A long silence and an unbroken stare set the stage for a tense moment in the final minutes of this week's Sanford City Commission meeting, where Commissioner Sheena Britton took about 30 seconds before speaking out about what she called intimidation in city leadership.
During the city commissioners' reports at the end of the meeting, Commissioner Sheena Britton discussed her concerns about certain interactions with Sanford’s city manager, Norton Bonaporte Jr.
Britton started the last item on her report by asking the commission for 30 seconds of respectful uninterrupted time. “It is so important that we treat others how we would like to be treated,” she said. The commissioner then looked in the direction of Bonaparte for almost half a minute without speaking, the city manager had his head down until she spoke again.
She went on to say, “Staring at someone for an extended amount of time is considered disrespectful. Especially if I have informed that individual that it makes people feel uncomfortable, judged or scrutinized. I feel and have been told that it has been used as an intimidation form of management. I am offended. It is inappropriate behavior. I do not condone it. I’ve witnessed it being done to employees and it has been done to me.”
Britton said that she has serious concerns with employees not being able to comfortably come to the City of Sanford to discuss their issues. She also stated that she has expressed this to Bonaparte in meetings, and has asked the meetings to all be recorded with another employee present.
Britton discussed one incident in which a supervisory abuse complaint involving human resources and the city manager was not dealt with appropriately. She said the process was poorly managed with abrupt recordings and the supervisor in question being aware of the complaint. Lastly, she mentioned that she witnessed a public works meeting in which she thought Bonaparte’s staring after questions were unsettling.
The city manager explained that the look during their meeting was a part of their natural dialogue. “Commissioner, we were in a meeting and you were talking, and then you became quiet and I was looking at you,” said Bonaparte.
“Did it require for you to stare at me that long? Because we had talked plenty of times before that. You do that in my opinion as an intimidation. There is a difference between pausing and waiting for me to finish. I put my head down as well to let you know that I was done with my comment, and then I looked up and you were still staring,” she replied.
“Commissioner, when you were finished, I was looking at you to see what else you were going to say,” Bonaparte said.
Mayor Art Woodruff added to the discussion saying “I mean, I’m confused … so I’m supposed to look out here while I’m talking to you.” He gestured to an area away from the conversation. To which commissioner Britton responded, “No, there is a difference Art, don’t do that. There is a difference between me looking at you and then staring at you in an intimidation, as to saying ‘Are you done?’” Woodruff’s response was that he is not sure if there is a way for an individual commissioner to reprimand the city manager.
Lonnie Groot, the city attorney added his legal view. “From a total legal perspective, there is absolutely no ability to do that whatsoever in any way shape or form; for an individual commissioner to publicly reprimand the city manager. As far as I've ever experienced, I've never seen that in any city charter or county charter,” he said. “To be totally fair to Mr. Bonaparte, I think that needs to be stricken from the record by the rest of you. One commissioner can vote against that, obviously. It’s not fair that Mr. Bonaparte or any other city manager to have that stated. If he was ever asked in the future ‘have you ever been reprimanded?’, he would have to say yes. If you nullify it, the answer would be no.”
Britton voiced her dissatisfaction with this and expressed her desire for highlighted procedures on where her words needed to be stricken, requesting an email.
The next day, Groot provided clarification through an email, referencing governing policies. “It is my clear conclusion that you, as an individual city commissioner sitting in your office and exercising your authority under that office, have absolutely no legal authority to individually issue a reprimand to the city manager on the basis of any reason,” the email read. “You, of course, have the right to speak your mind and express yourself on any subject that is appropriate for discussion by a local governing body. You have the right to make a motion to terminate the city manager at any time. You do not have the right to individually reprimand the city manager as you stated that you were doing last night.”
He explained that the city manager’s contract requires the commission and manager to agree on the evaluation process, including written evaluations, a discussion, and a summary of results.
He cited section 112.317 of Florida Statutes, which provides for a “public censure and reprimand” to be among the list of penalties that can be imposed for violation of the code of ethics for public officers and employees. “In other words, a reprimand is a serious form of discipline,” Groot added.
He suggested the commissioner withdraw, recant and rescind her removing it from the meeting minutes. If commissioner Britton does not go that route, he recommends that the city commission should act on a motion to strike her reprimand from the record.
