"Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one you have." ~Emily Chartier
From time to time, I hope to pull valid ideas from the comments section and give them a little more attention, particularly if they challenge my thinking.
Here was a comment posted on the Report this morning:
The Charlotte Observer reported yesterday that “downtown commission members say the new director must meet measurable goals, such as increasing investment, business growth, residential development and entertainment, or be fired”. How about the current director.
Opponents and proponents alike agree he is not meeting these qualifications, yet he “announced” in January that he will be staying on for another six months. MDC Board: The proof is in the pudding. If you want the taxpayers of this town to back the downtown commission, and if you want to convince us that you are indeed going to start being accountable with our tax dollars, you must start now – by firing Wayne Frick.
Ouch. The truth always hurts.
So basically what this person is saying to the Mooresville Downtown Commission board is this: put our money where your mouth is.
You cannot retain an under-performing director for three more months and then have people believe that you won't do it with the next guy. Truly, if the MDC board wants the taxpayers' blessing on this year's funding, it must prove now that it means business. And make no mistake about it – the MDC board is going to need the taxpayers on its side if it expects to be funded year after year after year.
Right now, the MDC has a lot of momentum and a lot of community support. But if the board members truly made a statement like the one that the Observer reported – and they still decide to let Wayne Frick ride out the next three months, when not one person (including MDC opponents) have come to Frick's defense – I think the MDC board will have a lot of explaining to do.
Then again, I'm only one person. What are your thoughts?
Here was a comment posted on the Report this morning:
The Charlotte Observer reported yesterday that “downtown commission members say the new director must meet measurable goals, such as increasing investment, business growth, residential development and entertainment, or be fired”. How about the current director.
Opponents and proponents alike agree he is not meeting these qualifications, yet he “announced” in January that he will be staying on for another six months. MDC Board: The proof is in the pudding. If you want the taxpayers of this town to back the downtown commission, and if you want to convince us that you are indeed going to start being accountable with our tax dollars, you must start now – by firing Wayne Frick.
Ouch. The truth always hurts.
So basically what this person is saying to the Mooresville Downtown Commission board is this: put our money where your mouth is.
You cannot retain an under-performing director for three more months and then have people believe that you won't do it with the next guy. Truly, if the MDC board wants the taxpayers' blessing on this year's funding, it must prove now that it means business. And make no mistake about it – the MDC board is going to need the taxpayers on its side if it expects to be funded year after year after year.
Right now, the MDC has a lot of momentum and a lot of community support. But if the board members truly made a statement like the one that the Observer reported – and they still decide to let Wayne Frick ride out the next three months, when not one person (including MDC opponents) have come to Frick's defense – I think the MDC board will have a lot of explaining to do.
Then again, I'm only one person. What are your thoughts?
Posts
11 comments:
I don't know exactly how long Frick has been with the MDC or if he has benefits, but in the past commissioners who were voted out of office would be appointed to ABC Board etc. so they could keep insurance benefits for life--could this be a possability? Jamie--Please clarify this for me if you can--but I do not believe Frick should get a "golden" watch or parachute for his "stellar" service.
At the current time Mr. Frick does not live in the city limits. I believe that he would have to live in the city limits to be placed on ABC Board.
Well, thank God for little favors...
Just why haven't they fired him anyway? This is just not making any sense. A dear friend of mine was just fired off her job for the littlest thing. How come Frick could get away with 20 years of shoddy work? who had his back anyway? and whose still got his back?
Hey, guys. Thanks for your comments. To my knowledge -- but I'm still going to check around to make sure -- none of the town's benefits plans have ever covered someone who serves on the Mooresville Downtown Commission. The plans have only applied to Mooresville town commissioners and/or ABC board members.
The information I'm about to post is *outdated* because Frank Owens, when campaigning in 2005, made significant changes to the town's policy. I'll follow this comment-post with updated information once I find the article. But for now, here is some (again, outdated) information from my Sept. 26, 2003 Tribune article:
When Mooresville's elected commissioners retire after 20 years of public service to the town, they receive free lifetime medical insurance premiums -- a policy that is not practiced in most surrounding towns.
