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Hernando Today

City Manager Up For Eval

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By TONY MARRERO

Hernando Today

Published: July 17, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - It's time to tell City Manager Jennene Norman-Vacha how she's doing.

Norman-Vacha, who started June 7 of last year, is up for an evaluation. The city council is slated to review the evaluation form at its next regular meeting slated for 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 201 N. Howell Ave.
Assistant City Attorney Jennifer Rey drew up the form based on samples from the Florida League of Cities and the description of the manager's duties in the city charter.

Norman-Vacha will be graded in such areas as fiscal management, oversight of the city employees and assets, communication with council members, management style and community and intergovernmental relations.

The council also will be asked to provide input on whether Norman-Vacha is meeting goals set for the city, her strengths and areas to improve.

Council members praised Norman-Vacha in December, when they voted to approve a $5,000 raise at the end of her six-month probationary period. The provision for the raise was built into Norman-Vacha's contract. The increase brought her annual salary to $85,000.

Her predecessor, Dick Anderson, never had a formal evaluation during his 11-year tenure with the city. Mayor David Pugh Jr. has maintained that was one of the contributing factors to his ouster. The council never had a formal way to apprise him of his performance.

The city manager, though a contracted employee, should be evaluated like any other city worker and kept abreast of how the council perceives her performance, he said.

Pugh and Vice-Mayor Frankie Burnett hesitated to go into too much detail when asked about their impression of Norman-Vacha's performance, saying they preferred to wait for the evaluation.

They agreed that Norman-Vacha has played a key role in improving Brooksville's operations in the last year, especially after a rocky period set off by an ugly feud between the council and Police Chief Ed Tincher, who eventually resigned.

"I think the city has turned a corner and is on the right path," Pugh said. "I've heard that from many citizens who have said they like the direction the city is going in. There's more accountability and professionalism."

Norman-Vacha has fit in well as part of a larger effort, Burnett said.

"I think what contributes to that is not just the city manger but also the staff to carry out the mission and the council members that kind of work as a team," Burnett said.

Norman-Vacha served as deputy administrator for Hernando County from 1992-97. After that, she owned and operated a human resources consulting firm. Part of her contract with the city allows her to have a limited role in running the firm.

She did not return a call seeking comment Wednesday.

Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 or lmarrero@hernandotoday.com.

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