Letters to the editor, answers to those letters, and further rebuttals, are getting somewhat confused these days.

This is largely due to the fact that after being printed in the Gazette they are also posted online at fillmoregazette.com. While the Gazette is published once a week, our website is on 24/7, and many responses to these letters are posted that do not get into the paper. It’s a conundrum of sorts for the Gazette. In other words, one person can read the first letter, maybe even a response, and possibly miss many other responses and rebuttals to the letter during the online conversation. I guess the only answer is to encourage everyone to follow-up letters to the editor by keeping-up with responses on the Blogs and Forums online.

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The Fillmore City Council has finally chosen a new City Manager. After the new Council majority, Brooks, Washburn, and Walker, managed to run-off virtually all of the city’s most talented and experienced top and mid-management personnel, and refused contracts to the remaining two who have publically expressed concern for their job security, the new Manager faces difficult challenges.

I agree with former City Manager Roy Payne that any newly hired city manager should not be given an unconditional multi-year contract. The only prudent thing to do here is to provide a trial period of perhaps six months to a year. This suggestion was rejected by a majority of the Council. This was a big, unnecessary, mistake, especially in view of the fact that our new Manager had to be bought-out of her last contract for more than $332,500. It doesn’t matter whose fault caused the last managerial contract to fail, it failed, and the city had to pay a third of a million dollars.

Since I am constantly reminded that I have supported Councilman Steve Conaway in virtually all of his council decisions, I hasten to state my firm objection to how this contract was structured. Absolutely nothing would have been lost if a probationary period had been provided. Twenty years ago the city was burned badly by one City Manager Stan Green (a Creagle idea) when his contract had to be bought out for about $100,000 (more than $200,000 in today’s dollars). That could have been avoided with a simple (and typical) probationary period of employment. Big mistake, Steve.

That said, Yvonne Quiring, welcome to Fillmore. We all wish you great success as our new City Manager. As keeper of the city’s jewels, please keep a jeweler’s eye on Council members Brooks, Washburn, and Mayor Walker.