Five Way Stop

 I lived and served as an active community member in the city of Atlantic Beach for almost 30 years. I became involved in things that involved city hall, although since October, I have become a resident of Riverside.  However, I watched the proceedings with great interest before and during the most recent meetings which focused on the removal of the current city manager and attorney.  Additionally I received lots of forwarded emails generated by a developer in Atlantic Beach very opposed to the removal of these key staff. In fact this individual even went so far as to threaten a recall of all commissioner who voted for the removal!  

There was a lot of posturing, anger and finger pointing.  It got quite nasty in fact.  However the commissioners and most notably the mayor stuck to their guns (so to speak) and calmly with deliberation and a chance for all sides to air their thoughts, fired Jim Hanson and Alan Jensen.  I never thought at any time that this was a personal vendetta or retribution for former grievances rather that the ongoing issues reflected the power struggle that these two staff engaged in. JIm Hanson had an obvious agenda and quiet but palpable hostility to not only the mayor and commissioners who disagreed with him, but with the public as well.  Mr Hanson was not a friend to Atlantic Beach and instead I saw him as an outsider who successfully asserted his will (my way or the highway as one person put it) and created city hall and his job as his personal fiefdom.  Mr Jensen appeared too embedded in business as usual- he had obvious contempt for the mayor in the previous years and there was no way to have him sit there and effectively assist the new commission.  The marriage had soured and there was no repair.  Nor should there be!  

I look forward, as a bystander, to see the city move forward making progress in preserving, serving and leading the community which is a gem in many ways and my former home.