Adelt receives mostly good evaluation

City Manager Sarah Adelt scored an average of 71.7 percent on her evaluations by city council members. In evaluation standards that's "good." But several critical comments on her performance, by two council members, stood out.

Three out of the five council members scored her between good and exceptional in communication with others, but she received a 33.4 percent by Councilwoman Brenda Gray.

In the comments, Gray wrote, "Your decision to close customer service hours in the water department caused great stress on employees and the communication did no justice for the citizens or the city."

In her response, Adelt wrote her decision to close the customer service hours at the billing window was done on a trial basis and the changes were posted on the window.

In an earlier interview, Margie B. Ludden, utility billing supervisor, said the change to customer service hours from five days a week to three days a week lasted just over a month, from July 1 to Aug. 12.

"With all avenues available to citizens for utility payments, I believe this will need to be addressed again within the next 12-18 months," Adelt wrote in her response back to Gray.

In that same section, Councilman Al Joe Hinson scored Adelt 41.4 percent. Hinson wrote, "We do have a lot of unhappy citizens."

In an interview, Hinson said the biggest complaint he's had from residents is the water increase and the days residents have to pay it.

"They've increased deposits and increased a lot of other stuff that people just can't afford. Fifty dollars is a lot of money for some people ... they're scuffling to pay the water bill and because of that some child is not going to eat," Hinson said.

Councilman George Hall rated Adelt's communication with others as exceptional.

He scored her 100 percent in four out five areas in communication and cooperation with others including: open and accessible to citizens, responds timely and accurately to citizens and the media, works to create a positive public image and demonstrates tact and cooperation with others.

In Hall's summary statement he wrote:"I believe that Sarah Adelt does a superior job as city manager ... I would recommend that the priority of the next year be that of morale boosting. I do not feel that the current manager has any responsibility in the low morale issue but do feel it is the manager's responsibility to solve the problem."

Adelt became city manager on April 28, 2008, and has worked for the city since January 1999.

In an e-mail, Adelt said that the morale of city staff is down because of the economy.

City staff have gone two years without pay raises and to avoid paying a portion of their health insurance they've taken a higher deductible insurance.

Earlier this year some city employees and residents complained about feeling intimidated and bullied by former city department heads. But Adelt has been working on remedying the backlash.

This year the wastewater foreman was fired and public works coordinator choose to retire.

"Some of our employees feel less intimated and bullied due to some personnel terminations and job changes, which is a beginning to better morale," Adelt said in an e-mail.

She's also working on an employee recognition program and city-wide employee events to continue to boost morale.

Scores on decision making

In the area of problem analysis and decision making, Adelt's score fell into the satisfactory range with an average of 69.6 percent. Her lowest score in this area was given by Gray at 32.8 percent.

Gray wrote in her comments that Adelt should take responsibility for undesirable results and make recommendations to city council.

"I make every effort to take responsibility for any concern in the city. I feel I have even taken responsibility for many things that I acquired when I accepted the position of city manager," Adelt wrote in her response.

There seems to be no hard feelings, though. In Adelt's response she said she appreciated the time Gray took to meet with her prior to completing the evaluation.

Adelt received positive feedback from Councilman Joe Wright who wrote, "Sarah did an admirable job under very trying circumstances."

And Mayor Sharon Shuler wrote that Adelt took the job with a heap of problems and is tackling every one of them.