city

[confused resident]

can someone tell me why the human resource potition is still active , after the city commission has disolved that potition? dosent the commission have any say in the running of this city? seems like if that job is no more that person in that potition should be gone. instead he is still there, drawing his big salary, wasnt the pourpose of eleminateing that job to save money?, dont think its working.

[rock star]

The position has been disolved but doesnt end until the end of the month so as of dec. 1st he will no longer have that position. It was made this way as part of his severence package. Who knows what they will let him do after this month they have a way of doing what they want and not whats good for the city!

[One In An Opinion]

Why does he have a severance package?

Unless you have an employment contract that states it, no other city employee is given a severance package. I bet the human resource direct didn't offer a severance package to those city employees he laid off or recommended to eliminate their positions.

[confused resident]

I didnt know what the deal was, its got to be kinda hard for the former emplyees that got laid off to take, they were ended immediately, and he is hanging around for months.
dosent seem like all city employees are treated equal does it?.
I guess its just more of the good ol boy system at its best.
I personally dont think it shows much respect for those who lost their jobs, or even to those who still work for the "fort scott company".

[rock star]

Im guessing it was a pat on the back type of thing since "hes done such a good job"! Its all in who you are or who you know thats way its always been and always will be. I know its bad to loose your job no matter who you are but you really need to prove yourself as an employee if you truely want to stay long term no matter what it is. Maybe im just old fashioned but thats how i was raised you have to work for what you want not get handed everything and if you are a hard worker it will give you a good name not oh that person we dont want them here. By the way what has he done thats been so grand?

[fsnative]

Maybe it's the fact that the city has not been sued by any employee for the sixteen years he's been there. Or maybe the fact that it seems his evaluations have been very good for all of those years by different managers. I think everyone should know the facts better and how important that position is to the city.

[proudfsresident]

I agree. This is a very needed position. There seems to be a general dislike of management on this site. Well if we didn't have the managers how would things work than? I guess just let the employees decide what needs to be done? I know several of the citys workers. Though nice guys the majority would spend 7 hours of an 8 hour day drinking coffee, or stronger beverages. This is just a populist decision my the city comm. Not what is best for the city in the long run.

[hold on]

why is the potition that the city commission ordered deleted is still going, and why the person in that potition is still working if the commission orded that job done away with?, I never thought this would lead to the man, but if you want to go that way lets. what had mr johnson done?, he has been in a potition of atthority for a good many years, lets look at his quifiacations shall we, he as I understand has a collage degree, thats good right?, but will someone tell me if this is such an important potition to have why is it that the man who holds that potition has his collage degree in cosmotology?, when did that get to be so important in being a human resource director?, maybe you folks who support him need to really check the facts before you open up this can of worms, I personally couldnt believe if its so important you wouldnt have someone who has a business degree instead of this.
but the rumor around town is mr ellis isnt going to let the city fire mr johnson anyway, and so far it looks like the rumors are correct.
but i guess if haveing someone up on the latest hair sytle is whats best for the city , the city is on the right track.

[alum90]

I heard the ellis rumor too.Danny wont let the city get rid of him,guess we know who runs the show.

[fsnative]

I cannot believe that some of you actually believe Mr. Ellis or any other private citizen pulls the strings like that. As far as the degree Mr. Johnson has this is the first time I have ever heard in be in cosmotology. He went to Pitt.State and received his degree there. He was a Human Resource Director for Midwestern Truck Lines for several years and for the city for the last sixteen. I agree you need to have your facts in order.

[fslifetimer]

If you live in Missouri, why are you so concerned with us in Fort Scott? I can't believe anyone would wish another person be without a job in these times. His wife is an extremely hard worker and a good person.(I do beleive she is the one with the cosmetology background along with his mother, who recently passed away.) Everyone just needs to mind their own business and stay out of others!!

[alum]

and what the heck is all this "potition" stuff? maybe you should use this extra time you've taken to bash certain members of the community and go get an education yourself! don't worry about what degree anyone else has. you need to be able to pass elementary school!

[HereThereEverywh ere]

If every nice guy/gal still had their job, would unemployment be so high. Yes, I wondered if his job would be saved by one of those elite in town. proudfsresident: How proud can you be of a city and its people, which after all is what any city is really about, when you make a comment like this: "Though nice guys the majority would spend 7 hours of an 8 hour day drinking coffee, or stronger beverages." - Says a lot about Fort Scott and its citizens doesn't it. I think you are wrong about the City employees and maybe you are just reflecting the kind of behavior that you would or do exhibit without supervision. This is a decision based on economics, the city commission continued to spend more money than they were taking in and I stress, not the city employees who follow the direction of the city commission - do some of you people not even understand how the local government works? The ones to blame for the problems, job cuts, etc. is not the city employees but the city commission and YOU voted them in when you were being a responsible citizen and actually looking at the candidates to see who could best represent your interests - didn't vote, well crawl back under the rock you were under while the rest of us were selecting and voting for commissioners.

[fscitizen]

"Maybe it's the fact that the city has not been sued by any employee for the sixteen years he's been there. Or maybe the fact that it seems his evaluations have been very good for all of those years by different managers. I think everyone should know the facts better and how important that position is to the city. "

by different managers i assume you mean the only manager he had for his entire stay in that position up until the last two years, richard nienstedt, who also happened to be one of his best friends and i believe was the one that hired him into that position to begin with?

[proudfsresident]

I make no comment as to Mr. Johnson. I have never met the man so there for have no clue as to his abilities. My gripe is with the commision making a knee jerk reation to eliminate this position. Look at any town or company with a work force of our size and they will have a full time H R person. In a time of economic need a company or township gets rid of the extras, like the extra guy that mows the grass or fills potholes. Not someone that is needed to keep the workforce that is left running smoothly.

[wrkn hrd r hrdly wrkn]

So your idea to save money would be to cut the $8/hr guy and leave the 70k+ a year guy? the job tasks at the top can be absorbed just like they can at the bottom, with a whole lot more savings...

[get on something new]

Just because the tribune stated that Mr. Nienstedt hired him doesn't make it true. Mr. Nienstedt started with the city AFTER Mr. Johnson. Go look up employment dates, they don't lie.

[Pedro]

proudfsresident wrote:

I make no comment as to Mr. Johnson. I have never met the man so there for have no clue as to his abilities. My gripe is with the commision making a knee jerk reation to eliminate this position. Look at any town or company with a work force of our size and they will have a full time H R person. In a time of economic need a company or township gets rid of the extras, like the extra guy that mows the grass or fills potholes. Not someone that is needed to keep the workforce that is left running smoothly.

What exactly does Mr. Johnson do that can't be absorbed by any number of other "managers" the city has? The city is top heavy with executives, one less hurts no one. The way you speak with comments such as "knee jerk reaction" etc, makes me think you are Nick Graham, Ms. Sudoku Woods or some other clueless city "leader".

[proudfsresident]

Pedro, first off I have no part of the leadership of this city. I apparently just seem to understand how to run a work force unlike several on this site. But that said, you always think you have better ideas than everyone else on here, what are your great qualifications?

[Pedro]

proudfsresident wrote:

Pedro, first off I have no part of the leadership of this city. I apparently just seem to understand how to run a work force unlike several on this site. But that said, you always think you have better ideas than everyone else on here, what are your great qualifications?

I don't claim to have any qualifications besides an extremely high supply of common sense. You don't understand the concept of a company absorbing the responsibilities of a member of management? Companies do it all the time. The city can afford to eliminate one of the "chiefs", they just can't afford to eliminate any of the "indians". Give the city manager a salary cut to the same as the previous one and save $20k a year right off the bat.