The Barnstable Patriot is reporting that "strong man" Town Manager John Klimm will leave office by the end of September.
See: Council votes to part ways with Klimm
Demtetrius Atsalis pulled his two votes from the council voting last night opening the door for a 6 to 5 vote for an agreement that "there is no cause for discipline, suspension, removal or termination of the Town Manager at the time of this agreement..."
The agreement will cost taxpayers $250,000.
This is a small price to pay for a new future for Barnstable.
18 comments:
from the patriot: Voting to offer Klimm an agreement that would replace his contract employing him through June 30, 2015 were councilors Hank Farnham, Greg Milne, Jim Munafo, Jr., Norman, Canedy and Crocker. In opposition were councilors Rick Barry, Debra Dagwan, Tom Rugo Barton and Chirigotis. Councilors Janet Joakim and James Tinsley did not attend the meeting.
Any insights into what happened last night would be appreciated. While Tinsley and Joakim apparently had "solid" excuses for absence( family affair, medical procedure), there was a time when they would have been present hooked up to a heart-lung machine. To some extent Klimm seems to have assented to his demise. While a regime change is long overdue, this returns the town to a business clique which had its own dominance for years. Look for the new masters to operate in the same closed manner they deplored as a minority. The new town manager will be chosen on the basis of total submission to a handful of councilors. The dismantling of Growth Management would be a positive outcome. Unfortunately, the direction of development will go back to a few kitchen tables in Osterville, West Barnstable, etc.
If I had to guess - and I am - I'd say the straw which broke the camel's back was a decision by the business community that development restrictions placed on them by the Planning Board were too onerous to bear in the current economy. That, and an accumulation of grudges and hard feelings...Klimm was fired for all the wrong reasons, but there is reason to beleive that it will be best for the town.
I heard a lot of talk from Atsalis supports last week that Barnstable needed a new "vision." That's when I figured Klimm had lost his majority. Joakim's and Tinsley's withdrawal was pre-arranged.
<span>I heard a lot of talk from Atsalis supports last week that Barnstable needed a new "vision." That's when I figured Klimm had lost his majority. Joakim's and Tinsley's withdrawal was pre-arranged. I also heard today that Klimm is just buying time and plans to be "re-hired" after the November elections. This I think is wishful thinking. Klimm has said that he doesn't want to "govern" without at least 9 votes in support of his policies. I don't think the next election will bear this fruit.
</span>
<span><span>I heard a lot of talk from Atsalis supporters last week that Barnstable needed a new "vision." That's when I figured Klimm had lost his majority. Joakim's and Tinsley's withdrawal was pre-arranged. </span></span>
<span><span>I also heard today that Klimm is just buying time and plans to be "re-hired" after the November elections. This I think is wishful thinking. Klimm has said that he doesn't want to "govern" without at least 9 votes in support of his policies. I don't think the next election will bear this fruit.
</span></span>
A Krau in P.3 would be a Klimm vote. A mainstream candidate in P.7 like Grassetti would probably continue the Barry record and be a reliable Klimm vote. Cronin in P9 would not be a Klimm vote. Cullum in P13 would be a Klimm vote. Thus far, a net gain of one for Klimm. A concerted push against Canedy, Crocker, and Farnham would be required to get to nine. As you say, long odds. Can't wait to see the character brought in for the corner office. By the way, expect to never hear the name Grissom mentioned again. His story has served its purpose.
I don't think Krau will run without Klimm in the corner office. She's carried his water for too long. Cullum might not run either. I don't think she's even pulled papers. Don't be surprised if Atsalis interviews for the job of Town Manager.
Laura Reckford is working double over-time trying to spin this story;
http://www.capenews.net/communities/barnstable/news/1166
http://www.capenews.net/communities/barnstable/news/1164
For a newspaper which doesn't usually publish anything to the web, it is somewhat unual that they've posted two stories in the last hour.
Here's the final word fr omthe desk of Klimm:
At the Thursday Town Council meeting, the Council supported a change in my contract to have me leave this position on September 30th. I knew from the day I took the job of Town Manager there was a limit to my tenure. I have enjoyed the last twelve years as your Town Manager serving in the very town in which I was born and raised. I do not know how to thank a staff that is second to none or so many of you who continue to volunteer your time and energy to Barnstable. I am proud of Barnstable and all that has been accomplished over the years. I remain confident that our town employees and our residents will continue to push forward and accomplish great things in the years to come.
http://www.town.barnstable.ma.us/TownManager/DeskofTM/Default.aspx?filename=FridayJune242011.html&email=true
<span>"This is a small price to pay for a new future for Barnstable."</span>
The $250,000 to Klimm is only part of the money involved there will also be between $500,000 and $600,000 paid to Klimm's replacement who will get a minimum of a 3-5 year first contract.
If John Klimm loves Hyannis as much as he claims, he should donate this money to the local food bank. They need the money. Klimm has taken more than his share.
We kept Bob Smith around for life, because he had lightning fast synapses and knew every person and every place in this town.
Klimm is the next best thing we've had since Smith. He grew up here, knows all the players, and regardless of what dorky councilors are saying, he has really good communication skills.
A guy with one thirteenth of the responsibility for ruling over town matters needs the guy who grew up here and actually has a vision for the future of his hometown.
Klimm is not an evil guy, and giving him the boot at a time when so many leaders are retiring from their positions all over town is just plain stupid. They had no cause to do it. Crocker is a coward for not giving reasons, since he led the pack. We don't have anyone even remotely qualified to replace Klimm. I'd rather see the whole town council up and quit than lose the guy who kept this place floating thru some very rough waters. F'n idiots. All of them.
The real heart of this story is why were Tinsley and Joakim really absent. Any convenient standard excuses just won't fly. If they were following the instructions of Atsalis, expect some goodies going to him from the new regime.
I have no idea why Tinsley was not there, but Janet Joakim was in Boston for medical treatment. This the primary reason why Jan Barton tried to postpone the vote to 7/14
This is politics just like when a bunch of barnstable voters got over 3000 signatures to have a mayor form of government, our barnstable town leaders stacked the deck by having their own good ole boy buddies run for the committee. This committee voted down to have a mayor form of government. This is Politics! If John Klimm was voted in as MAYOR of Barnstable, he would be working.
I have watched channel 18 today, you can tell Len Globiel and the others are scared that they will lose their $100,000,00 yearly job.
John Klimm in my eyes, has not done a good job! He stuffed the sewering down the throats of those who live in stewarets creek for no reason. He has failed to get a Yes vote for any and all 2.5 overrides he has had the voters vote for. Look at the KMart Plaza the town owns this plaza,
but another company collects the 10-Million Dollars of lease revenue from this plaza. Barnstable does not get a dime of this 10-Million lease Dollars. I could go on and on about John Klimm.
If you try to bring John Klimm back as town manager, you will do more damage to this town.
John should just walk away, and move on.
Coming home from workon the radio , John Klimm said some of the town council has not been in favor of him, since the november elections.
Jason is right, it is not for the best interest of the town of barnstable for John Klimm to stay as the town manager.
If John Klimm decides to stay, he will not get anything done and the next 4 plus years of him as town manager will be Lame Duck years. What Jason did not mention was John Klimm spending ELEVEN MILLION DOLLARS of the taxpayers money for a water company only worth between 3 or 4 million dollars.
right...it's not her fault. we get it.
Post a Comment