Commission confirms confidence in city manager following meeting debate

Before it even got started, what was anticipated to be a contentious Sarasota City Commission meeting on Monday devolved into a 12-minute debate over a requested change to the agenda resulting in a vote of confidence for City Manager Marlon Brown.

In what appears to be a communications gap between Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch and Brown, a presentation by Ahearn-Koch addressing comprehensive plan amendments never made it to the original published agenda, prompting her to submit a change in the order of the day. In point-counterpoint style, Commissioner Hagen Brody submitted a change request of his own, which he admitted was to respond to what he anticipated Ahearn-Koch’s points of opposition of the comp plan amendments.

Ordinarily rubber-stamped by the board, Mayor Erik Arroyo called for a discussion on the agenda changes, calling whatever was going to be presented duplicitous to the lengthy discussions on the topic already on the docket.

The rub? That allowing separate commissioner presentations on items already on the agenda would set a problematic precedent that would only prolong meetings with no discernible benefit.

Brody motioned to eliminate the agenda changes, including his own presentation, which was supported by a 3-2 vote with Ahearn-Koch and Commissioner Liz Alpert dissenting.

That prompted Ahearn-Koch to say out loud that her voice obviously has no importance among her colleagues and, after reminding that the matter was a result of a communications breakdown with Brown, said “I won’t forget this.”

The commission then moved on to awards and honors with awkward moments of posing and smiling as a group for photographs. Meanwhile, Brown was seething.

When re-seated at the dais, Brown called for a vote of confidence among commissioners, taking Ahearn-Koch’s comment as a threat..

“I would like a vote right now on the record as to whether I continue as city manager,” Brown said, adding that if the commission has no confidence, he would leave the meeting, and presumably his job, forthwith.

Ahearn-Koch immediately motioned to give Brown a vote of confidence, which was approved unanimously, adding that her comment was made to herself and not directed at Brown.

She further explained: “This was a most disturbing moment for me. I added those agenda items on time. And for the record, I can add them again at the end of this meeting for the next agenda. And if I added on the agenda a presentation, there is no vote to take my presentation off.”

Then she said to Brody, “I would like to know why you added a presentation.”

“To respond to whatever you were gong to say, of course,” he said.

After Ahearn-Koch reiterated her full confidence and support for Brown, Vice Mayor Kyle Battie expanded the conversation not only to support of Brown but also the staff in general as it absorbs harsh criticism from the general public on the comprehensive plan amendments and other controversial issues.

“Our city manager was at a CCNA meeting a couple weeks ago to give clarity to what what we're about to talk about today, and he spoke to our staff being admonished, chastised, ridiculed and belittled by people who don't even know them but speaking into their integrity and to their character,” Battie said. “I'll be damned if I'm going to sit and waste my time trying to belittle another human being. … I have the utmost confidence in you in the job that you do.”