Dale Martin
City Manager
Fernandina Beach
February 10, 2017 1:00 a.m.
In many ways similar to the town in Connecticut that I served prior to Fernandina Beach, I am somewhat physically isolated from my professional peers. Other than Nassau County’s Mr. Ted Selby and Ms. Shanea Jones, I have had no opportunity to interact with other active managers. Several retired managers live in our area, but their “wounds” have healed, so it is comforting to commiserate once in a while with others still serving.
Last week provided my first significant opportunity to meet fellow managers at the Florida City and County Managers Association (FCCMA) Winter Institute. The conference is an annual two-day gathering of insightful stories, interesting experiences, and illustrative training. Plenty of time is also spent simply networking and, in the case of others more tenured in Florida, catching up with old friends.
The training of the first day was led by other managers. Those managers shared stories of how they, their elected officials and staff, and their community responded when events thrust the community into the headlines.
In one community, a person was shot and killed by a police officer. The manager described how he was notified and shared the information with the elected officials. The police chief shared the details of the events leading to the incident and how the subsequent investigation proceeded. The public information officer detailed how the city responded to the onslaught of media attention, from both professional media sources as well as casual social media sites.
The most significant frustration of the city officials in working with media outlets was the apparent overwhelming effort of the media to be first with a story, not necessarily right with the story. City communication efforts were constrained by law enforcement and legal guidance that no comments could be made due to the ongoing investigation (which was being conducted by an external agency) and pending litigation.
Eventually, the officer was released and subsequently arrested (and is currently awaiting trial). The family of the victim has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against both the city and the former officer. The community has used this event as a catalyst for enhanced police training, policy review, and community outreach.
Another Florida city manager and police chief also described a series of events that roiled its police department, which eventually resulted in not only the arrest of a police officer, but also the suicide of another police officer. Both the city manager, hired from outside the community, and the police chief, who had risen through the local ranks, has been with the community for less than three years. The chief was scrutinized and challenge for his lack of awareness of the issue during his service prior to being appointed as chief. As with the first community described, city officials struggled with media coverage that, in their opinion, sought to maximize readership over accuracy.
The challenge common to both of those communities, as well as many others, is dealing with the media. I have always worked to build extensive relationships with the media in each of the communities that I have served. I believe that I have a good relationship with the local media here in Fernandina Beach- their perspective may be different, but I believe that I respond timely and appropriately to questions related to matters upon which I am experienced and knowledgeable to speak. If I believe that others may have better insight, I will direct inquiries to those people. I strongly contend that despite the impulsive appeal of social media news, it is the professional news organizations that provide the best information.
Those close media relationships rarely exist with state or national media. Those reporters or agencies typically whirl in and whirl out, leaving little time (or making little effort) to gather sufficient background. When the finance director in my previous Connecticut community was fired, arrested, and convicted for stealing millions of dollars from the town, I had to routinely provide a press briefing with a bank of a dozen or so microphones before me. I received scores of text messages from reporters and organizations both familiar and unfamiliar, every one of them demanding an answer now. It was during those chaotic times that I truly valued my relationships with the local media- we could retreat to places comfortable to both of us and have a common perspective on how the event was transforming the community over the long term rather than simply the one-hour news cycle.
The most wonderful lesson from the Winter Institute was the realization that Fernandina Beach has not been beset by horrendous or scandalous issues. The members of the community may have different views on several local topics, but bringing those views forward for discussion is what builds a community. I’d rather struggle (and succeed) with that effort than stagger under the public embarrassment of the city.