Ross Responds

Mike Lednovich fernandinaobserver.com

Responding to withering calls for his resignation, new Fernandina Beach City Manager Ty Ross gave an emotional explanation of what led to his Oct. 29 bicycle accident after having too much to drink downtown.

Following Ross’ statements, the city commission agreed to hold a special meeting once the Fernandina Police body camera footage is released to the public later this week.

Ross began talking about a city commission visioning session Tuesday night when he abruptly stopped to address citizens’ demands for his resignation.

“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 tryng 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 crashed his bicycle near the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and 14th Street and a passerby called police for help. Police later gave Ross a ride home. He was not given a breathalyzer test by police.

“I immediately called my wife because I was angry and embarrassed. She got pretty angry and embarrassed too,” Ross said. “I want you to know for the past five weeks and forever more I’ve doubled down and rededicated myself to my mental health, as well as my physical health. I think I’m doing better than I’ve ever done before. I want to continue to do that with Jennifer’s support and hopefully your support. I can promise you today just to reiterate my public apology and just to say I’ll never let you down again.”

Commissioner Chip Ross said none of the city commissioners were made aware of the accident until the Observer filed a public records request on Nov. 28, almost a month after the incident.

Commissioner Ross said when he asked the city manager about the accident, he was told it happened on his own time and didn’t seem important.

Commissioner Ross requested a special meeting be held next week following the release of the police body camera footage.

Commissioner James Antun supported Ross’ call for the special meeting.

“We owe our citizens an answer. We owe it to them to be as complete and transparent as possible. And whatever disciplinary action be discussed, whatever that action might be,” Antun said.

During the public comment segment of the city commission meeting, four people spoke and demanded that the city manager resign.

They cited his lack of sound judgment by becoming drunk in public and his actions in not reporting the accident immediately to commissioners. They also cited a conflict of interest with Fernandina Police Jeff Tambasco and City Manager Ross. Just three days into becoming city manager, Ross appointed Tambasco as police chief.

Sheila Cocchi said the night of the accident, responding officers called Tambasco.

Richard Deem said outside law enforcement should be called in to conduct an independent investigation of the accident.

“The city manager should have addressed this situation immediately with you (commissioners), his bosses and gotten ahead of this instead of leaving the question in citizens’ minds of how well can the city manager lead the city and its employees,” said Victoria Robas.

In starting his comments, City Manager Ross said “Life is tough. I encountered stress I’ve never encountered in my life. I moved to a new state, a new job without my support system, my wife Jennifer Ross. I miss her and my family dearly. And life is hard sometimes. But it’s not what happens to you, it’s how you react to it. It’s not about falling down, it’s about getting up.”

Ty Ross: Give Him Another Chance or Send Him on His Way?

Mike Phillips fernandinaobserver.com

The truth takes its own sweet time.

We know the truth that City Manager Ty Ross got drunk one evening in late October. We know the truth that he tried to ride his bicycle home but crashed. We know the policeman who picked him up cut him some slack, didn’t administer a breathalyzer test (which he had every right to do) and gave Mr. Ross and his bent-up bicycle a ride home. All true.

And now we know that Mr. Ross thought he could keep the event under wraps. Not true. We know he didn’t even tell his bosses, who are the city commission. They began to hear the truth a month later when gossip, reporter calls and a formal records request by the Observer popped the lid off.

Now the records request has produced a police bodycam video of a drunk guy sitting in the grass trying to deal politely – but not very coherently — with a police officer.

We know all that, but we are far from knowing important truths about our new city manager. In other venues has he been equally slow to tell the truth? Why did he try to blow off a public event that city personnel guidelines and common sense say is not his to hide? He apologized – though not fulsomely. He cited stress and a need for professional help – but not in any way that would make the average layperson think he will shape up pretty soon.

What do we really know about this man? Not much. More truth is needed.

Yet the bosses he blew off at first will meet next week to decide what they should do.

Public opinion might not be helpful. The Observer’s reader comments so far lean slightly to giving the guy another chance and slightly more to saying he needs to go.

A friend of mine and I were talking about this and think the people who say he needs to go most likely are present or former managers who have been responsible for large groups of people. They know the critical importance of enforcing behavioral regulations from top to bottom. That’s a big part of how a group of workers becomes a team. From top to bottom we have high standards. No exceptions.

The people who want to give Mr. Ross another chance have good hearts, my friend and I think. The world needs as many good-hearted people as it can get. It needs a tilt toward forgiveness. But does Fernandina Beach need Mr. Ross? We both have carried the burdens of managing hundreds of people. We wonder whether Mr. Ross can manage his own problems, much less 200 city employees.

As they say, where you go is where you came from.

I hope our commissioners confront this problem with deep and, if they are so inclined, prayerful thinking. I hope partisanship doesn’t enter into their thoughts. In their conclusions lie the future of Fernandina Beach over the next year or two.

But truth never stops coming out, no matter how slowly. By the next election, we will have a much better idea whether they have chosen wisely or foolishly next week.