‘Rampant disrespect’: Gig Harbor council worried after latest of 20 key employees leaves

Consternation over the abrupt resignation of the City of Gig Harbor’s parks manager has led to something of a revolt among city staff and council members unhappy with the city’s recent history of turnover.

“I am truly frustrated and stymied at why our city keeps losing our talented employees,” said Council Member Le Rodenberg during a council meeting Monday.

Nicole Jones-Vogel resigned last week after a year as parks manager. She is the latest of more than 20 employees, many of them supervisors, department heads or longtime city workers, who have left the city since the election of Mayor Kit Kuhn.

“I’m shocked and really upset,” said Council Member Tracie Markley last week. “She was a tremendous employee, and another in a whole string of major employees we have lost in the last couple of years, and I really need to know why this is happening.”

In his remarks to council Monday, Rodenberg said, “From everything I have seen and have been told, Nicole did an exemplary job in her short tenure with the city. She has been involved in trying to bring to fruition several major city projects that had been in the works for years yet kept getting stalled. I am very sorry to see her leave.”

But, he added, “Nicole is just the latest of way too many talented employees, many of them in senior positions, who have left Gig Harbor City employment in the last couple of years.”

Resignations, retirements

Among those who have resigned were the previous administrator, Wade Ferris; the former planning director, Jennifer Kester; her chief planner, Lindsey Sehmel; and the city engineer for 19 years, Steve Misiurak. Greg Foote, the city’s operation manager, took retirement after 32 years. The latest to leave, Kay Johnson, the city’s information technology manager, retired earlier this year.

Rodenberg suggested that the council hire a consultant to survey staff morale, and — unusually — that the consultant report directly to the council, not to the city administration.

“For reasons I will not express at this time, the survey vendor should be chosen by and originate with this committee,” Rodenberg said. “The data should be analyzed by the committee and most importantly the recommendations on improvements should be made by this committee without any participation of city administration.”

Rodenberg balked at a suggestion from Kuhn that he first consult with city administrator Bob Larson and Human Resources director Kamiel Borders, because, he said, there were indications from employees that “they may be part of the problem.”

The council agreed to put the suggestion on the agenda for the Aug. 10 meeting and solicit public comments.

How did we get here?

People who are familiar with the situation say Jones-Vogel resigned after numerous run-ins with Kuhn.

Kuhn declined to comment directly, saying he couldn’t talk about personnel matters. But he added, “I truly wish Nicole all the best moving forward in her future endeavors.”

“She brought many good qualities to our city and helped work through tough situations with various projects that are dear to peoples heart,” he said in a statement, adding. “Nicole did a fantastic job at balancing everyone’s view and thoughts. I was impressed watching her work. She made sure everyone felt heard. I found her very professional. Again, I wish her the best.”

A retired jeweler, Kuhn was elected in 2016 on a platform of controlling the city’s exploding growth. It was a popular issue, and Kuhn won by a 70 percent majority. Since then, he has presided over well-received planning changes, including a housing moratorium, that sought to rein in what many saw as runaway development. He runs a taut City Council meeting and is well-regarded by some members.

“He’s very passionate about the city, and he really cares about it,” City Council member Robyn Denson said earlier this year.

In his third year in office, Kuhn is on his third city administrator, his third personal assistant, his third tourism director and his second planning director.

When Rodenberg spoke at council on Monday, he hinted that the turnover in staff could be a result of a hostile environment.

“I personally have been hearing of disturbing accounts of intimidation, ideas being stifled, rampant disrespect, continued bullying, and more than one individual being put on official employee improvement plans without any cause other than retaliation,” he said. “Are these things all true? I am not sure, but we certainly need to find out.”

Seen as facilitator

Jones-Vogel had been parks manager since May 2019, coming from Alaska, where she was land manager for the Municipality of Anchorage. A graduate of Western Washington University in environmental studies, she earned a master’s degree in public administration for the University of Alaska. She is a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners.

She was involved right up to the end in a flurry of park projects, including the long-running process of negotiating a deal for a kayak dock at Ancich Waterfront Park. In fact, she gave a presentation to City Council on Monday on her last project, a redesigned play area at Veterans’ Memorial Park, which she had invited schoolchildren to help plan.

Afterwards, Kuhn was effusive in praise, crediting her also for her work on the Fishermen’s Homeport study, rehabilitation of the Eddon Boatyard brick house, getting state funding for the proposed city sports complex and installing the much-loved “musical flowers” at Shaw Park.

Jones-Vogel was described by colleagues as a facilitator who tried to craft consensus among the many conflicting interest groups with a stake in the city’s parks.

“She was very process-oriented, and very methodical and data driven, and was very intent on making sure we heard every voice from every stakeholder,” Denson said last week. “Nicole never voiced any kind of personal agenda. Instead, she was focused on, ‘What does the community want and how to we get there?’”

But the process was difficult.

Rodenberg, speaking to the council Monday, said that as a former factory manager, “I pride myself in knowing the difference between a disgruntled employee and one that has a legitimate grievance and has nowhere to turn.”

He said poor employee morale is wasteful and can cost money in lost time, union grievances, worker compensation claims and potential suits claiming a hostile work environment. Skilled staff members who resign are difficult to replace, he added, and recruiting costs time and money.

Both the mayor and city administrator Bob Larson raised objections to the survey idea, raising concerns about liability if employees were somehow identified. Council Member Bob Himes said he shared those concerns, and added that any committee formed should be “bound to confidentiality.”

“I would be very irritated if, before the council got the results, I read something in The Gateway,” he said.

This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 12:00 AM.