Although no one will say it publicly, a series of three closed sessions held by the Mammoth Town Council indicates that Town Manager Dave Wilbrecht is leaving. Some Mammoth people say they wish the shake-ups would stop. Another closed session was set for Monday.
When asked about this last week, Mayor Matthew Lehman said, “I can’t comment on anything right now.” Mayor Pro Tem Rick Wood responded to questions about Wilbrecht leaving when he said, “I can’t confirm or deny this. It’s up to him.” The Town Manager has not returned our phone calls.
Last week the subject of the closed sessions was initially evaluation of the Town Manager. The next session agenda said the Council would consider appointment of a Town Manager. That agenda also said the Council would hold a conference to “consider discipline/ dismissal/ release of a public employee.”
That is the same language in yet another closed session scheduled for Monday at 5pm. Asked if Mr. Wilbrecht would attend Monday’s closed session, Mayor Lehman said he did not believe so – just the Council and their lawyer.
The restructuring of town government, as Councilman Wood said, has created a lot of anxiety. Changes have also put pressures on Wilbrecht and Assistant Town Manager Marianna Marysheva Martinez. They advocated many unpopular personnel and service cuts to balance the budget and make annual $2 million debt payments to Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition.
In the wake of the changes, more employees, including police officers and others, have bailed out of Mammoth town government for other jobs.
I don’t think spelling is the problem here.
The real problem is the government of Mammoth Lakes.
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All these Mammoth people bad-mouthing MMM…..But you got to admit…she’s a cutie !!
MMM averages 5 days a month in Mammoth.
That’s FIVE DAYS A MONTH’
And there are those screaming for Dave Wilbrecht’s head.
You probably don’t know how many hours she spends on analysis at her home office.
@ Ken Warner –
Yeah, right.
Ken, I’m pretty sure you’re being sarcastic, but people do manage to work from home successfully, don’t you agree? Dave has been galavanting around on vacation time (probably looking for a new job) while MMM is at home working. At least I’d like to think…
@ SkiJohn – And now vacation time legitimately accrued for one, is now construed as “galavanting around” – while carte blanche is given to another to work at home rather than the community they are supposed to be serving … 5 days a month for the last one and one-half… Read more »
Not sarcastic — serious. Nobody can acquire an understanding of our financial troubles in just 5 days. And there’s no reason she has to do that in the town offices. I’ve worked from home a lot — in the past — and for pretty good money — in another era.… Read more »
If the town counsel in their infinite wisdom, honestly believes their number-cruncher from Sacramento has had her nose to the grindstone working from home 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and extra work on weekends (while raising two children at that same home) for the last year and… Read more »
It’s spelled Council.
BK
Thanks for the free lesson. Perhaps your forte should be in teaching English.
But a normal town council needs no psychological counseling.
What we have in Mammoth is a very unstable and power-mad town counsel.
There is fault both with Town Council & with the Town Manager. The Town Council recruited him from the County and probably did not do a diligent search for other candidates – it may have not been practical to find a replacement Town Manager at the time. The potential salary… Read more »
@ Not a Bureaucrat – You’ve conveniently forgotten that Dave Wilbrecht has been around for over a year and a half – NOT 90 days. Who knows what goes on behind all those closed-door sessions all this time? Do you understand how the system works? Do you realize how much… Read more »
@ Not A Bureaucrat –
Want to know exactly how many days MMM has actually “come to work” since she first wanted the Town Manager’s job way back when?
Great if he’s leaving and we’re going to save all that money can we have our police department back? Pretty please?
Direct that question to your wonderful Town Counsel. They are the people who have orchestrated everything and think they can pawn their mistakes off on At-will people.
I am in full agreement that having two Town Managers is ridiculous. The problem I have is the Council is getting rid of the wrong one. Dave has a stake in this community and lives here. The Russian Ice Queen could care less about anything but here paycheck, resume and… Read more »
Right on, getaclue! Good to see some people are not being bamboozled by the Russian Ice Princess. Dave did a terrific job with Mono County and everybody knows it. He’s being played as the fall-guy by the Town Counsel inept clowns. I say I’ll sign any recall petition to rid… Read more »
Wow, Dave really has everyone snowed. I see right through that guy, kissing babies and shaking hands, winning everyone over while he takes a ridiculous amount of vacation and planning strategically for his retirement. Who cares if he lives here and MMM doesn’t? He’s always on vacation so living here… Read more »
@ SkiJohn, what planet do you live on? Anybody that knows Dave and is aware of his At-Will track record (sorry pal, At-Will employees don’t kiss babies – they are at the beck-and-call of those buffoons who wield all the power – your glorious elected officials). You know that type.… Read more »
Benett-I didn’t think anybody worked on Super Bowl Sunday.
Only those of us who don’t see SBS as a national holiday.
BK
When is Super Bowl Sunday? I don’t want to miss it again especially if the Yankees are playing this year.
cortey lawrence for town manager
It’s about time one of them goes. Should have happened months ago
Agreed! Whoever is most qualified to get the job done is fine with me. I don’t care which one is “better liked”. I do think Mr. Wilbrecht went into this job with eyes wide open. I also believe that with his salary/title it should be a given that he is… Read more »
Once again people are forgetting that it’s the almighty Town Council that is calling all the shots. Rain or shine. They have the power to do what ever they damn well want to. Including cutting salaries or hiring town managers who don’t even live here. Live with this fact.
Ive heard that with MMM in charge more quality employees will leave. No one wants to work with her. She doesn’t care about Mammoth or its residents. She wants to rake in her giant paycheck, while still living in Pasadena, and continue to go after the hard-working employees who are… Read more »
Study MMM closely. Notice her icy-cold style. Notice that she is good at crunching numbers and hardly what you may call a “people-person.” These are the slick types that can potentially ruin a fine community overnight. This is a small mountain town – not a Sacramento or Los Angeles. Wilbrecht… Read more »
@Turtleneck, Hope you are right and they leave. My hunch is that you are one of those “quality” employees. With Wilbrecht only showing up to work about 38 of 92 days Oct-Jan, his example is probably something all those “quality” employees enjoy. Of course you don’t like MMM, she makes… Read more »
“MMM makes you work” Realist tells us. If delegating everything under the sun to underlings (and long-distance from Sacramento to boot) or they’ll be fired, is good management, you are a lost soul. This is management by tyranny – not by reality. This slick corporate climber with her Yves Saint… Read more »
@Delegating, It was only a hunch… Guess it was right. Your resentment rings loud in your words. Last time I looked up management and getting something done, it meant like you said, delegating or you will be fired. Knowing the incompetent job that has been done in the past, what… Read more »
@ Realist, If you could drop your “hang ’em high! resentment, you would know that if there is any further stupidity from the Mammoth Lakes Town Council (such as a wrongful termination/scapegoating scenario), there will be even more money to pay. And as far as your “tyranny” nonsense, you might… Read more »
@ Realist, You must have forgotten the Dave Wilbrecht has been with the town for over a year and a half – not just 92 days. He also has done a masterful job with the County for almost a decade, has been a exemplorary leader, always glad to work with… Read more »
My CV reads: 125+ ski days a year for 30 years. Skied every peak within 30 miles North and South of here. 200 powder days I remember like it was yesterday. 50 Grateful Dead concerts that I can’t remember at all. A Wife and Kids that I love. And a… Read more »
Isn’t that interesting how nobody has yet mentioned the actual time MMM has spent in our town “making people work” as Realist points out?
I wonder why that is?
In the last year and a half, MMM’s average time on the job has been 5 days a month.
Look it up for yourself