St. Ignace City Manager Eric Dodson was given a cumulative job performance rating of "satisfactory" by St. Ignace City Council, although most council members say they want to see improvements in his management of the budget, and they want changes made to the evaluation form. The details of the evaluation were discussed with Mr. Dodson Thursday, September 25, during a Negotiations Committee meeting.

A complete evaluation summary will be presented to Council Monday, October 6.

This is the same rating Mr. Dodson received in 2007.

The evaluation process concluded last month when council members each turned in a completed evaluation form to Mayor Paul Grondin, who compiled the information and presented it to the committee. Sitting on the committee are Mayor Grondin, and Councilmen Don Gustafson and Willie LaLonde.

Each council member evaluated Mr. Dodson on 10 job dimensions, including personal, professional skills, relations with elected members, policy execution, reporting, citizen relations, staffing, leadership and supervision, fiscal management, and community.

The evaluation form offers three ratings, including satisfactory, unsatisfactory, and no opportunity to observe.

Overall ratings were satisfactory from Mayor Grondin and Councilmen Gustafson, Merv Wyse, Tom Della-Moretta, and Paul Fullerton. Councilwoman Susan Tamlyn-Massaway rated Mr. Dodson's performance as satisfactory-minus, and Mr. LaLonde rated his performance as unsatisfactory overall, although he noted that the rating reflects a need for improvement rather than dissatisfaction. The evaluation form, he said, implied to him that "unsatisfactory" is to be used for areas needing improvement.

Mr. LaLonde rated Mr. Dodson's work as unsatisfactory in personal, professional skills, reporting, citizen relations, leadership supervision, and fiscal management.

"Work can be done, it isn't that it's a total failure," he noted. "I didn't mean that in any way, shape, or form. Because of the rating system, I felt that was the way I had to go."

In his evaluation, Mr. LaLonde wrote, "In these areas, I believe the manager can do a better job. He is qualified, but he needs to do a better job on details. I know he can do it."

Mayor Grondin, who found Mr. Dodson's work satisfactory, explained his evaluation:

"I believe Eric has done a very good job in the past year and will continue to do so," said Mayor Grondin, reading his evaluation comments aloud at the meeting. "He has a good knowledge of his job and keeps the best interest of the citizens of St. Ignace in mind. He continues to be a positive promoter of St. Ignace.

"I have expressed my concerns to Eric," continued Mayor Grondin, "over our failure to meet the deadline in filing the Deficit Reduction Plan, in relation to our upcoming water/sewer project. I know the necessary corrections are being made and I am confident a situation like this will not occur again. Eric continues to receive my full support."

Mr. Wyse and Mrs. Tamlyn- Massaway also were concerned over the late filing of the Budget Deficit Plan. Mr. Wyse said he was encouraged by the hiring of Scott Marshall as recreation director, although he had concerns over the manager's working relationship with other staff and suggested a meeting with department heads, Mr. Dodson, and the negotiating committee could be beneficial.

"After this matter of the deficit in accounts and the water/sewer project funding, I was talking to some of the staff. It seems to me that there was a major frustration that came to a head in this matter," said Mr. Wyse. "Those I talked to seemed tight-lipped about this, and whose responsibility it was, what happened, etc. By the things I sensed, I wonder if there are other similar follow-through's and interactions that need to be addressed."

City department heads do not have a direct opportunity to evaluate the manager. Evaluations are carried out by council.

Mr. Gustafson rated Mr. Dodson as satisfactory in all categories, although he made his own rating scale, ranking Mr. Dodson with a satisfactory-minus in fiscal management.

"My major suggestion for this year's evaluation is to emphasize better budget management," wrote Mr. Gustafson. "The council was required to make a mid-year financial correction when the budget deficit plan was submitted to Lansing at the end of August. It seems to me that this action should have taken place immediately after the audit figures were received. Working closely with department heads in monitoring budget status is essential, and this budget status review should be done on a monthly basis. It is possible that professional development in the financial monitoring area may be valuable for Eric."

Mrs. Tamlyn-Massaway rated Mr. Dodson as unsatisfactory in professional skills and she also gave him a satisfactory-minus rating in reporting, citizen relations, leadership/supervision, fiscal management, and community. She wants Mr. Dodson to improve follow up when responding to citizen concerns. She also would like him to make an effort to seek federal funds to help the city, and she said more consistency is needed in his reports to the council.

"I would like to see more growth and consistency coming out of the manager's office," she wrote. "He is surrounded by competent staff."

"Eric started giving us manager's reports in our packets," she continued, "and this needs to be consistent, not a hit-and-miss when we see them in our packets."

The committee offered Mr. Dodson an opportunity to respond to the evaluation.

"I'm taking steps to deal with concerns," he said. "These kind of things do bring light to what you can do better, what you do well. I haven't been here that long. I am still learning, and I continue to learn. I think anyone that stops learning is not doing the job anymore — keep learning, keep trying to grow."

The number of staff meetings, he said, has increased in an effort to improve communications. Citizen complaints are now logged in to help ensure a response, and followup is maintained.

"I think I can do this job well, and I keep getting better," said Mr. Dodson, "not just for the city council, not just for the staff, but for the people of St. Ignace."

Mr. Dodson was hired as the city manager in January 2006 and his contract continues through December 2009.

Council Members Say New Evaluation Form Is Needed

Most council members were not satisfied with the evaluation format and do not think it is sufficient to offer a thorough review, said Mayor Grondin. The same form was used last year.

The form now limits comments to two areas at the end of the completed evaluation, which asks council members to share their comments with the manager over his performance. The form also gives council members the opportunity to explain unsatisfactory ratings.

The form's options are too limited, said Negotiations Committee members, who plan to add a rating scale and are considering adding a five-point rating scale for each of the 10 considerations, followed by a comment section, which would allow an explanation of each rank- ing. The new form is expected to be ready by next August.

Councilmen Mr. Fullerton and Mr. Della-Moretta, reported Mayor Grondin, said they do not like the evaluation process as it is. Mr. Fullerton had shared his concerns over the evaluation process in a conversation, said Mr. Grondin, although he offered no comments on his evaluation form.

Mr. Della-Moretta wrote no comments about Mr. Dodson's performance, but criticized the public evaluation process.

"I believe this to be a poor tool," wrote Mr. Della-Moretta. "Temptation to grandstand before the public is too great. One-to-one relationship/communication is much better."