On December 14th, 2016 the City Commission voted to support an amendment to the Interlocal Agreement between the City, County and the Sheriff regarding the process whereby the Consolidated Dispatch Agency’s (CDA) Director’s employment may be terminated.
Previously, it took the support of all three CDA Board members to hire a Director and one to terminate. The amendment passed by the City of Tallahassee will require the support of all three Board members to terminate the Director.
The path to adoption of the amendment began in 2015.
At the December 3, 2015 meeting of the Consolidated Dispatch Agency (CDA) Board (composed of the City Manager, County Administrator, Vince Long, and Sheriff Wood), Administrator Long brought up the issue of the “Three to Hire, One to Fire” provision.
Long stated that he is in support of bringing an amendment back to the commission and the Sheriff in order to alter the provision so that a majority vote is required to terminate the Director of the CDA. Administrator Long moved to alter this provision.
Sheriff Wood stated that he was in favor of the change.
City Manager Fernandez agreed that a majority is better than one, but due to the importance of the position, that unanimous support was better.
City Manager Fernandez made the friendly amendment to the motion requiring a unanimous vote for termination of the Director of the CDA. City Manager Fernandez
seconded Administrator Long’s motion to bring back to the respective bodies that the hire/fire provision be changed to require unanimous support on the Board. The motion was approved unanimously.
Leaders Change CDA Terminating Procedures added by Staff on
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Hello…anybody there?
http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2017/01/09/lcso-911-system-functioning-properly-despite-cell-network-issues/96355610/
The way the current commissioners and managers have mismanaged and ignored problems of this facility is unconscionable. Firstly, it was the pet project of a derelict and grossly incompetent sheriff, that was set up to fail under his leadership. Long did noting to right the sinking ship. Kristen Dozier misled citizens with a distorted ‘My View’ at a critical time in the Tallahassee Democrat purporting that all was well when it was failing and endangering citizens — that Editor Bob published and failed to question. It was so mismanaged and that citizens were endangered and some lost their lives. In the end Sheriff Campbell’s incompetence caused the death of a beloved deputy whose life was lost due to the mismanagement at the CDA. Why is Long still manager when there is failure after failure after failure across the board not only with the CDA? The crime rate, the economy, etc…
Please publish the bio of the current interim CDA manager? Does he really have the qualifications to lead this facility? Did he leave for vacation on the day Hurricane Hermine hit?
And what has the city manager done except to give himself and cronies (relative) pay raises, junkets to Manhattan, etc?
We need new competent management in several areas to restore credibility and mostly safety to the citizens who have been so poorly served for too LONG—no pun intended.
As with any new process there will be bumps and potholes in the road. I must take exception to the notion the failing issues of training to CDA staff is what led to the sorrowful death of a beloved deputy. But to put the blame on just the Sheriff is completely wrong. The CDA dispatchers, at that time, were mostly from the city and were not given enough training which led to the issues you mentioned. More should have been done without question before going into full operation. Due to this, changes have been made to try and right the proverbial ship. With success? Maybe a little too early still to tell, but changes have been addressed. So I take exception to the harsh overtones you have spent here. As to the process of termination…I would like the majority of the process to stay in place. When someone needs to go it may be difficult to remove someone that has friends in high places, if you catch my drift.
Thank you for your opinion, but you have provided more evidence why nothing changes, but only get worse. If the truth sounds “harsh” then therein lies the problem. Perhaps a reality check would serve you better than attacking the messenger. I standby my opinion and respect yours even though I disagree.
You are on point. They have destroyed lives.