This is a letter I wrote after our April 3, 2012 meeting, I asked that it be forwarded to port staff.
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Yesterday was a challenging one for everyone at the Port of Bellingham. Where we have the continued day to day work and tragedies during normal operations, we then add the weight of uncertainty and fear.
I spoke with Commissioners Jorgenson and Walker twice yesterday to reassure them and confirm that we remain committed to the Port and all of you who make it so successful. While the three of us may disagree at times, even, unfortunately, in a pretty dramatic way, we believe in you.
There will be a transition. There will be uncertainty. There will be challenges yet unknown. Please know that we three commissioners all work in our own way to represent the people of this county and help keep our port moving in the very positive direction it has been going.
For those of you who could not attend yesterday's meeting you would have heard an outpouring of support for the way the port is perceived in our Whatcom County community. I have had no end of e-mails and phone calls for the past two days reiterating that this port is doing great things and serving our communities well.
I would ask that you discuss with each other how best to remain tight with your coworkers, support your senior staff and continue your good work. Jim, Scott and I, as well as the entire county, will be relying on all of you to rally with us. Most of you were here when Mr. Darling left, use the positive experiences from that time to succeed, use the poor experiences to guide you to better outcomes.
The commission will be working very closely with our interim director to ensure our continued success. If any one of you have a need to discuss an issue, your HR director is a stalwart for you so please remain confident, follow your handbook protocol, feel comfortable knowing that your rights will be protected and honored.
Finally, thank you. Thank you for your understanding that the commission is elected, that we can be quirky sometimes and for sticking with us when we are.
Most sincerely,
Mike McAuley
Mike - I posted this comment on NW Citizen. Care to respond?
ReplyDelete"My question is fiscal - how much did the Port pay to hire Mr. Sheldon (external headhunter fees and internal time)? And how much did it cost to get rid of him (direct costs: severance, legal fees, outplacement, etc.; and indirect costs such as disruptions to normal operations)? And finally, how much will it cost to replace him - probably at least as much as it cost to hire Mr. Sheldon?
I would be very surprised if the sum of the above costs is less than a quarter million.
Was Mr. Sheldon’s secret sin (since no one is saying why exactly he was fired - and yes, being asked to resign is just that) so heinous it justified spending so much public money to get rid of him? And if it really was mostly a power struggle, how does spending this much money over an ego clash represent prudent stewardship of public funds?
The POrt Commissioners owe us answers to these questions, IMHO"
Hey David. Search cost was $39,545. Severence for Charlie isn't really relevant, I don't think, since it wasn't a golden parachute and he would have been paid all the way to his last day at the end of his 5 years anyway, with a payout for unused sick days, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe other costs like legal, staff time, etc.? Honestly don't know 'til the bill comes later this month. CS&D bill legal at not more than $250/hour. I would expect not more than a few thousand total for all that.
Since Charlie left prior to 18 months we can use Waldron for another search under the original contract with fees charged only for travel, meeting expenses, etc. In the last search which went two rounds, those costs were a little under $15k.