Naples council to evaluate city manager’s performance

NAPLES — The performance of a top Naples official will be the subject of discussion during Wednesday’s Naples City Council meeting.

Council members are expected to conduct Naples City Manager Bill Moss’ annual performance review.

Moss received kudos from City Council last year during his review. Council last year voted 6-1 to give Moss a 5 percent salary increase, which bumped his salary up to about $185,000, not including benefits.

The 2008 increase was the same salary raise — percentage wise — that non-union employees received in October 2008.

City employees did not get salary increases this year. Naples Mayor Bill Barnett said Tuesday he did not know whether Moss would receive a raise this year.

“I expect he’ll get whatever his contract states,” Barnett said.

Moss’ contract does not guarantee a salary increase each year, and on Tuesday, Moss said he “couldn’t and wouldn’t accept” a pay increase this year.

Moss has already gotten a peak at what some of his employers think. Two council members — Barnett and Councilman John Sorey — turned in performance reviews ahead of today’s meeting.

“Bill Moss is a pleasure to work with,” Barnett said in his Nov. 23 review. “He keeps council informed, scheduled weekly meetings them, and as stated above is readily available and willing to answer questions and provide information to us 24/7.”

Sorey also gave Moss high marks, but said he needed to “be more aggressive with council to insure a clear understanding as to council direction.”

Moss said in a Nov. 18 memo to council that it was not mandatory for council members to fill out a form or give him a formal, written review.

“Completion of the form by each member of City Council is less important to me than ongoing, open communication with each of you,” he wrote. “While I have a fairly good sense as to my performance the past year and your expectations, it is important that I know areas where performance has not met your expectations.”

All formal written evaluations become a part of the public record.

In other council business:

n Naples City Council is expected to discuss revising the city’s irrigation water connection policy. The proposed change would require new construction, remodeled structures and developed properties that transfer ownership to connect to the city’s reclaimed water system.

n Naples City Council will also discuss who can use City Council chambers for events. The discussion comes on the heels of a request from Naples Town Meeting founder Judith Chirgwin to hold a meeting in council chambers on Jan. 26. This topic was last discussed in February 2008, when City Council determined “the use of council chambers should not be available to non-governmental groups.”

Naples City Council meets at 8:30 a.m. at Naples City Hall, Eighth Street South.

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Connect with Naples reporter Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster at www.naplesnews.com/staff/jenna_buzzacco