The death of expertise continues

With 2020 coming to an end, there is much to say but little time to say it. 

At the Dec. 14 meeting of the Austin County commissioners, resident Rick Mitchell of Industry made a complaint that’s been echoed many times for many years. Only his complaint had a slightly different twist. Rather than just gripe about the condition of county roads, he offered solutions. And he was met with a deaf ear and rudeness. 

“The current maintenance practices go against federal, state, TxDOT (Texas Department of Transportation), AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) guidelines; we’re not following anything right,” he said. “I’ve worked in oil field for over 40 years. I’ve built roads all over the world. I have 40 years’ experience doing it and what we’re doing is wrong, it’s incorrect… I’ve written recommendations to you all. I’ve gotten zero response from anybody. We’re wasting money, the road maintenance is pathetic, we’re using the wrong practices and principles and I’m here trying to get somebody to change and use common sense and do things right. 

“I’ve offered my help. I’ve provided economic analysis to show how to do it cheaper and better and I’ve gotten zero response from anybody,” he said. 

The response he got from the commissioners was wrong on two levels. First of all, the comments were made during the public comment period and it violates state law for the commissioners to respond. Commissioner Randy Reichardt (whose term ends today) did respond with Judge Tim Lapham’s permission. 

Reichardt basically told him it didn’t matter because nothing was going to change, and by law he doesn’t have to fix the roads if he doesn’t want to. He said the only way it could change is if there were enough petitions to get the court to switch to a unit system. When Mitchell asked what a unit system is, Reichardt told him to look it up. 

For the record, a unit system is where an engineer is responsible for the roads of an entire county. Currently, the four commissioners are responsible for the roads in their precincts. 

Clearly, Reichardt should not have responded, but at the very least he could have been polite about it. When someone with significant expertise offers to help, the county owes it to them to hear them out and see what they can contribute. Given the conditions of the roads across Austin County, they couldn’t do much worse than they are right now. 

Ignoring expertise 

Back in September I wrote about the book “The Death of Expertise: The Campaign against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters” by Tom Nichols. What Nichols had to say about people valuing their own opinions over that of established knowledge appears to be very true in this case. The county turned a deaf ear to a real expert who could help and slapped him in the face for his efforts. 

We’ve seen the same thing in Sealy with the departure of City Manager Lloyd Merrell and Sealy EDC Executive Director Robert Worley. Both men resigned and were subsequently placed on administrative leave until their designated time on the job was up. Neither man would have left, and they certainly wouldn’t have been placed on leave, if the city council had valued and trusted their expertise. Instead, they were questioned and stymied by elected officials with far less knowledge and experience in their respective fields. 

It’s not that the council should have rubber stamped whatever they proposed, but the way they’ve responded to not only these men, but other city staff as well, is embarrassing. They frequently belittle the work done by Assistant City Manager Warren Escovy during council meetings. They’ve all but ignored Public Works Director Mark Pulos who told them months ago they need to hire his replacement because he will retire sometime between now and August. Otherwise, the wastewater treatment plant will be out of compliance without a certified operator in charge. 

The council acted with sticker shock nearly every time Worley brought them an economic development proposal. They revised Merrell’s budget without consulting him first and resisted his efforts to make Main Street safe by eliminating center parking. 

Don’t blame 2020 

It would be nice to blame all these things on 2020 and the coronavirus pandemic, but these are ongoing problems with local elected officials. Until city and county officials can learn to look beyond their noses and see the bigger picture presented by experienced experts, Sealy and Austin County will be nothing more than a rough patch in the road of progress. 

Goodbye 

I never intended my last column for The Sealy News to be in such a negative tone, but these are things that need to be said and I’m out of time. It’s my hope that someone will listen and endeavor to make a positive difference here. 

My employment with The Sealy News comes to an end today, Dec. 31. The newspaper is changing hands and I’m one of the assets the new ownership is not keeping. So, before the rumors start flying that I got fired over something I wrote or did, you can nip that in the bud right now. I’ve known about this for a month and my employer is working hard to help me transition into another job. You don’t do that with someone you’ve fired. It’s more of a layoff. 

