{"id":15587,"date":"2016-05-22T16:26:37","date_gmt":"2016-05-22T20:26:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.canyoncountryzephyr.com\/blog\/?p=15587"},"modified":"2016-05-22T16:26:37","modified_gmt":"2016-05-22T20:26:37","slug":"redux-whats-past-is-prologue-city-manager-rebecca-davidson-part-1-of-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.canyoncountryzephyr.com\/blog\/2016\/05\/22\/redux-whats-past-is-prologue-city-manager-rebecca-davidson-part-1-of-9\/","title":{"rendered":"(REDUX) ‘WHAT’S PAST IS PROLOGUE: CITY MANAGER REBECCA DAVIDSON, part 1 of 9"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

This story first appeared<\/a> in the February\/March Issue of the Zephyr. We’re reprinting it here, in smaller sections, to make it easier for our readers to absorb the information. <\/strong><\/h2>\n

NOTE:\u00a0 In preparing this article about Moab\u2019s city manager Rebecca Davidson, the Moab City Council\u2019s actions re: Ms. Davidson and the subsequent \u201crestructuring\u201d of Moab government, <\/i>The Zephyr sought information from a variety of sources. We filed Freedom of Information Act requests, via the Wyoming Sunshine Laws, with the City of Kemmerer, Wyoming and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation. We filed a Government Records Access request (GRAMA) with the City of Moab, and we conducted interviews with numerous people personally involved in the issues raised here. We also contacted reporter Trevor Hughes, now of <\/i>USA Today, who wrote a comprehensive article about the current Moab City manager\u2019s tenure as city manager in Timnath, Colorado.<\/i><\/h3>\n

On January 11, we sent 15 questions<\/a> to city manager Rebecca Davidson, in an effort to \u201cclarify and resolve\u201d issues raised in this article. She did not respond (Those questions are available to the reader elsewhere in this issue). Finally, we contacted the Moab City Attorney, Christopher McAnany, to seek clarification on the process used to fulfill our GRAMA request with Moab City. His January 24 response, which he noted was, \u201cin lieu of any further response from\u00a0 Ms. Davidson,\u201d\u00a0 is included elsewhere<\/a> in this issue, and excerpted later in this article. Finally, we offer the City of Moab the opportunity to reply. But please note that all correspondence with this publication will be regarded as \u2018on the record.\u2019\u2026JS<\/em><\/h3>\n


\nSEPTEMBER 23, 2015<\/b>
\nAutumn had arrived earlier in the week, but it still promised to be another hot day in Moab, Utah on the morning of September 23, 2015. The Weather Channel called for a high near 90 degrees, and lots of sunshine, as longtime Moabite Ken Davey made his way to the city offices on Center Street.<\/h4>\n
\"Ken<\/a>

Ken Davey.<\/p><\/div>\n

Davey was a familiar face at City Hall and throughout Moab; he and his wife Julie Fox came to Moab in the late 1980s, not long after the Atlas Mill closed and Moab\u2019s economy approached near-collapse. A quarter of Moab\u2019s homes sat vacant in those days, as many locals wondered if the town would just dry up and\u00a0 blow away.<\/h4>\n

Ken and Julie were, in many ways, some of the first \u2018New Moabites\u2019 to arrive in town. Julie worked for AMTRAK and kept that job for years, until she and Ken had a child in the early \u201990s. Later Julie started the Eklectica Cafe\u2019 in Moab which still flourishes among the bigger chains restaurants and eateries.<\/h4>\n

In the beginning, Ken found work where he could get it; he became known for his talents as a writer, and eventually did reporting stints for all of the local media (including The Z) and later became the news director for Channel 6 television. In the 1990s Ken Davey was one of the town\u2019s most familiar faces.<\/h4>\n

Davey was known for his intelligence and his self-deprecating wit, though even he<\/i> acknowledged it could be a tad acerbic at times.\u00a0 For better or worse, Ken especially gained a reputation for his candor\u2014-he could be more \u2018frank and earnest\u2019 than some people preferred\u2014and could easily play the role of Devil\u2019s Advocate from time to time, when he thought the need was there.<\/h4>\n
\"The<\/a>

The \u201cDean of the Moab Press Corps\u201d in the 90s.<\/p><\/div>\n

He had recently (2012-13) co-hosted, with soon-to-be city councilwoman Heila Ershadi,\u00a0 a public affairs program called, appropriately, \u201cOn the Other Hand.\u201d\u00a0 Most Moabites appreciated his honesty, even if it sometimes annoyed them. Some didn\u2019t.<\/h4>\n

