City officials need to treat taxpayers better
To the editor:
At Monday night’s Council Meeting Council members Bertolini, Day et al offered thoughts on what they would like to happen for the New Year, basically focusing on people that regularly attend council meetings.
Some of the comments were that they were bored with the same people speaking at council meetings and they do not listen to them anymore, speakers got nasty and actually begged other residents to come out to the meetings. At no time did I hear anything about the way residents are treated at these same council meetings by some on the dais. Some of these attacks happen during the council meeting and some at the break when they think they are not being recorded.
I experienced a vicious verbal attack as have other residents by Mr. Stewart at the Dec. 8 Council meeting during the break, which was witnessed by Councilmember Bertolini and others on the dais. Councilmember Bertolini said nothing! The incident was caught on tape by those that recorded the meeting at home but deleted from the “official” tape of the meeting.
I sent an email to the mayor and council with a copy to Police Chief Petrovich to have this incident placed on the record. I only received responses to my email from Council members Brandt and Deile.
Mr. Stewart verbally attacked me with a shamefully loud and high degree of viciousness. Mr. Stewart additionally threatened me, yelling “you need to be stopped.” This was in reaction to my simply making a statement and asking questions at Citizens Input.
Mr. Stewart’s display of anger was heard by some in the back of the room. One comment to me was that Mr. Stewart’s behavior was “way over the top”!
This was a display of anger by Mr. Stewart that I have heard about from other residents that had been on the receiving end of his anger. Employees have told me on the basis of confidentiality of incidents involving Mr. Stewart’s bursts of anger.
Mr. Stewart’s behavior was totally disgraceful and certainly unbecoming a city manager for the city of Cape Coral.
My thoughts for the New Year would be that the City Council considers offering anger management classes to those that appear to have a propensity for out- of-control anger bursts to those on the dais that have clearly shown a pattern for same. Maybe even a class on how to treat residents with respect and to respect the resident’s right to question their elected officials.
Lynn Rosko
Cape Coral