I’ve enjoyed my time in Sealy and wish everyone here all the best. I hope your 2021 goes far better than the way mine is starting.

Has city council stepped out of bounds?

Depending on your perspective, the recent actions taken by the Sealy City Council are those of brave men and women willing to make difficult choices in the best interest of the city or those of authoritarian micromanagers who have overstepped their bounds. 

There is an element of truth to both perspectives. There’s no doubt that each member of the council feels they are doing their job and doing what they honestly believe to be in the best interest of the Sealy taxpayers. No decision or vote appears to have been taken lightly or without serious consideration and deliberation. 

The city’s charter clearly defines the roles of the city manager and the city council. The city manager runs the day-to-day operations of the city and the council serves as overseers, much like a board of directors would oversee a corporation and its president and CEO. 

If the board is unhappy with their CEO, they remove that person from the job. The council appeared poised to do that with City Manager Lloyd Merrell. He preempted them by resigning at the end of his contract. The council opted to accept his resignation, but rather than let him work out the seven weeks left on his contract they removed him immediately. That was their prerogative. 

Merrell resigned because he felt the council was violating its charter and interfering in the daily operations of the city. If corporate board members start interfering with the employees and operations of the company, there could be some serious ramifications. I don’t think that’s very different than what’s happening here. 

Consider these points: 

Councilmember Jennifer Sullivan took it upon herself to make budget amendments that slashed the budgets of various departments and cut unfilled positions. The council, and not an individual member, should have directed the city manager to trim the budget. Although she technically has that authority to do what she did, she clearly did an end-run around the city manager and department heads. 

Sullivan has a history of acting on her own volition. In the past she contacted Sealy ISD officials to try and get them to follow through on their agreement to pave the gravel overflow parking lot at the football stadium. That line of communication should never have come from a council member. It should have come through the city manager or his designee. 

Councilmember Larry Koy has a tendency to meddle in personnel matters. My first indication of this was in 2015 when he and former mayor Mark Stolarski orchestrated ending a six-month “continuity of service” contract with former city manager Chris Coffman three months into the contract. They made a deal to buy out his $50,000 contract for $45,000 without giving a public explanation. 

More recently, after Sealy EDC Executive Director Robert Worley announced his resignation to take another job, Koy got ticked off when Worley emailed him regarding a rumor that Koy wanted to shut down the Main Street program. Apparently there are rules in place regarding staff and council having direct email contact. But Koy is on the EDC board of directors, so contact in this regard is a gray area. The rule should probably not apply between an executive director and his board of directors. 

It doesn’t seem improper to go directly to the source of a serious rumor like that. Instead of having the courtesy to answer Worley he emailed the city manager to demand that an item be placed on the next agenda to fire him. In a compromise, Worley will be paid through the remainder of his commitment, but he was removed from office. 

Koy refused to return an email and phone call to The Sealy News regarding it and when confronted in person deferred comment mayor. 

Apparently Koy has a problem differentiating between his role on the EDC board and his seat on the council. When the EDC board was deliberating promoting Kimbra Hill to fill Worley’s position, Koy voted against it saying that the city had a hiring freeze. (Koy has been very adamant about the freeze.) That should not have been a consideration coming from a board member. That would be a decision considered by council as to whether it accepts the recommendation, rejects it, or postpones it. The EDC board was tasked with recommending a replacement, not mulling the city’s finances. Yet as a city councilmember Koy voted for Hill’s promotion, so go figure! 

Councilmember Chris Noack deserves credit for calling out staff for their purchase of a $1,200 stove for the planning department, especially as funds were getting tight during the pandemic. This sounds like a bonehead purchase that never should have happened unless it was specifically budgeted (thus approved by council) and the money for it was secure. 

At the Dec. 15 council meeting, Noack read a long statement in which he discussed the obligations of city council members. 

“It’s imperative that there is an open line of communication between city staff and the city council,” he said. 