On June 7, 1993, the town board adopted a resolution allowing "certain former town board members" -- those who had served at least 16 years on the board -- to obtain insurance coverage under the town's group insurance plan, with the premium being paid in full by Mooresville's taxpayers.
On May 16, 2003, the policy was amended during the town board's consent agenda a fourth time since it was first adopted. It was changed to include service on Mooresville's Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) Board.
The policy had previously been changed -- on March 5, 2001 -- to benefit town board members who had served 20 years on the board rather than 16.
The policy read in Sept. 2003: "Premiums shall be paid in full by the Town of Mooresville" for retired board members who have "at least 20 years of combined service with the Town of Mooresville or the Mooresville ABC board."
Interestingly, full-time town employees were offered free medical insurance upon retirement, but they had to work *30* years (as opposed to the commissioners'/ABC boards' combined 20) to be eligible.
The current Executive Director does not come under the local government retirement program. I may be wrong, but I believe you will find he gets insurance and some 401(k)money from the MDC and thats about all. This is why the new Executive Director, if there is one, should be a town employee. Based on what I saw in the Statesville Record and Landmark it looks like Wayne Frick makes less then a librarian at the town library. Quite frankly, it appears the MDC is paying Mr. Frick half of what it will cost to replace him. Therefore if he is not perfoming to expectations, the current MDC gets what it pays for and may very well be getting a bargain.
After reading all this I sure don't feel like I got a "bargain" in Mr. Frick. If I recall correclty he didn't even bother decorating for Christmas the last couple years. It was downright depressing going downtown around the holidays.
To the Wayne Frick apologist: At least the libranians are working.
Have you been to our library lately? And have you been through our downtown lately?
We've paid Frick almost a million bucks in salary, if not more, during his twenty years of "work". Sound like a bargain to you?
I just subscribed to the Gatton Report so I'm kinda late getting into this conversation but I had to pipe in here when I read "bargain" in the same sentence as Frick. Are you kidding? All you gotta do is go into the stores downtown and all you hear is complaints about what a sorry job he's done. Get real.
Sorry it took me so long to get back to you about the most recent policy (to my knowledge, at least) regarding benefit plans for town commissioners/ABC board members.
From my Feb. 2005 Tribune article:
Elected commissioners who retire after 20 years of public service to the town are no longer eligible for free lifetime medical insurance premiums paid in full by Mooresville’s taxpayers.
Commissioner Frank Owens made a motion to rewrite a town policy that since 2003 has allowed retired commissioners with at least 20 years of combined service with the town or Mooresville’s Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) Board to continue coverage under the town’s group insurance plan with taxpayers footing the bill for the premiums.
The policy, in some form, has existed since June 7, 1993. It has been amended four times.
Owens’ motion to rewrite the town’s health insurance policy for retired commissioners “grandfathered” the four men who currently receive full medical benefits at the town’s expense, totaling about $17,000 a year: former mayor Joe Knox and former commissioners Grady Shoe, Richard Nantz and Robert Randall.
The policy amendment – which received unanimous support from the board – was retroactive, effective Jan. 1, 2005.
Full-time employees of the Town of Mooresville are still eligible for free medical insurance upon retirement if they have worked for the town at least 30 years.
Owens, who receives benefits as a retired town employee, said the policy amendment “only affects city councilmen or ABC board members who retired after Jan. 1, 2005, which nobody has done,” he said. “No longer can they receive lifetime insurance.”
Is Frick still on the payroll? Why does it always take an act of congress to get rid of incompetents in Mooresville? They'll get rid of somebody competent and honest in a flash, but the incompetent and/or shady ones they'll hang on to for real life! Just look at Erskine Smith! Geez Louise! He and Frick came from the same Belk's shoes department 20 years ago straight into their cushy no-accountability, nobody-will-ask-
you-any-questions-ever jobs set up for them by somebody's
"daddy", and they're both STILL HERE! We're tired of carrying dead weight like this.
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