Breach of trust - Alexandria Times

6 | January 12, 2012 ALEXANDRIA TIMESCity employees donate $70K to United WayThe local chapter of the UnitedWay raised about $600,000in donations last year and about$70,000 of it came from Alexandriacity employees.The city government facilitatedthe donations by informingthe work force and in some casesdonating it directly from theirpaychecks, said City CouncilmanFrank Fannon.Fannon, the United Way capitolcampaign chair for the region,announced the news Tuesdaynight at City Hall.“Thanks for all the good workthe Alexandria city employeeshave done to help the good charitiesin Alexandria,” he said.Donations from city employeesprovided the single biggestchunk of charity during the campaign,Fannon said. He will heada recognition ceremony in theVola Lawson Lobby at City Hallon Friday.- David Sachsfile photoAlexandria’s public work force donated more to the local United Way than any other entitylast year.TrustFROM | 1Save the Dateson said, but they’re trying tolearn from the incident.“What we did back in[2010] is what we normallywould have done,” Johnsonsaid. “That’s why we’re lookingat our hiring processes. Inthis case it would be for thesenior employees … We’llspend a little bit more money,especially when there aresome signs like excessivetravel — that might be a triggerfor more investigation.”Until the city’s hiringpractices are overhauled,Miller doesn’t see an end tomunicipal employees facingcriminal charges.“The first thing you do andmost important thing you dois [look at] the hiring decisionprocess,” he said. “Thatis the most important decisiona private business makes andThe Alexandria Chamber of Commerce presents:the most important decisiona government makes. Oncethey get through that barrier,there are all sorts of opportunitiesand it’s a lot more difficultto detect.”City Manager RashadYoung has highlighted the issueas a priority as he takesthe reins at City Hall. Despitethe spike in arrests, Youngdoesn’t believe the problemis endemic in Alexandria.“I don’t think what existsis a rampant problem,” hesaid. “It isn’t a runaway trainof malfeasance. We want tomake sure [residents] haveconfidence in what we do andhow we do it.”But similarly-sized citieshave fewer issues. Sunnyvale,Calif., a city of about141,000, has seen just sevenfull-time employees and fourtemporary employees broughtup on criminal charges since2008.A spokesman for Springfield,Mass., a city of roughly153,000, said no city employeehad been arrested inthe last four years, thoughthe Springfield Republicanreports at least one municipalworker, a retired policeofficer, faces assault chargesfrom an on-the-job incidentin 2009.The city’s action in theface of the arrests has beenswift, but improvement isneeded, Young said. He addedcity employees depend on thepublic’s trust and they need tobe reminded of the responsibilitygiven to them.But neither Young norMiller sees any way of completelystamping out malfeasance,whether it’s City Hallor a corporate boardroom.“There is always going tobe a few wolves in amongstthe sheep,” Miller said. “It’sincumbent upon the managersand leaders — and this is nota partisan issue — it’s incumbenton them to seek out thosewolves and clean [them] up.”The Chairman’sand AuctionFebruary 11, 2012The Westin AlexandriaFeaturing:Auction with a TwistThe Most Giving People in AlexandriaVIP Champagne Reception 5:30pm — 6:30pmCocktails 6:30pm — 7:30pmPresentation of Chairman’s Chamber Charity AwardDinner Dancing and Live Auction 7:30pm to MidnightDesigned By Yellow Dot DesignsWaterfrontFROM | 5with the caveat city officialsconsider a range of preferreduses, including but not limitedto hotels, for those parcels.Karl Moritz, deputy planningdirector, is working withcity staff to incorporate draftlanguage recommended bythe work group into the existingwaterfront plan beforecity council’s January 21public hearing. Alexandria’sgoverning body could vote ona final version of the plan asearly as then.Some of CAAWP’s complaintswill be addressedonce a version of the plan isapproved, according to cityofficials. Historic buildingswill be preserved and the detailsof a flood mitigation systemproposed for the city’sshoreline will be workedout in the design phase. Citystaff and the Old Town parkingwork group will jointlydevelop parking strategieswhile a Union Street congestionstudy will be undertaken.CAAWP’s dueling proposalfor the waterfront callsfor the city to purchase someor all of the property and convertthe buildings into museums,cultural centers andopen space. City officialscriticized CAAWP’s plan notlong after it was publicized inthe late fall, calling many ofthe proposals legally and fiscallyindefensible.Both plans call for increasesin public space andcultural amenities.Despite CAAWP’s continuedpressure — residentswielding opposition signspacked into Tuesday’s worksession — the city councilseems headed toward a finalvote. When the proposal firstcame before the council inJune, members elected to delayin an attempt to reconcile theplan with resident criticism.Euille reminded the publicit is impossible to please everyoneand that, if the plan ispassed, residents will play arole in shaping how the river’sedge is developed.“There are triggers andopportunities all along theway to develop a waterfrontthat meets the desires of,hopefully, the majority of thecity’s fine citizens,” he said.