The New City Manager Resigns. More — Much More — to Come
 

Fernandina Beach City Manager Ty Ross verbally resigned Friday morning effective immediately in the wake of controversy following his Oct. 29 alcohol-related biking accident and his subsequent failure to report the incident to city commissioners.

City Attorney Tammi Bach said she met with Ross at 9 a.m. Friday and he submitted a verbal resignation effective at the close of business Friday.

Bach said she negotiated six weeks of severance as part of the agreement of Ross’ departure. Ross assumed the duties of city manager on Oct. 16. Just two weeks later on a Sunday, Ross admitted he had too much to drink downtown and attempted to ride his bicycle to a house he was renting. He crashed in the dark around 7:30 p.m., and witnesses called police about a man lying in the grass and rolling around.

Fernandina Beach police responded and found Ross disoriented and incoherent. After officers notified their supervisor, reporting that a man identified as the city manager was drunk and had crashed his bicycle, officers then drove Ross home. He was not given a sobriety test.

Ross never reported the incident to commissioners, but the accident was revealed when the Observer made a public records request on Nov. 28 for police reports and body camera footage.

Ross issued a public apology on Nov. 30 and said the accident was the result of “over-drinking.”

A special meeting of the city commission originally set to discuss possible disciplinary actions for Ross’ behavior is set for next Tuesday. Bach said the special meeting agenda will be changed for commissioners to discuss Ross’ severance agreement.

She said the commission will formally vote on the severance at its Jan. 2 meeting.

“There isn’t enough time to properly notice the public on the terms of severance. In order to accomplish that we’ll have the severance on the Jan. 2 agenda. The exact details are being worked out with City Clerk Caroline Best,” Bach said.

Under Ross’ contract, severance was specified as 90 days with 30 days of notice required.

“He (Ross) wanted the 90 days, but we talked and settled on six weeks,” Bach said.

City commissioners were notified of Ross’ resignation by Bach.

“We need to come together and move forward,” said Commissioner Chip Ross.

Speakers at the Dec. 5 city commission meeting called for Ross to resign citing his lack of judgment in abusing alcohol and his failure to alert his bosses — the city commissioners — of the incident. They also questioned how police handled the incident since Ross had appointed Chief Jeffrey Tambasco from interim to full time chief on his third day on the city manager job.

Tambasco has asked the State Attorney to review his department’s handling of the Oct. 29 alcohol-related bicycle accident involving City Manager Ross.

Ross answered the critics at that meeting saying: “What I want to talk about is what’s happened over the past five weeks. I’ve sought professional help for myself. I learned through talking to professionals that I was using maladaptive coping strategies. Social lubrications in settings where I was trying to make friends and be funny. And I overdid it and I goofed,” Ross said. “I thought I was being responsible by not driving a motorized vehicle and by riding my bicycle. That didn’t work out for me and I apologize. I never intended for this to come to your attention and again it happened on the weekend. We can talk about on the job, off the job.”

Ross was hired in September after a six-month search by executive search firm Colin-Baenziger. He was one of four finalists for the job.

Bach said she didn’t know the next steps to find a permanent city manager since city commissioners had just been notified of Ross’ resignation. She said Deputy City Manager Charlie George would be running the city on Monday.