Former building official assesses Simpson

Former Longboat Key Building Official Randy Fowler, who resigned in June 2009 amid frustrations with the Planning, Zoning and Building Department and the management style of former Town Manager Bruce St. Denis, said he’s not surprised that Planning, Zoning, and Building Director Monica Simpson was placed on administrative leave amid allegations of verbally abusing employees.

“It’s a doubled-edged sword with Monica,” Fowler said. “She is highly talented, and you won’t be able to find another person in her field that can do the level of quality of work she performs on a daily basis.”

But Fowler likens Simpson’s management style to that of a parent who treats all her employees like children.

“The problem with Monica is she expects everyone to be at the same caliber of work level as she,” Fowler said. “And if you fall short of that expectation at any time, the angry parent comes out.”

Fowler said he witnessed Simpson screaming at employees on several occasions.

“The problem for the employees is you can only accept the angry-parent management style for so long,” Fowler said. “Eventually, everyone realizes they want to be treated with respect and not be treated like a child.”

Fowler said that he and others repeatedly went to St. Denis to report Simpson’s actions.

“I would tell Bruce that some terrible things were happening in that building and he would never do anything about it,” Fowler said. “It’s one of the main reasons I left.”

The final straw for Fowler, he said, were new rules in the Planning, Zoning and Building Department, implemented by Simpson, that included employees seeking permission to use pens and pencils, forcing employees to use the back side of paper that had already been used to make copies and shutting off the lights in the building to conserve energy.

Fowler, however, said he’s not surprised Simpson was called back in while on administrative leave to perform her duties for a Planning and Zoning Board cellular phone tower application.

“She’s one of the best planners I have ever worked with,” Fowler said. “Having said that, I truly believe she can perform her work for the town as a consultant. She just shouldn’t be put in charge of employees.”
In the long run, Fowler said the only way Town Hall can rebound from employee issues is for the town to select the proper town manager.

“The town needs a solid, independent administrator who isn’t afraid to put employees in their place and terminate them when they aren’t acting professionally,” Fowler said. “ ... Right now, Town Hall is completely broken, and it’s a shame.”