Rarely, if ever, do I post 3 times in one day but this just begged to be released now…

Before I offer a copy of a letter I received recently I would like to provide some context. One of the proposed Assistant City Manager positions is obviously tailor made for Julie Frisoni, Interim Assistant City Manager. Look for Human Relations, under Director Jim Brown, to rewrite the requirements for the position so that Frisoni can be named permanently to that position despite her lack of qualifications. After all, if Brown does not comply he could be considered insubordinate and would be the next in line for the City Manager’s firing squad. It is common knowledge that Julie Frisoni was a member of former City Manager Ed Beasley’s “inner circle.” As such many have said that she had intimate knowledge of the wrong doings that occurred.

You will remember that when Don Bolton appealed his termination before the Personnel Board it was widely reported in the news media. At that hearing City Manager Fischer stated that if employees saw wrong doing she encouraged them to whistle blow anonymously to the City Manager, the media and/or the Attorney General. That is exactly what a group of employees have done. Here is their letter dated December 13, 2013 and received by every member of council in late December of 2013.  It was also sent to the Glendale Star, the Arizona Republic and the Arizona Attorney General’s office. Here is the letter verbatim:

December 13, 2013

Brenda Fischer

City Manager

City of Glendale

5850 W Glendale Ave

Glendale, AZ 85301

Dear Ms. Fischer:

As long time Glendale employees, we had high hopes when you were hired. We had hoped that the years of paranoia, suspicion and fear from the city manager’s office was over. It was not long after you started that we realized the reign would continue with a new face and some old ones. Your move to evaluate (sic) Julie Frisoni to acting assistant city manager was the start. You had to know that Julie Frisoni was one of Ed Beasley’s most trusted and loyal cohorts. How else would someone of her inadequate experience and limited education ever get hired? She was in on every deceptive move Ed every (sic) made. She sat in on every council meeting rehearsal, including those that are the focus of the recent audit. She knew everything!

It wasn’t until we started to pull the pieces of the puzzle together that we uncovered why you will soon be making Julie your permanent assistant city manager. So we are accepting your offer to “go around management”, “go to the Attorney General’s Office anonymously”, or “anonymously informing the media, to put some public pressure” on an issue.

We know Councilmember Gary Sherwood met with you privately during your hiring process, which is a clear violation of common Human Resources practices. We know he was reprimanded by the city attorney’s office for secretly talking with you and advancing your application through the process. We know he put you in touch with Ms. Frisoni, who was a major, yet stealthy, player in his council election. We know the reason you promoted Ms. Frisoni was because Councilmember Sherwood asked you in exchange for his help in getting you hired. We know she is your closest confidant because Gary Sherwood surreptitiously used her to feed you information during your hiring process. We know her promotion is a “payback” for insider information during your hiring. We know Ms. Frisoni was aware of and involved in Ed Beasley’s directives that led to the trust fund transfers. We know Ms. Frisoni was involved in the secret council meeting rehearsals with staff in which she used her media background to coach staff how to avoid answering questions from the mayor and council. We know that the reason the Arizona Cardinals and the Super Bowl Host committee are penalizing Glendale is because they refuse to work with Ms Frisoni because of the years Ed Beasley, CraigTindall and Julie undermined the city’s relationship with the team. We know Ms. Frisoni could have helped those that the audit focused on but because she was not in the spotlight she cowardly choose to protect her own skin which simply shows the type of person she has become. We know Ms. Frisoni and her media relations team spent years misleading the media, including The Glendale Star and The Arizona Republic. We know Bill Toops repeatedly complained about Ms. Frisoni’s inability and unwillingness to release information through the public records process. We know Ed Beasley and Julie Frisoni helped to cover for Alma Carmichael as she “telecommuted” from Mississippi and Art Lynch as he bleed (sic) the city for his own personal benefit. We know Julie Frisoni mislead former Mayor Elaine Scruggs and former and current councilmembers to cover for Ed Beasley’s crimes. We also know this letter will not deter you from promoting Julie Frisoni but perhaps.it will make you wonder how someone with Julie’s immoral history will ever help you become an effective city manager with Glendale employees, businesses and residents.

We don’t know, but do hope, that both The Arizona Republic and The Glendale Star will print this letter because you asked Glendale employees to come forward anynomiously (sic) and that is what we are doing.

Ms. Fischer, we are dedicated employees who can’t afford to take your suggestion to resign if we don’t like it in Glendale so we have elected to follow your advice and make our voices heard to the media, the Attorney General’s Office and the Glendale City Council.

We had high hopes for a new administration, but with Julie Frisoni at your side, it’s simply more of the same fear mongering, backstabbing, council destabilizing and anxiety riddled days that we have known for so long and learned in which to survive.

Signed,

Anonymous (as requested by you)

CC: Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Glendale City Council, The Arizona Republic, The Glendale Star

My apology if some of the formatting of the letter has large spaces between the lines. Sometimes my lack of expertise in using my blog shows through. This is one of those times. I don’t know how much of their letter is truth and how much is supposition. I do know that there are truths within I for I have heard much the same thing from many. I invite you to decide how much you wish to believe. What is not surprising is that there has not been a word, nary a whiff of this letter publicly… until now… in this blog. The Mayor and City Council have had it for several weeks…not a word. The Glendale Star and the Arizona Republic have had it for several weeks…not a word. The Attorney General’s Office has had it for several weeks…not a word. Why? Because despite Ms. Fischer’s ridiculous suggestion to employees to report wrong doing anonymously —  without a complainant’s name and specific facts it will not be accepted as legitimate. If that is the caliber of her advice we are all in trouble.

Don’t forget that Mr. Toops, owner of the Glendale Star, has political ambitions of his own. He wants Yvonne Knaack’s seat representing the Barrel district. Embarrassing the city in any way would not be good political form. Julie Frisoni has been the spokesperson for Glendale for many years and has media relationships. Could there have been some squelching, dismissing it all as the rantings of disgruntled employees? All of this reminds me of the old movie, Peyton Place, or at the very least, an episode of the TV series, House of Cards.

UPDATE: In half an hour there were 150 people who read this post. It has hit the proverbial Glendale nerve. Be sure to pass it on to friends and co-workers. And be sure to cast your informal vote on the topic, Would you hire Julie Frisoni as Assistant City Manager? The poll is to the left of this article.

An hour has passed and 300 people have now read this post.

Last check of the evening and over 400 people have read this post. Thank you for your interest. It is very much appreciated. You can sign up to receive email notifications of my blogs when they are posted. Check the right side of this page.

By 9 AM the number who have read this post is over 600 and climbing. Again, let me express my thanks for your interest.

At noon 750 have read this post.

In 24 hours this post has been read by a little over 1200. Not one person who voted in my informal poll would hire Frisoni as the permanent Assistant City Manager. FYI: It seems Frisoni will be on medical leave starting today for the next 6 weeks.  

© Joyce Clark, 2014

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