This is ironic when Koy had just sought to fire Worley for emailing him. Clearly there are problems with internal communications, and it looks like it has to do with a history of mistrust. 

At the Dec. 15 council meeting, resident Helen Burchfield blasted the council for removing Merrell and Worley from office before their employment was up. She also noted that Sealy has a reputation for being a very difficult place to build a business. That’s far from being the first time that complaint was made. 

It is now being born out as the council is in the process of amending its ordinances to require that minor commercial plats be approved by council. Currently, the planning director can approve minor plats and will continue to approve minor residential plats. This just further exemplifies micromanagement by the council and also doubles the time it takes to get minor commercial plat approvals, making it harder to develop in Sealy. 

I could go on, but there you have it. Is the council demonstrating leadership or micromanaging?

An arresting love story

I met my wife because her father got arrested in China. 

That’s one heck of an opening line when you’re at a party and someone asks the ice-breaker question “How did you meet your spouse?” 

The thing is, it’s true. It was the summer of 1998. I was at church in a Bible study for single parents. This young woman came into the class for the first time and asked for prayer for her father. He was on a short-term mission trip to China and the only thing she knew was his group had been arrested. We prayed with her. The journalist in me, however, didn’t have to look too hard to see that there was an interesting story there. 

At the time I was working for the Longmont (Colo.) Daily Times-Call. I gave the woman my business card and told her I wanted to do a story for the paper. A couple weeks later her father was safely back home, and we arranged an interview at his house. His name is Joe Snyder and he had gone with a small group in support of a Chinese-born American missionary who made frequent Christian mission trips deep into China. 

It turns out their “arrest” was more like house detention. They were told to stop evangelizing and to keep to the house where they were staying for the duration of their trip. The only saving grace to keep the incident from escalating was the fact that it was the Fourth of July (which meant nothing to the Chinese) and President Bill Clinton was visiting the country. 

A subtle hint to authorities about creating an international incident during our national holiday while our president was in the country is all it took to get leniency. The group was allowed to leave the country under the condition they never return. (The missionary continued to return for years afterward and Snyder went back with him on one trip under a new passport.) 

As I interviewed the man who would become my father-in-law, his daughter, who was recently divorced like me, was at the house but hid in another room. She apparently liked me but was shy. I’m also eight years older and at the time the age gap was a little uncomfortable. She eventually came out and said hi. That ended the shyness. 

After that she began to pay more attention to me whenever our group met at church or for social activities. That fall one of my favorite singers, Glen Campbell, was doing a concert in Denver. I bought a pair of tickets with the intention of going with another friend, who couldn’t go. I asked around to see if anyone else wanted to join me. She did. So off we went into a snowstorm to a large church with an oversold crowd. 

We crammed into folding chairs hastily set up in the hallway of the balcony. The concert was awesome, but he never sang “Rhinestone Cowboy” which is one of my all-time favorite songs. I don’t think either of us at the time considered the concert a date, but we changed that in retrospect. 

 For Valentine’s Day in 1999, the guys in our single parents group made breakfast for the gals, who had an overnight women’s retreat at one of their homes. It was at that gathering that several couples got together and eventually married. Sandy and I were one of those couples. 

Our relationship grew quite serious very quickly. I bought us a pair of passes to the first Star Wars Celebration, which was held in a monsoon in Denver. It was there as we stood in a long line in the drizzle and mud to see one of the actors for the new “Phantom Menace” movie on stage that I asked her to marry me. There was no hesitation. 

We kept our engagement quiet at first. We staged a formal proposal on Mother’s Day when we invited my parents to come over to meet her parents at their house. After breakfast on the back porch, I called her son and my daughter over and asked them how they would feel being brother and sister. They were too young to understand the question, but they liked the idea. 

I got on my knee, took out the ring, and proposed to her in front of our parents and children. It was a happy occasion, but I’m pretty sure our parents felt things were happening a little too fast. After all, we both had been divorced just the year before and neither of us were really settled into a new life yet. 

