HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-08-20 Public Comment - P. Asmuth - Commission meeting public commentFrom:Peter Asmuth
To:Agenda
Subject:Commission meeting public comment
Date:Tuesday, September 8, 2020 6:54:55 PM
The allegations of former city manager Andrea Surratt and the supporting documents released
last week disturbed me, and they should disturb anybody who has ever had a toxic,
micromanaging supervisor.
A worker should never have to tolerate their supervisor “unexpectedly and somewhat
aggressively” swinging their chair around to face them, and then proceed to get into a heated
discussion. That is toxic and abusive. A worker should not have to consider resigning because
their supervisor feels it necessary to verbally harass them in public. This is behavior that makes a
workplace unhealthy.
On top of that, Mayor Mehl does not seem to understand the role he was elected to. According to
section 2.03 of the Bozeman City Charter, the mayor “shall have no administrative duties and
shall not interfere with the administration of the city.” This principle was reaffirmed when the
commission voted to adopt norms for how elected officials should interact with city employees.
Mayor Mehl repeatedly flouted these norms and went around the city manager to interfere with
various projects around the city. Public service is thankless enough without the added stress of a
rogue city commissioner meddling in day to day operations.
Our elected officials should lead by example when it comes to treating others with respect, and I
do not want to live in a city where this kind of behavior is tolerated. The City Commission should
conduct an investigation of his behavior. If these allegations are true, Mayor Mehl should resign. If
he chooses not to resign, the commission should vote on his removal based on the results of their
investigation.
-- -Peter Asmuth2720 Sartain Street, 304Bozeman, MT, 59718