For the last ten years, Davey had been Moab City\u2019s \u2018economic development specialist and administrative analyst.\u2019\u00a0 Former city manager Donna Metzler offered him the job in 2005 and, based on his performance reviews, he executed his responsibilities with skill and professionalism, and was considered an asset to the community. Davey loved the work and the challenge.<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n

On this warm September morning, Ken Davey had several projects on his mind\u2014first he was concentrating on two upcoming projects. Working with the Utah State University-Moab Business Resource Center intern, Ken planned to schedule as many as fifty interviews with local Moab business owners and managers in the near future. His goal was to determine what regional, state and federal incentive and training programs best matched the needs of local businesses. Davey saw this as an opportunity to vastly expand local utilization of the Custom Fit Program, which provides matching funds for employee training. Davey was convinced this could help both the local workforce to develop better paying job skills and, in doing so, increase profits.<\/h4>\n

Davey also spent the morning preparing for meetings with leaders from USU-Logan and USU statewide, to discuss Moab\u2019s economic future. He wanted to explore the kinds<\/i> of industries and businesses that best suited Moab\u2019s future. Instead of the desperate, \u201cwe\u2019ll take anything,\u201d approach that so many communities often resort to, Davey thought it made more sense to determine what businesses \u2018fit\u2019 Moab best. Then he hoped he could use the resources of Utah State University and the University of Nevada to develop a strategy and a campaign to help expand existing businesses that fit the criteria and recruit other companies to set up shop in Moab.<\/h4>\n

Davey broke for lunch but was at his desk at about 2 PM when he received a call from Moab City Recorder Rachel Stenta. She asked him to come downstairs to her office immediately. A couple minutes later, he<\/h4>\n
\"Rachel<\/a>

Moab City Recorder Rachel Stenta.<\/p><\/div>\n

arrived to find Stenta and City Manager Rebecca Davidson waiting for him.<\/h4>\n

Davidson had been Moab\u2019s city manager less than six months; selected from 57 applicants by the Moab City Council, her previous work experience, in similar positions in Timnath, Colorado and Kemmerer, Wyoming had been marked by heated controversy, angry public debate, and even litigation. Now, it must have felt like deja vu<\/i>, as she showed Davey a chair and advised him to sit down.<\/h4>\n

<\/h4>\n

Davidson announced to Davey that on the previous evening, the Moab City Council had voted unanimously to \u201crestructure\u201d the city staff and that consequently, his position was being eliminated. Immediately.<\/i> Davey wasn\u2019t even aware that a restructuring vote was on the agenda. There had been no emails, no staff meetings, no warnings whatsoever that a major change in the organization of Moab City was about to be sprung on its staff.<\/h4>\n

\"rd-pq1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

On her desk was a document which she pushed across the table for him to examine. She explained that if he refused to sign it, he\u2019d be eligible for what amounted to a pittance in severance pay; if he agreed to its terms, he\u2019d receive an amount slightly more, enough perhaps to sustain him and his family for a couple months. Davidson said she\u2019d give him some time to decide and suggested he talk to a lawyer. The conversation was over.<\/h4>\n

Stenta escorted Davey back to his office, where he called Julie to give her the news. Stenta stood outside the door while he made the call, then re-entered his office while Davey cleared out his desk of personal items and turned over his city cell phone, keys, and computer password. It took about 15 minutes.<\/h4>\n

Stenta then escorted him to the back door. Less than half an hour after he learned he was about to become unemployed, Ken Davey walked out of Moab City Hall for the last time.<\/h4>\n

When he got home, Davey showed the document to Julie and explained the severance options. The paper also included what Davidson called a, \u2018non-disparagement agreement.\u2019 It stated:<\/h4>\n

\u201cEmployee and City hereby mutually agree not to make disparaging or defamatory comments or statements about one another, or any person or entity associated or affiliated with City, following the execution of this agreement.\u201d<\/i><\/h4>\n

Ken Davey, at 62 years of age and unemployed, in a community already struggling with high unemployment and shockingly low wages, realized that he was in no position financially to hire a lawyer and contest the terms of the agreement. He signed the document and returned it to the City of Moab.<\/h4>\n

* * *
\nUnknown to Ken at the time, the same fate was falling on fellow city employee, \u2018community development director\u2019 David Olsen. Olsen had been with the City of Moab for 25 years. Like Davey, Olsen was called<\/h4>\n
\"David<\/a>

David Olsen. c\/o Moab Times Independent<\/p><\/div>\n

from his desk, advised of the \u2018restructuring\u2019 and told to vacate his office and the building. He was shown a document, including the \u2018non-disparagement\u2019 clause. If he signed the document, the city would pay Olsen 10 weeks severance; if he refused to sign, a small fraction of that amount. An attorney on Olsen\u2019s behalf later sent a letter to the city, asking for an increase, based on Olsen\u2019s quarter century of service to the City of Moab, but the request was flatly denied.<\/h4>\n