At this point in my story some of you may be wondering why I’m bringing this up now. That’s because Dec. 17 is our 21st anniversary. Those 21 years have been filled with some amazing hardships and adventures. We went from living in a mobile home, blending a family that didn’t always mesh, to owning a new home and adding two more boys to the mix. 

We’ve gone through a business failure, bankruptcy, and foreclosure. We’ve lived in a house that was condemned. She supported me through many job changes, and I supported her getting her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. From our marriage we have one child with a college degree, two with trade school certifications, and a fourth preparing to go to college. Two of the boys are Eagle Scouts! 

Through all of this we’ve had each other. Ours is a marriage grounded in our Christian faith and supported by an ironclad commitment to our vows and each other. After 21 years I could not be happier with my choice for a wife. And I’m very thankful her father got arrested in China all those years ago. Had he not, our lives would be very different today.

Angel Tree a real blessing this year

It’s heartwarming to see people coming in our door at The Sealy News to pick up ornaments off the Angel Tree. 

Each ornament represents a Christmas gift wish for seniors at The Oaks and Silver Lakes retirement communities. For some of them it may be the only gift they get for Christmas. 

We’ve been doing this for many years now and it’s something we look forward to every year. Of all the charitable events we participate in, this one is probably the most meaningful, especially this year. One of the advantages I have being in the office when a lot of the ornaments are selected is overhearing comments about the types of gifts the seniors have asked for. 

When people pick through the ornaments they often become astonished and a little humbled by the simplicity of the requests. In a time when we’re used to seeing commercials and hearing kids clamor for the latest toys and technological gadgets, these seniors often ask for simple necessities such as pajamas, blankets, toiletries, etc. 

Many of them want Walmart gift cards. While that may not be glamorous or fun to shop for, they really do make a difference. They can be used to extend a meager food allowance or to purchase personal items that one might be embarrassed to list openly on an ornament, such as undergarments or socks. Some of them may not have an immediate want or need but a gift card enables them to get what they want when the need arises. 

The best part of the Angel Tree program is being at the party when the gifts are given out. Traditionally Tony’s Family Restaurant hosts and provides a free lunch to the seniors Groups sing Christmas carols and Santa hands out the gifts. It’s very fun and festive. 

Unfortunately, that will not happen this year. Government regulations prohibit nursing/retirement homes from holding public gatherings. Tony’s has offered to provide the meal, but Uncle Sam is playing the Grinch. That’s why the Angel Tree is so important this year. By using safety precautions, we can still deliver the gifts to our seniors. We can do that little bit to make their lives a little happier this year. 

As we all know this has been a very tough year for everyone, especially those in senior living communities. Visitations have been almost nonexistent, and the warmth of a hug has become a no-no. These basic things are the connections people crave and are having to do without. 

Fortunately, by the time you read this all of the ornaments on the Angel Tree will be claimed. As of this writing there are only a couple left and there is a long list of people who said they would come back if they’re not all taken. That kind of generosity really refreshes one’s perspective on humanity. In a time when there has been so much division politically and socially it’s nice to see people reaching out and caring for others, usually complete strangers. 

 Wrapping paper update 

Among other changes happening this year, our annual coloring contest and wrapping paper program is getting downsized. The kids did a fantastic job of coloring their pictures. On Friday members of the American Legion Auxiliary judged the contest and picked the winners that are published on the back page of the paper this week. I can tell you it wasn’t an easy task. There are some really good young artists out there! 

We usually print the winning pictures in a two-page spread that can be used as Christmas wrapping paper. This year, due to a lack of advertiser support, we can only do one page and it is only running this week. Unless advertisers step up, we will not be able to run it next week. 

I do want to thank the ladies from the American Legion Auxiliary for their time and careful consideration in judging the contest. I want to thank Austin County State Bank for their sponsorship and for displaying the pictures in their lobby. And thanks as well to the Sealy Community Foundation for their support. 

Mostly I want to thank the children for taking the time to color such beautiful artwork and to the parents who helped them submit it. I wish we could run all of them in the paper. 

