TOP STORY, SEPT.: Final Bow

Throughout the holiday week, YourObserver.com will be counting down the top 12 stories of 2011 (one from each month) from our Longboat, East County and Sarasota Observers and the Pelican Press. Check back each day for a reprinting — along with any relevant updates — of the biggest news items of the year.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED SEPT. 22, 2011

Bruce St. Denis took his seat at the end of the dais alongside the Longboat Key Town Commission for the last time Monday afternoon.

Mayor Jim Brown called the special meeting to order around 2 p.m.

The first agenda item: St. Denis’ resignation offer.

Brown asked if there was any discussion on the matter. St. Denis then asked to make a statement.
The town manager said that he wasn’t resigning because of a potential negative evaluation by the commission.

“A review of my performance has been ongoing,” he said.

He listed the town’s accomplishments under his direction, including the creation of the award-winning Longboat Key Public Tennis Center, the town’s beach program, rebuilt town facilities and a utilities contract that kept Longboat Key’s rates in the 25th percentile in a four-county area. He said that a commission-requested beach review “concluded that the town’s beach program was state-of-the-art” and pointed to an audit of the town’s firefighter pension fund that found nothing amiss.

“I’m extremely proud of my work, and I’m willing to put it under any level of scrutiny,” he said.

“I wish the citizens of this town, this staff and this commission the best,” he said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of something great.”

Brown described St. Denis as a “friend, counselor and asset” to the town.

“Your contributions will not be forgotten,” he said.

Resident Michael Lendrihas stood up to express his gratitude to St. Denis.

“I appreciate everything he’s done to make this town a better place to live,” he said.

Lendrihas said after the meeting that St. Denis listened more than a decade ago when he suggested a canal-dredging plan, an idea that was eventually adopted. More recently, Lendrihas said, St. Denis worked with residents to bring bus service to the north end.

“He listens to everyone,” Lendrihas said.

The commission unanimously accepted St. Denis’ resignation.

Then, St. Denis spoke into his microphone one last time.

“Mr. Mayor,” he said. “May I be excused?”

Brewing storm
St. Denis received a standing ovation from the crowd as he left commission chambers.

His resignation was no surprise to those gathered in the room. St. Denis submitted his resignation offer Friday, Sept. 16, through Town Attorney David Persson. The offer stated, “The town and St. Denis have decided that a continuation of the employment relationship between them is not in the best interest of the town or St. Denis.”

Persson said that Brown approached him during the summer out of a sense of growing disagreement between the town manager and commissioners.

“The mayor, being the perceptive type, said, ‘I’m seeing that there may be a desire to make a change,’” Persson said.

Persson relayed his findings to St. Denis, who began meeting with commissioners.

“He made a decision based on the totality of the situation,” Persson said.

Persson and commissioners contacted by the Longboat Observer declined to discuss the specifics of what was said during those conversations.

“That’s looking backward,” Vice Mayor David Brenner said. “The important thing is to look at the future. We’re in a time of change here.”

Brown said that no one event triggered him to approach Persson. He praised St. Denis’ skill as an ambassador and of explaining issues to the public. But, he said that in recent months he observed that the commission and the town manager appeared to be headed in different directions.

“The commission recognizes the change that was thrust upon them,” Brown said, citing the economic downturn as an example. “The commission was trying hard to discuss these issues. The honest truth is that Bruce wasn’t with us at all times.”

In recent months, commissioners sparred with St. Denis about a number of issues, including a $4.5 million beach project and the 2011-12 budget.

Commissioner Jack Duncan, who joined the commission earlier this year, said that St. Denis was effective at maintaining the status quo but lost sight of important long-term issues, such as the loss of population and decline of the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort and north end of the island.

“Quite frankly, I think we’re in a situation where we need to do more forward-thinking,” Duncan said.

Persson attributed the discontent to change, noting that although the typical town manager stays on for four or five years, St. Denis served for 14 years as town manager.

“The lay of the land in 1997 was 180 degrees from what it is today,” Persson said.

Looking ahead
The agreement approved by the commission included a severance package totaling $268,364.81, as laid out in the town manager’s contract with the town. The package includes 12 months’ base salary totaling $177,507.20; the amount of 28% of one year’s base salary, $49,702.01, which St. Denis received in annual deferred compensation in lieu of participating in the town’s pension plan for regular employees; $16,507.79, representing the town’s contribution toward medical insurance premiums; and unused vacation time totaling $24,647.81. In the short term, St. Denis will be available for contact until Oct. 15 to assist with the transition.

Shortly after St. Denis left, the commission unanimously approved Longboat Key Police Chief Al Hogle as acting town manager. Hogle then took his seat at the dais, prepared to lead the town while the commission works to find an interim town manager and, ultimately, its new leader.

UPDATE: Bruce St. Denis was one of eight finalists for the position of Sarasota County administrator. The Longboat Key Town Commission appointed longtime Sarasota County Deputy Administrator David Bullock to the position in October.

Past Town Managers
Cecil Schofield — November 1957 to February 1958
Alan Buck — March 1958 to March 1959
Cecil Schofield — March 1959 to January 1963
G.M. Max Lanier — February 1963 to October 1972
Wayne Allgire — November 1972 to August 1982
Dennis Kelly — September 1982 to August 1986
Albert Cox — November 1986 to January 1993
Griff Roberts — February 1993 to June 1997
Bruce St. Denis — September 1997 to September 2011 

SALARY SPECS
Town Manager Bruce St. Denis’ salary increases since his date of hire in October 1996.

Date                       Salary
October 1996       $77,937.60
July 1997              $84,510.40
July 1998              $92,955.20
July 1999              $99,923.20
October 1999       $105,913.20
October 2000       $108,929.60
October 2001       $114,379.20
October 2002       $117,249.60
October 2003       $134,846.40
October 2004       $134,846.40
October 2005       $141,588.72
October 2006       $152,505.60
October 2007       $177,505 

MAN on the STREET

Residents react: St. Denis’ service

We asked residents to share their thoughts after the special meeting Monday, Sept. 19, during which the Longboat Key Town Commission accepted Town Manager Bruce St. Denis’ resignation.









“I don’t agree with the decision. I think that this commission could have worked a little harder to work out their differences with our town manager. All you have to do is drive down Gulf of Mexico Drive and you know that the beauty of it didn’t happen without Bruce St. Denis.”
— Phyllis Black









“I’m glad that it was handled in a professional way. The commission must have felt that 15 years was a long enough time on this job. In private industry, you have turnover.”
— Shannon Gault









“I’m very sad to see Bruce leave. I think he’s done an admirable job.”
— Kip O’Neill









“He’s been a very good friend to the citizens of Longboat Key. When there have been problems, he’s been there, and he’s showed his personal concern for citizens.”
— Beverly Shapiro

Click here to read "St. Denis: A History"