Dispute over nominations reveals rift between mayor and commissioners
By Rob Kunzig Cape Gazette
Town Manager Gordon Elliott thinks Dewey Beach needs a new personnel policy manual. The thick red binder of rules and regulations governing town employees hasn’t been updated since the early 1990s – and it won’t be updated any time soon. Town commissioners failed to form a committee intended to revisit the manuals at the six-hour Valentine’s Day meeting, struck down by divisions over the group’s members.
Mayor Dell Tush proposed a committee composed primarily of Dewey residents who have knowledge of the town’s history and a demonstrated interest in local government. “You need to know a little more about Dewey Beach than having bought a property the year before,” she said. She recommended former commissioners Dale Cooke and Bob Fitzgerald, budget and finance committee member Don Ziegler, and resident Anna Legates. Commissioner Martin Seitz would chair the committee.
Commissioners Diane Hanson and Rich Hanewinckel wanted to include Dewey property owners with professional experience in law and human resources. Hanewinckel nominated Joan Claybrook, a renowned lawyer and former president of a nonprofit.
“She’s got the bandwidth and the desire to help out,” said Hanewinckel. He also nominated Betty Laird, who has experience in a municipal government in Pennsylvania.
The debate smoldered for more than an hour, pitting the virtues of hometown experience against professional credentials. Ultimately, Seitz made a motion to approve Tush’s nominees, which included Claybrook. The motion failed to garner a second and died.
“I still saw the makeup of the group as very, very conservative,” said Hanewinckel.
“I’m frustrated with the mayor’s lack of desire to cooperate with her fellow commissioners and be a team player,” said Hanson.
The committee, referred to variably as the policy committee, the personnel committee and the personnel policy committee, would bring old manuals into step with current practices and out of conflict with each other. Seitz, who has experience in business policy, began investigating inefficiencies along with Hanson in September 2008. He quickly discovered it to be a bigger problem than anticipated and called for creating an independent committee.
Elliot and Seitz see the committee’s primary purpose as dealing with contradictions, but Hanewinckel said the group’s recommendations could involve cuts in pay, benefits or staff.
“It’s more comprehensive than just cuts,” said Hanewinckel. “We need to look at operational efficiencies.” Seitz said the committee would examine policies concerning holiday time, compensatory time and seasonal employment. Hanewinckel said the main reason he didn’t second the nominations was because they did not include Hanson.
“For her not to be on it, for me, is incomprehensible and unacceptable,” said Hanewinckel. Hanson has more than 30 years of experience in human resources and is currently CEO of Creative Resource Development.
Tush said Hanson’s presence on the committee would bring the total number of commissioners to three, including herself. The mayor serves ex officio on all committees – she can contribute, but cannot vote. In the interest of open government, Tush said, a quorum, or majority, of commissioners cannot sit on a committee.
Hanewinckel countered in a Feb. 18 interview that the Ruddertowne architectural committee sported a quorum of commissioners, including Claire Walsh, Mike Eisenhauer and Tush.
Though Seitz moved to create the committee, he said he was puzzled by Hanson’s absence, and by the heavy emphasis on local history over professional expertise. “It wasn’t a balanced skill set,” said Seitz.
Elliott said any committee would have to strike a balance between local knowledge and professional expertise. In fairer economic weather, the town would hire an outside contractor to deal with policy. But Elliott said that could cost as much as $25,000, which the town cannot afford.
Despite the dispute, considerable momentum remains behind policy reform. “The town does need a policy manual,” said Elliott. “How we’re going to go about getting it, that’s a different story.”
Tush said she plans to undertake the revision of policy herself, along with Seitz. She said she sees it as her responsibility.
“Unlike some of the other commissioners who say ‘I’ve given enough to Dewey Beach,’ I don’t feel that way. The job entails so much more,” said Tush.
Seitz said the job cannot be done by two people alone. “It’s too much work,” he said, adding that he wouldn’t want to burden town employees with the inevitable spillover labor.
“I still have hope for the policy committee,” he said.