I wrote you a nice reply a little while ago, but it is awaiting moderation.

Best wishes,

Suza

Thank you for your witty and eloquent defense!

Love,

Suza

I almost missed our Comment–read it just now.

You are so right that the position of City Manager is “pretty responsible. It takes a lot of qualification and experience.”

I was aware that “The article linked states that if the position was terminated outside the 90-day window, then Kersnar would be entitled to 9 months of severance.”

My Comment was spontaneous and not well thought out. I was thinking (admittedly unrealistically) that even though he was let go, since he was still being paid, he could put in some more hours. Just to be nice! And it’s possible that the transition process involves some work on his part.

For what it’s worth, I attend almost every single City Council meeting and the ones I miss I watch on video, so I have had a chance to observe Mr. Kersnar over the years. I have regular converstions with people who work with the City. So while I don’t know what tipped the scales, it’s only natural to speculate when information is not provided, as is the case here.

I don’t really understand your other questions so will let those be.

I have one other bone to pick and that is this statement:

“It is not an interchangeable function with loads of candidates who are up to speed in a month or two, like a Jiffy Lube technician, or a yoga instructor.”

I do not know how much training it takes to be a Jiffy Lube technician but it takes on average eight years to become a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher (four years of personal practice and attending classes plus four years of formal teacher training that may include courses by medical doctors, physical therapists, other health professionals, anatomy, physiology, etc) at the Introductory Level. The Intermediate and Advanced certificates take on average ten to twenty years (often much longer).

The old days of getting a yoga teaching certificate over the week-end are fading away. Today’s Registered Yoga Teachers, thanks to National Organizations like Yoga Alliance, have gone through thousands of hours of training for a minimum of four years.

I hope you understand why I might like to point this out!

It is not an interchangeable function with loads of candidates who are up to speed in a month or two, like a Jiffy Lube technician, or a yoga instructor.

The article linked states that if the position was terminated outside the 90-day window, then Kersnar would be entitled to 9 months of severance. How would you expect anybody to make a commitment to this job if a capricious change in the political wind (or City Council opinion of priorities) allowed a termination?

Would you trust the judgment of a City Manager who had to base all their decisions on capricious changes? What if City Council represented a p.o.v. you disagreed with? Would you be ok with the City Manager clearing the way for new development and chain stores?

You don’t even know the reason for Kersnar’s apparent termination. Instead of claiming some kind of omniscience and foresight, how about waiting for information like the rest of us.

Can someone help me figure out why the Council could not give him some work to do until Sept. 6 –since they have to pay him anyway? (And the other question is who would make a contract like this with a new employee?)

Ojai city manager can’t be let go before Sept. 6

Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jul/29/ojai-official-cant-be-let-go-before-sept-6/