Laserfiche WebLink
Board of County Commissioners Meeting Minutes - Final September 10, 2024 <br />C. Commissioner Joseph H. Earman <br />D. Commissioner Deryl Loar <br />14.D.1. 24-0745 County Administrator <br />Recommended Action: Discussion <br />Attachments: Commissioner's Memorandum <br />Commissioner Loar came forward to discuss County Administrator John <br />Titkanich's performance. He expressed concern on Administrators <br />communication, approach, and lack of feedback on the County's operations. <br />Commissioner Loar requested an objective overview of Administrator Titkanich's <br />tenure and vision for restructuring and plans to hold quarterly sessions to address <br />these concerns. <br />Commissioner Loar was particularly troubled by Administrator Titkanich's <br />steadfast adherence to a step-by-step process outlined in industry -accepted <br />administrators' playbooks rather than opting to triage the more immediate <br />problems confronting the County. The institutional knowledge loss due to <br />turnover at all levels, excessive spending on external consultants, and a tendency <br />to hire supervisory personnel from outside the organization had impacted morale <br />and employee inspiration. <br />Administrator Titkanich defended his work by highlighting several achievements. <br />These included reorganizing divisions and departments, making personnel <br />changes, conducting more employee training sessions, and creating two high-level <br />positions; Assistant County Administrator and County Administration <br />Ombudsman. His emphasis to County employees on the importance of <br />considering public service as customer service. <br />Vice Chairman Flescher stated that there was a surge in complaints in 2024. He <br />referred to the County's troubled permitting process following the My <br />Government Online (MGO) software transition. He expressed concerns about the <br />system's failure and the challenges faced by contractors dealing with the Building <br />Division. He was unhappy with the County's overall operations, citing the inability <br />to fill key positions, which led to inefficiencies in multiple departments. He <br />criticized Administrator Titkanich's performance and called for comprehensive <br />solutions instead of patchwork fixes. <br />Commissioner Moss noted that the County had spent nearly $35 million on <br />consultants in the past two years, with over $16 million in fiscal 2023-24. She <br />Indian River County Florida Page 23 <br />