Explosive letter: Mark Rohr: "An Ego That Seems to Have No End"

One of the criticisms Mark Rohr has leveled at Joplin City Council members who voted to fire him Tuesday night is that they were doing so based on complaints that were made against him during the investigation by Osage Beach attorney Tom Loraine.

Tuesday was the second time that the council had voted on firing Rohr. Shortly after the first attempt failed, I published this whistle blower letter on the old Inside Joplin website. In the letter, which was e-mailed  to all city council members, Mike Hartley, a veteran of four decades of working for the City of Joplin, said Rohr has done some good things, but “I have seen his temper, his arrogance and demeaning attitude to staff, his unwillingness to listen to reasonable reasons in lieu of how it affects “his career”, his agenda, and an ego that seems to have no end.”

The text of Hartley’s letter is printed below:

Gentlemen/Ladies of Joplin City Council,

The following is merely an observation mixed with my opinion and a small amount of emotion. There is no malice intended and there is no recommended action requested, but I am compelled to speak out because of a loyalty to my Public Works Department.

Most of you, as honorable Council members do not know me.

My name is Mike Hartley. I am 62 years old. I was born here in Joplin, raised here in Joplin and have lived here my entire life. I have been employed with the City of Joplin for nearly 40 years and I am a few weeks from retirement. All of my years here have been spent in the Public Works department, from pounding street signs in the cold frozen ground with a ten pound sledge hammer, or running a jack hammer all day in 100º heat, painting parking stalls in the wee hours of the night, to currently and for the last 31 years, working out of the Engineering department as an infrastructure designer and project inspector.

What was to be a summer job for me during my college years, has been a great career serving this community as one of the many silent Public Works ambassadors, paid for, in large part, by the people we serve.

I have seen many rule changes. I have worked under many supervisors. I have worked at the direction of many City Managers and I have bowed to the whims and leadership of many City Council bodies.

 Some of the rules changes have been insignificant or redundant, but most have taken the City in a forward direction.

Some of the supervisors had selfish agendas in their management styles, but most had the community’s interest as their motivation.

Some City Managers were very weak or listened to a self ego that ruined all chances of effective leadership, but most have been type A personalities with a true desire to forward a dream of making it possible for this community to grow.

Some of the City Council groups have been full of buffoons and uninformed members, but most have been filled by genuine business men and women with leadership skills and a willingness to make the tough decisions needed to fulfill their duties as stewards of City funding and rules of law…

>>>> …having said that, let me back up for just a moment. The leadership, management, business savvy, and honesty of the upper management team in the Public Works department has been in the best possible condition that I have ever seen it in the years I have been a part of it. They have created the most stable and community friendly department that I have ever witnessed in those years.

The department has been high revenue generating, cost saving in planning and implementation and non-whiners (OK,  for the most part) even in light of having been directed to cut back on budgets and being severely understaffed. “More with less” has been the standard marching order for years at the city. Just pointing out the fact that always gets overlooked, and that is the cost savings and income that is generated from this area.

 And none of these proud accomplishments happened in this department because of anything the city manager did or claims to have done. It all happened, with David’s blessing, and in large part because Jack set the standards high for us and developed an atmosphere of respect and pride in work for the entire staff. That skill set, of fostering respect among co-workers and their desire to be the best, is something you will not see in the CM, nor does he care about. His occasional shallow words at attempted praise always fall on non-respecting ears. Empty words. And placing his puppet of Asst CM to run 4th floor and PW is a joke in our eyes.

I can proudly say that I have served with and stand by my leadership, in my case, on the 4th floor, David Hertzberg, Jack Schaller, Dave Hunt, Dan Johnson, Troy Bollander, Steve Cope and all staff.

 David, Jack and Steve especially since they have been the center of recent allegations against this department. Allegations that, in my opinion and observation, were deliberately and with a substantial amount of premeditation, set up and allowed to exist for the sole purpose of serving the agenda and desires of 2nd floor management.

 I do not claim to know every detail about personnel matters within the City, but I know what I see and hear daily, and none of the allegations against these gentlemen is in bright light, the truth. Just a means to an end.

 And no one in this department appreciates the negative press received since the manager’s decision to re-arrange his “team”. This department deserves much better than the press we have received. This department has in two weeks, gone from being a strong, revenue producing department to being the weakest and most demoralized I have seen in my 40 years. I am ashamed of the decisions made by second floor, and the lack of backbone from others who could have stepped up in opposition…<<<<

 Now, back to my “I’ve seen” list.

Since this conversation could wrap itself entirely around the 2011 tornado and recovery, I do not want it considered in any of the thoughts provoked here. That event, while huge in the history of Joplin, is still a minor part of what this body of people is about and their purpose.

The current manager falls somewhere in the middle of the past managers description above. I have seen this manager do some good things within this community, no doubt and I give him credit for that. He does put in long hours and stays engaged in community. He may have a genuine desire to be an asset to this community, I don’t know his heart, but what I SEE from day to day tells me otherwise. I have seen his temper, his arrogance and demeaning attitude to staff, his unwillingness to listen to reasonable reasons in lieu of how it affects “his career”, his agenda, and an ego that seems to have no end.

I was angered Friday morning when I read that the manager was allowed to “skate” on his non-approval from Council because of in his words, a lack of dialogue for direction and expectations.

 And some members of Council by concerns for “political correctness” bought into that notion and lost the ability to make a tough decision.

Was Jack given a dialog prior to a two day unpaid suspension for merely informing a new hire of expected duties and time commitments? NO. Was David given a dialog of expectations prior to being demoted. NOT LIKELY. Was Steve given any benefit of the doubt or dialog when funding from ten years prior became known to be uncollected. NO.

And how does something like that go un-noticed by Finance AND the manager for ten years? Doesn’t matter I guess…let’s just blame and get rid of the current department leadership, no matter the amount of extra revenue and savings they brought to the City operating funds.

Why does the manager get that consideration? Because the current Council falls somewhere in the middle of the observed past groups described above. You can search your own heart and figure out where you are in that description.

 Myself, I am sick and tired of the monster that has grown from political correctness and government subsidies… the overwhelming sense of “Oh My God we must above all else and good common sense, provide the appearance of fairness and equal treatment, the fear of making someone else uncomfortable” and the absolute nonsense decisions that have grown like cancers from that. Political correctness only serves itself and those that allow it to help their own agenda in life. Why is this country so screwed up today? In large part to political correctness and so many communities sucking on the government funding tit. And this community’s leadership has allowed itself to fall into that same trap, all the while thinking and/or pretending they have accomplished something good when in reality they have only made the community beholdin’ to the powers in Jeff City and DC.

 I have much more on my mind, but prudence and respect for your time compels me to close.

 I am hopeful that I have not overstepped my boundary by too much in any of the preceding statements. I am merely using my right as a citizen of this community, with the added responsibility of also being an employee of the community, and the right of free speech to share an opinion with Council.

 I am not advocating any action nor do I expect any response. In fact, I wonder how many will even still be reading at this point.

 I am only stating my allegiance to the City of Joplin community, to David Hertzberg as my Public Works Director, Jack Schaller as my Asst. Public Works Director, Steve Cope as head of Building Dept and all the Public Works staff and supervisors.

 Sincerely and with complete respect,

Mike Hartley

Engineering Dept

City of Joplin