Public Works Director Curtis Stacy confronts the council about what he considered to be attacks on him.

            A suggestion by Bronson’s town clerk to update employee job descriptions in Town Hall blew up into a heated discussion Monday after Councilman Berlon Weeks said there was no need for changes.

            “I don’t know why we need to update the job descriptions if the person fits the description, if they don’t fit the description, that’s not where they need to work,” Weeks said.

            Public Works Director Curtis Stacy took offense.

            “I got a problem with that already,” said Stacy. “This is the thing, I’m sorry, but I’ve had enough. I’m going home now.”

            Stacy volunteered to give up his Bronson Parks and Recreation director’s job and train to become public works director after Erik Wise resigned. But during the months of discussions by the council about whether to disband BPR, Stacy wasn’t sure about his future and accused the council of trying to fire him.

            The council said it wasn’t trying to fire him.

            Weeks’ statement at Monday’s meeting seemed to open up an old wound.

            Weeks threw up his arms in frustration at Stacy’s statement. He said Stacy was doing a great job in public works and he wasn’t trying to suggest the council should fire him or that he wasn’t qualified for his new job.

            “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t made a derogatory statement toward you. I haven’t said anything but you’re doing a great job. Honestly, I don’t know what you need to hear to feel comfortable in the position you’re in” Weeks said.

            The council voted to amend Stacy’s job description to show he wasn’t going to handle administrative work associated with the job and to also amend Utility Clerk Nikki Keller’s job description to better describe her responsibilities.

            Town Clerk Shirley Miller said the only reason she requested amended job descriptions was because Stacy, Keller and Deputy Clerk Melisa Thompson, who handles utility billing and other duties, asked her to bring it to the council.

            “I think it would benefit all of us if we had a chance to review all of the job descriptions and make them more accurate to what we’re doing because I received a request from staff. That’s why it’s on the agenda,” she said.

            Mayor Beatrice Roberts said the new arrangement with Stacy, in which he does no administration in public works, reflects how the job was done before Wise arrived. She said the ladies in Town Hall handled public works administration and the previous director worked outside.

            She said Wise preferred to do the administrative work in Town Hall as well as the outside work, but Stacy is new to the job and has his hands full just doing outside water and sewer system work and maintenance.

            Roberts said she met with employees in Town Hall and informed them of the change, but the agenda item calling for Miller to update job descriptions made no mention of the new arrangement and provided no information on how job descriptions might change.

            Employees met with Miller and asked her to add an agenda item on updating job descriptions.

            Councilman Aaron Edmondson said he believed the real reason behind the request was a lack of trust by employees.

            “What it boils down to is you have no trust in the departments you all work in,” he said. “In City Hall, there’s no trust. Everyone is saying everyone’s out to get them. That’s a bad thing. That’s a bad environment to work in.”

            Edmondson said the town already has job descriptions and he saw no reason to change them. He said he was tired of the lack of trust.

            Miller said she trusted everyone working at Town Hall.

            “I did it because my staff asked me to do it, not to start all this craziness,” she said.

            Stacy said he didn’t want to be set up for failure by having a job description that didn’t match his job duties. He said he could be accused of not doing his job correctly.

            He said he had also heard rumors that he wouldn’t be around long.

            “I’ve had enough of these attacks,” he said.

            He turned to Town Attorney Steven Warm and refreshed his memory about information he had provided Warm in June and July of last year. He said Warm would be receiving more information.

            Thompson pointed out that Stacy’s current job description says he handles administrative work associated with being the public works director even though he doesn’t. If the job description wasn’t changed and something went wrong with the administrative paperwork, he could be blamed for something he didn’t do.

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Town of Bronson Regular Meeting February 3, 2020; Posted February 3, 2020