Just months earlier, Olsen had bought a new home for his family and put his old home up for sale. A bank loan for a balloon payment on the new home was approved, based on his income with the city, on the same day he was dismissed<\/i>. The loan was canceled.<\/h4>\n

Through the decades, Olsen rarely dabbled in politics, but showed a passion and loyalty to his work and to the citizens of Moab that was unmatched. Not everyone agreed with Olsen\u2019s vision for Moab\u2019s future, but no one could question his integrity, his decency, or his commitment to the community. One co-worker called Olsen the most dedicated worker he\u2019d ever met. Other than a couple of unavoidable surgeries, Olsen never once called in sick in 25 1\/2 years. That\u2019s<\/i> dedication.<\/h4>\n

And yet, when Olsen first came to Moab, his real claim to fame was via his dog. \u2018Bailey\u2019 was a remarkable black lab who possessed the unique ability (for a canine) to climb trees. It was a common sight in the early 90s to see David and Bailey at the city park with his pooch precariously clinging to a tree limb, high above. Bailey\u2019s legend reached all the way to the East Coast and New York City, to the Ed Sullivan Theater where Bailey displayed his special talents on a special edition of \u201cStupid Pet Tricks\u201d on \u201cLate Night, with David Letterman.\u201d The two Daves stood by a very tall fence, created just for the dog, beaming proudly. It was a great moment.<\/h4>\n

Over the years, Olsen helped create and organize the Trail Mix Committee and is credited with helping to develop more than 150 miles of singletrack bicycle trails in the Moab area. Early in his career, he was instrumental in developing a plan for the Mill Creek Parkway. He worked over two and a half decades to<\/h4>\n
\"The<\/a>

The Olsen Family.<\/p><\/div>\n

secure millions of dollars in grants for the city. Three years ago, he was featured<\/a> in the Times-Independent\u2019s\u00a0<\/i>\u201cUnsung Heroes\u201d <\/a>page, noting, \u201cIt\u2019s hard to miss the influence that David Olsen has had on Moab.\u201d The T-I also highlighted his work on the school board and his \u201cmany years as a coach with Moab City Recreation programs. He is currently coaching the seventh-grade girls\u2019 basketball team.\u201d He told the T-I, \u201cMy kids are there. It helps me to be closer to them.\u201d<\/h4>\n

On the day he was dismissed, he\u2019d been working on grant and loan applications for the proposed new sewer plant and water tank, and a grant he had just finished\u00a0 called \u201cSafe Routes to School\u201d was approved by the council on the same evening they approved the re-structuring plan and, consequently, his dismissal.<\/h4>\n

After he was dismissed, Olsen told the Moab Times-Independent,<\/i>\u00a0 \u201cI gave it my all. I feel good about what we accomplished. It\u2019s miraculous what we accomplished,\u201d Olsen added, \u201cI worked with some great people and I feel incredibly thrilled with what we\u2019ve done over the years \u2026 Millions of dollars of great things. We\u2019ve competed really, really well. I don\u2019t know why you\u2019d restructure success.\u201d<\/h4>\n

But on September 23, Olsen was out of a job. He later\u00a0 told the T-I <\/i>that he was given about 2 1\/2 hours to pack up and get out. \u201cI thought I did a great job for the city,\u201d Olsen told the Times-Independent<\/i>. \u201cI did the best I could to represent them and I was an advocate for fixing up things. Everywhere I go I can see something. I feel good about it. This is kind of like the Twilight Zone for me, what\u2019s happened.\u201d<\/h4>\n
\n
\"Olsen.<\/a>

Olsen. c\/o Moab Sun News.<\/p><\/div>\n

COMING IN PART 2: ‘OFFICIAL’ & PUBLIC REACTION…AND OFF THE RECORD<\/strong><\/p>\n

Click Here to Read the Full Article!<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This story first appeared in the February\/March Issue of the Zephyr. We’re reprinting it here, in smaller sections, to make it easier for our readers to absorb the information. NOTE:\u00a0 In preparing this article about Moab\u2019s city manager Rebecca Davidson, the Moab City Council\u2019s actions re: Ms. Davidson and the subsequent \u201crestructuring\u201d of Moab government, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15587","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.canyoncountryzephyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.canyoncountryzephyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.canyoncountryzephyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.canyoncountryzephyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.canyoncountryzephyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15587"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"http:\/\/www.canyoncountryzephyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15587\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15623,"href":"http:\/\/www.canyoncountryzephyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15587\/revisions\/15623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.canyoncountryzephyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.canyoncountryzephyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.canyoncountryzephyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}