HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022 02 21 Open Letter to Mayor McCann and the Winter Springs City Commission (Boyle Resignation Demand) AN OPEN LETTER TO MAYOR MCCANN AND THE WINTER
SPRINGS CITY COMMISSION
February 19. 2022
Hon. Kevin McCann
Mayor of Winter Springs
1126 E. SR 434
Winter Springs. Florida 12709
Dear Mayor McCann.
We. the undersigned, tare former elected oflici.ils fear the City oaf Winter Springs and have
served the City for more than 50 years combined. In the very recent past, Winter Springs
was the envy of Seminole County. No more.. Under City Manager Shawn Boyle. the
once glo\ ing reputation enjoyed by Winter Springs has been squandered. Regrettably,
the cure is complex but the unquestioned first move must be to demand Mr. Boyle's
resignation. Failing that. the City Commission must vote to terminate Mr. Boyle.
Mr. Boyle has demonstrated that lie is not up to the task or running the City. Mr. Boyle is
at the heart of the City's water and %yastervater failings. Ile singlehaizdedly forced the
decision to hire Veolia North America and turn over all water mana<*e nent to them. And
he subsequently misled the Commission about the sole source contract offered to Veolia.
The public deserves candor from their leaders. Instead. Mr. (Boyle offers a covcr-up. I--le
scheduled a special meeting can May 20. 2019. to s1c1111 tllreaUgli a sole-source Multi-
million dollar contract to Veolia. Only outragcd public comment swayed the
Commission to chmlge course and engaoc in a competitive biddiiw process. Of course.
potential bidders took note and most chose not to contest the clear inside-track given to
Veolia.
What's disturbing is an on-the-record cxcliange where; this history was distorted for
Public Consumption. Inst year, in an obvious orchestration. Boyle's patron.
Commissioner Kevin Cannon, asked "Did we sole source"? To which Boyle responded.
"No the did not". Not only the public, but recently installed Coni nissioners untamiliar
with the recorded history. were deceived by this disingenuous piece of theater.
The cover-up took on a professional dimension when Mr. Bayle recommended that a
Public Relations firm be hired at a cost of$197.000. Rather than paying lin exorbitant
amount to tell the citizens Reny well the Cin is run, spend that nioney to actuall\ run the
City well. Or give it back to the taxpayers.
The cover-Lip failed miserably when the state. through the Department of Environmental
Protection and St. Johns River Mana(lement District, investigate d the mismanagement of
water treatment 1ahcilities entirely on Mr. Boyle's watch. The City was fined $150,000 and
Mr. Boyle has tried mi, htily to keep this fiolal ]uilalI ie� . ilflitigation efforts may reduce
that or shirt the responsibility to Veolia. but dues that mitigate the malfeasance
demonstrated by Mr. Boyle''
Even prior to the disastrous hiring of Vcoli i by Mr. Boyle, he was at the heart of the
current water problems. The Commission is Conducting an investigation Into why the
Lake Jesup reclaimed water plant is u11der-used. Rather than conducting show trials to
shin blame.they need go no further than holding Mr. Boyle accountable. The strategic
decision to cancel distribution line upgrades was Mr. Boyles. He authored a February
14_ 2011. decision that stopped those upgrades. Yet. while the Commission foolishly
questioned other subsidiar\ players. Mr. Boyle sat in the room and never acknowledged
his own pivotal role. Once again, he failed his Commission and the City residents.
fhrOugh varioLls Seminole County inter-City interactions, Mr. Boyle shames Winter
Springs. He rarely attends meetings of his beers and is known to "body shame" people
inside and outside the City. "Fat" is a common derogatory adjective he has applied to
officials of other cities. to Winter Springs citizens and even family members of the
current Commission.
Morale within City Hall is abysmal. There has been a mass exodus of talent and
institutional knowledge to the detriment of operations. Every single senior staff member
has departed -- in some cases, nnultiple people have been hired and then quickly gene --
since Mr. Boyle became City Manager. He has an inner clique and all other employees
are marginalized. This is exacerbated by his Former assistant who has seen her salary
double in the three years he has been City Manager and she now holds the title of
"Deputy Manager" for which she has no identifiable qualifications,yet Mr. Boyle has
given her a salary exceeding that ofthe Governor of Florida.
We have tried to stand by and allow this Commission to find its way without our
interference. but the travesty of this City Manager cannot continue. If Mr. Boyle will not
do the right thing, by leaving. the Commission must act
Sincerely,
P,i-. wn 9.1c Krebs
1
Ke Gr �
EIh� r rCharles Lacey
an Hovey Cade Resnick