John Willoughby
reporter2@greenepublishing.com
Despite successfully obtaining numerous grants that have rapidly accelerated economic development growth in the Town of Greenville, Town Manager Edward Dean was chastised by the Greenville Town Council at a recent meeting over his flexible schedule. Dean walked away from the Thursday, June 4, special session with newly set office hours after a heated debate and a motion that Dean called sabotage.
Toward the end of the special session, Mayor Brittni Brown began addressing and reaffirming the duties and responsibilities of charter officers, including interim town clerk Lee Jones and town attorney John Reid. In a previous meeting, she brought up concerns about Dean's impending position with the Madison County Board of County Commissioners, beginning Wednesday, July 1, as a grant consultant. Mayor Brown stated she felt there could be a potential conflict of interest, and wanted to clarify confusion regarding the hours Dean is responsible to work.
Dean stated he would hand over a portfolio that includes the advertisement he responded to when applying for his current position. However, Dean stated he felt the conversation at hand was "demoralizing," adding that he's "pretty much on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
"You saw that email I sent y'all this morning about the grocery store. That project was conceived in my living room," said Dean, later adding "usually when you bring up those issues … usually it's because there's something underlying behind those issues that are driving [that] question."
"It's disappointing to think we have to go through this; that this is even an issue. The performance and the production – it's there in spades … I wish you had a greater appreciation for those [multiple economic development projects]. I don't get the sense, and I've never gotten the sense, that the board really understands what is actually being delivered."
Mayor Brown revisited Dean's comment about an underlying motive, stating that Dean has a "very difficult time getting deliverables," reports and other communications. "I have countless calls, text messages, voicemails, emails that I have never, [until] this day, received a response from you … It's kind of hard for us to appreciate something we don't know about." Mayor Brown added she would like to see more consistency related to communication.
"Before this particular board was seated, the board said we're pretty much pleased with the progress, the economic development and the things that have been going on. So don't make it where Dean is all of a sudden not doing something because he's unresponsive," Dean replied. " …Usually, my problems begin and end with you … There's going to be a bare transition to adjust to a new board, to a new set of expectations, but don't make it seem as though, because for the most part, other than you and this board now coming with this, I pretty much thought that I had a pretty good rapport and that I was doing a pretty good job."
"I've been on this board since March 2019, so this is not new. So the things that I'm speaking of pre-date two, three weeks ago," said Mayor Brown.
"Ma'am, you have been trying to chastise me since the first day you were on this board," said Dean, before Mayor Brown stated he was not acknowledged.
The mayor also mentioned a requested list of grants by Interim Clerk Jones the prior week. The mayor continued to mention that Dean informed her he had it, but was unable to connect to the internet to send the documents right away. "What's the reason you haven't sent the information related to the grants? Mr. Jones asked to give the council an idea on where we are with the budget, where we are with our funds. How can he do that without having the information related to the grant projects? So, can you please send information before close of business today?" Mayor Brown asked.
"I can send it today, but I can't send it before [close of business] … it's almost four o'clock," Dean added.
Mayor Brown then passed the gavel to Councilman Malone, who is the vice mayor of Greenville. Mayor Brown made a motion that Dean, by the close of business day (5 p.m.), send requested information to interim town clerk as requested, which was to include a list of all grant projects the town is currently involved with, their primary contacts and any related information. Mayor Brown claimed that Dean had the information already in his email.
"I am not in a position to even send it to him," Dean continued. The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Brandi Tillman and passed unanimously. "The board has systemically kind of sabotaged me," said Dean. "Because I am not physically in a position where I can actually email him before 5 p.m. I'm actually not even in Greenville. I can't deliver that document – it's 3:49 p.m. – the close of business is in an hour and ten minutes."
Discussion ensued among the board, which ended in setting hours for Dean to work for the Town of Greenville. "I think it's, for lack of words, ridiculous to have to make a motion to instruct someone who's taken a job [he's] being paid for, to do that job," Councilman Malone stated. "I would like to ask the town manager if he would commit to some normality of business hours at this office so people can access him."
The board approved the hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Dean to work, 4-1, with councilman Burnett casting the dissenting vote.
During talk of expectations of the interim town clerk, Mayor Brown stated that Jones has been in the office about twice per week since his beginning; working remotely with access to town systems from his Jacksonville location. A citizen commented, asking why the town manager is set to be in town hall daily, but not Jones. "Our town attorney works remotely. He comes to our meetings. He gets his job done without physically having to be here every day …" said Mayor Brown. "Mr. Dean has been working remotely and has not been here, almost three years, physically. Honestly, the only reason we're having to put these types of parameters in place now is because he's failed to do the things that we've asked him to do so now we've got to pin him down and have him stuck in city hall to do that. [Mr. Jones] is not working part time. He's not only working two days a week. He's working everyday, but physically, he won’t be here in the office everyday."
The next regular session for the Greenville Town Council will be held on Tuesday, July 7, at 6 p.m. The council is pursuing locations to welcome the public back to the meetings after holding meetings via Zoom during the months of May and June. More information will be provided to the public once it is made available to Greene Publishing, Inc.