva!
In my opinion this guy has WAY too much power.
I guess he would probably try to weasel his way out of the residency requirement for city administrator if he got it.
Did the city council even vote on having this guy take over as city administrator? I never looked at the council minutes. If so, why did the aldermen feel we really needed a replacement? City hall can function just fine without one, ask any of the department heads and employees.
So this notice came straight from the Sultan himself. My first question would be why did the city make this public since it is a personnel matter? Why do they want this made public? I know they do not do this with every employee!
ReplyDeleteLetteney/Hughes/Becker = dirty.
Tingle/Grammer = Lazy and incompetent.
ReplyDeleteI hope whoever the new mayor is, they won't be hiring another city administrator and will put an end to paying for an interim. The city could find better ways to spend the money.
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't know about Grammer since I've never had dealings with her but Tingle was great to work with. She went out of her way to help me with a problem and I don't believe I ever thanked her. So if you are reading this now Ms.Sandra I want you to know you were appreciated for all your good work.
I too feel we need a clean slate and should get rid of him. By getting rid of the people at the top, maybe Racine can actually make some changes. Plus he is an attorney, but pays outside agencies to do his job. So what does he actually do?
ReplyDeleteAnon 7:19 I totally agree with you.
ReplyDeleteThese blogs are proof of the old adage: "Those who talk don't know and those who know don't talk"
ReplyDeleteThe press release went out because someone in the Health Department doesn't know how to keep their mouth shut and the press was calling city hall 5 minutes after this happened.
ReplyDeleteAnon 9:19 I don't buy that line of garbage for a second.
ReplyDeleteBob Turner has said he will eliminate the City Administrator position if he's elected. That alone, will get him my vote.
ReplyDeleteYeah I'm not real crazy about Turner but that's one issue I do agree with.
ReplyDeleteEveryone keeps saying a city employee leaked the information. Those employees were told AFTER this has all happened and at the end of business that day. Wonder if Janelle leaked the information because she has her motives. Wonder what else Ms. Janelle has up her sleeve? (maybe another lawsuit?)
ReplyDelete