ADRIAN — City commissioners and members of the public were united at the May 4 commission meeting in their praise for city administrator Chad Baugh and their regret at his departure. But that was just about the only point of agreement, as both Baugh’s resignation and the process of replacing him led to several tense moments.

Baugh, who was hired last fall, has accepted a new position as a court administrator in Wayne County. He stated at the May 4 meeting that while he had originally expected to stay in Adrian about 10 years, the court administrator opening was unexpected and represents an opportunity to work with judges he’s known since the beginning of his career.

Commissioners and residents praised Baugh’s transparency, accessibility and communication skills, and said that he made a big difference in a short time.

“What you have done in just seven months is phenomenal,” Mayor Angela Heath said to Baugh.

“You brought intention, trust, clarity, stability, kindness, inclusion, authenticity, transparency, safety, leadership and teamwork to the city, and you led carefully,” added commissioner Aaron Chesher.

However, that was one of the only points of unanimity in a meeting that saw several tense moments.

Speakers allege a toxic workplace: During the public comment portions of the meeting, downtown property owner Scott Westfall alleged that city commissioner Mary Roberts had been verbally abusive toward city employees, particularly community development director Lisa Hewitt-Cruz.

“Lisa has been screamed at in meetings, verbally berated in her own office, and driven to the point of quitting on numerous occasions,” Westfall said.

He also criticized commissioner Bob Behnke, saying to Behnke that “You’re not much better. You’ve publicly denigrated members of Lisa’s department and harmed their reputations.”

Westfall said he believes Roberts should resign.

Gordon Gauss, an Adrian resident and former city commissioner, made similar comments.

“There have been repeated instances where Commissioner Roberts has publicly criticized, spoken down to, or disparaged city employees, people who are here to serve our community and who deserve to be treated with basic respect,” Gauss said.

City resident Nancy O’Connor of Adrian said she has been in meetings where Hewitt-Cruz was “rudely berated.” She also said she believes Baugh is “too professional and polite” to talk about reasons for his departure.

“I really believe that if aspects of this commission had been different, he would have stayed,” she said.

Roberts, contacted after the May 4 meeting, declined to comment. 

Behnke stated: “I respect the right of residents and stakeholders to express their opinions during public comment. While not everyone will agree on every issue, I remain focused on serving the residents of Adrian with professionalism, transparency, and dedication while advancing the public’s trust.”

Westfall also predicted that the city would soon lose Hewitt-Cruz in addition to Baugh. Local Buzz Radio reported on May 15 that Hewitt-Cruz had submitted her resignation and accepted a similar position with the Lenawee County government.

Administrator search begins: Also on May 4, the commission started the process of seeking Baugh’s replacement. Yeo & Yeo, the consulting firm that conducted the last search, is carrying out this process as well.

The city’s original contract with Yeo & Yeo stated that if the city administrator left within a year of starting employment, the company would waive its own fees for a second search, charging the city only for travel, advertising, and any third-party costs. Because of this, the second search is estimated to cost about $4,000.

Commissioner Matt Schwartz proposed having Yeo & Yeo reach out to the top applicants from the last search and see if any are still interested. 

“We’re in a time crunch,” he said, noting that the city is currently under a December deadline to make sure all the funds from a $15 million state grant get spent.

Behnke disagreed, saying the search should not be limited to people who applied last year.

“Let’s not hold ourselves to previous candidates who applied for the position. In seven or eight months a lot of things can change,” he said.

Behnke also noted that three out of seven commissioners are new and were elected after the last search.

Heath said the search firm can both contact past applicants and advertise for new candidates.

Sadler named acting administrator: The commission voted 5-2 to accept Heath’s recommendation that utilities director Will Sadler be named acting city administrator.

Heath said it was Baugh’s recommendation that the role be temporarily filled by someone who is already working for the city. She also said that police chief Vince Emrick, who filled in as administrator during the last vacancy as well as some previous ones, was not interested in doing it again.

Sadler was one of five finalists for the administrator role last year. While no commissioners objected to his qualifications, Schwartz expressed concern that having an acting administrator who has previously expressed interest in the job could discourage other applicants.

“I don’t want it to appear that our commission is giving a rubber stamp to someone that we know is interested in the job,” he said.

Amy Cell, president of Yeo & Yeo, attended the meeting via Zoom call. She said that concern can be handled.

“It is fine to have an interim and it will not dissuade applicants if it is messaged correctly when the question comes up,” she said.

Commissioner Tiffany Zych expressed support for Sadler as acting administrator.

“He knows his stuff, his attention to detail is unmatched, and I think he would be a very smooth transition for the time being,” she said.

Schwartz and commissioner Chip Moore dissented from the vote to appoint Sadler.

Departing administrator’s final thoughts: Baugh told commissioners that his departure was because “an opportunity opened in my life that I didn’t foresee.”

“This is a beautiful place,” he said. “Both commissions that have been sitting since I’ve been working here have been outstanding. I respect the staff tremendously, the work that they’ve done over the years. I can tell you they’ve learned to survive and adapt and make things happen, and we couldn’t ask for more when it comes to that.”

He described his philosophy as “yes before no,” and always trying to come up with a solution. He also said that building cohesion is going to be important as the city moves forward.

“Even the stakeholders that seem like they’re not aligned right now, every one of the folks that I’ve met … they love Adrian, and you’re not that far apart,” he said.

“Everyone I’ve met has great intentions. We’ve just got to bring them together,” Baugh added.

“These folks here coming out on a Monday night and crowding this room love this city, so I’d like to see what you do with it next.”

What’s next: The city administrator search is among the discussion items for the commission’s next meeting, which will take place at 6 p.m. Monday, May 18, in the City Chambers Building, 159 E. Maumee St. The agenda is available online at adriancity.com. Meetings can be attended in person or via Zoom, and recordings are posted on the city’s YouTube channel.

To view the May 4 meeting, click here or on the preview below.