Letters to Santa 

The letters to Santa are coming in. We’re compiling the list and checking it twice! We will publish them in next week’s paper. It’s not too late yet to advertise in that special keepsake edition. Just contact us here at The Sealy News if your business (or parents) would like to help support the children of our community through the publication of this Christmas tradition. 

I want to make a special wish to each of our readers for the happiest of holidays this year. From Hanukkah, which begins today, to Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Years, may this season be merry and bright for everyone.

Looking for our Apollo 8 moment

On Dec. 27, 1968, the Apollo 8 mission came to an end with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. 

 It was the conclusion of the mission that sent the first men to the moon. Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders didn’t walk on the moon, but they did orbit it 10 times. A telegram sent to the crew afterward simply stated, “Thank you for saving 1968.” 

The Apollo 8 mission was an amazingly positive, unifying event that stood out in a year marked by war, protest, and assassinations. Much like 2020, the year 1968 was wretched. The nation was horribly divided. The Civil Rights Movement suffered a major setback with the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Sentiment toward the Vietnam War turned against the government. Presidential candidate Robert Kennedy was assassinated. Anti-war protestors clashed with police at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. 

Most of the news people had been enduring all year was divisive and negative. Sound familiar? That’s why it was such a big deal when the Apollo 8 mission – originally planned for low-earth orbit – was instead pushed to become the first manned flight to the moon. It became a rallying point and gave people something to cheer about. 

So here we are in a year that by itself could provide new lyrics to Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and we’re still looking for our Apollo 8 moment. We’re in the homestretch of 2020 and have more uncertainty about the future than ever. COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are spiking, putting a damper on holiday celebrations. Although President Donald Trump lost the election to Joe Biden, his refusal to concede and his waning challenges to the election in courts continue to divide people. 

We could look to space for 2020’s saving grace. SpaceX has started sending humans to the International Space Station, ending America’s reliance on the Russians for transportation. SpaceX is also working on a rocket ship that will hopefully carry humans to Mars someday. NASA is reaching milestones on its plans to return humans to the moon. The agency has also retrieved samples from an asteroid and are bringing them back to Earth. 

Unfortunately, most Americans became bored with the space race after the crew of Apollo 11 walked on the moon. Interest seems to be growing again, but I don’t think it will reach a fever pitch until new footprints grace the moon’s surface, or that of Mars. 

So, where do we look for hope and inspiration as we close out this tumultuous year? Personally, I turn to scriptures for comfort. 

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) 

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:5-6) 

Undoubtedly there are many others who will also point to the Bible and current events and decry these as the end times. Still more people simply don’t accept the Bible and will find no comfort in it at all. 

As weird as this year has been, I get the feeling a lot of people think we will return to normal when the calendar flips to 2021 like this was some kind of an anomaly. The pessimist in me can’t help but wonder if this year hasn’t been a precursor or warm-up for 2021 and beyond. 

Just imagine what would be in store if the COVID-19 vaccines fail or cause devastating side-effects. What would happen if President Trump is somehow successful in overturning the election results? Think of the horrors in our streets should a court reduce or dismiss the charges against the cops in the George Floyd case. How will sporting events – including the Olympics – look next year if the pandemic continues? How will schools and universities manage if they can’t meet in person for an extended period of time (years, not just months)? 

I don’t like to speculate on the negative, but some of those things are very real possibilities. I prefer to think of the positives, such as life returning to normal, the virus going away, communities coming together and rebuilding themselves in new ways, the end of political polarization, and Baby Yoda (or Grogu, now that he has a name) finding his home. 

On a personal front, I know next year will bring a lot of joy to our family. Our youngest son Colton, who just turned 18 (happy birthday!), has earned the rank of Eagle Scout and will soon receive it. He will graduate high school in May and attend Texas A&M in the fall. Those are huge milestones in his life and we couldn’t be prouder! 

I know that’s not an Apollo 8 moment for the country, but it is for my family. In the meantime, I hope this month brings peace and happiness to everyone.