Hawthorne city planner quits

“My opinion isn’t valued at all,” Moosbrugger said. “When I try and help with something, it’s just not welcomed or ever requested.”

Moosbrugger started working for Hawthorne in October 2008 while an undergraduate at the University of Florida. She was promoted from intern to full-time employee in June 2009 under former Interim City Manager Linda Rice Chapman.

Tension between Moosbrugger and City Manager Ed Smyth escalated when Smyth suspended her with pay on March 24, under concerns that she might be disseminating information in an effort to discredit Smyth.

Interim City Attorney Audrie Harris conducted an investigation of the allegations, while also investigating Smyth and two other city employees, who cashed a check for themselves that was made out to the city. 

Harris’ report cleared all parties in the check incident of any criminal offenses. The check was for after-hours work, and the employees performing the work have maintained that it was not done with city property.  One of those employees did, however use the City fax machine and letterhead to send a handwritten invoice for the work.  The allegations against Moosbrugger were also found to be unsupported.

“While the city employees were consistent in relaying their comments and Ms. Moosbrugger admitted that Ms. Chapman is her mentor, Ms. Moosbrugger specifically denied the allegations and there is no independent evidence to corroborate the allegations of the city employees,” Harris wrote, in her report on the incident.

Moosbrugger said she talked to two city employees, who she did not name to avoid getting them in trouble, who told her they didn’t make the allegations against her in Harris’ report. Moosbrugger went on to say that she suspects the original allegations may have come straight from the city manager or city attorney.

With the investigation in the past and Moosbrugger is gone, Smyth said the city will look to the county for city planning help in the short-term, and he will hire a part-time city planner down the road.

Smyth said the workload of a small city like Hawthorne doesn’t require a full-time city planner.

Despite their inability to work things out, Smyth said he still has a high opinion of Moosbrugger.

“She has the potential to be a world-class planner,” Smyth said.

However, he did have critical things to say, as well.

“I would temper that by saying that she probably needs a little bit more experience and a little bit more maturity.”

He later addressed the issue of whether he believed Moosbrugger had been disseminating discrediting information.

“I don’t know that Kelly was the leak in the wall or not, and I guess I never will. Unless after she leaves to go to graduate school I never get anymore leaks, then that’s the only way I’m going to know,” Smyth said.

Smyth was also critical of Moosbrugger in her exit interview, giving her several below average ratings.

Moosbrugger said her evaluation done by Chapman was very positive, and she plans to talk to the mayor about keeping the latest evaluation out of her file.

“I hope to have it shredded because of the obvious bias and spite that went into it,” she said.

Moosbrugger said she doesn’t know why she was singled out and suspended as a possible leak.

“Everybody knew what was going on in the office,” Moosbrugger said. “We were never told that any information discussed was to be kept secret.

“It’s all public record,” she said.

She said she suspects Harris turned Smyth against her from the beginning because of Harris’ previous scuffle with Chapman, and Moosbrugger’s close relationship with Chapman.

“The way he acted toward me at the beginning felt like he had been forewarned,” Moosbrugger said.

Moosbrugger will be going to graduate school at Portland State in the fall to get a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning, a decision made in part because of her poor working relationship with Smyth.

She made the decision to apply to graduate schools a couple of months after Smyth beat out Chapman for the city manager job, and she was accepted to Portland State the week before her suspension.

She said she would have had to leave eventually, but the decision was greatly hastened by the accusations against her and by her treatment during the suspension.

She said the city manager took her key away and told her she couldn’t talk to any city officials or set foot on city property.

“What in the world did they think I did, if they are treating me like this,” Moosbrugger said. “Did they think I was dangerous?”

At the May 4 commission meeting, Moosbrugger requested that the city put a letter clearing her name of any wrongdoing in her personnel file. The commission directed her to work the situation out with the city manager. She met with Smyth on May 5, and he agreed to put such a letter in her file.

She also requested the city pay her legal fees, the $979 she paid to hire a lawyer to defend her during the investigation. The commission ruled on April 20 to delay the decision until all investigations on the issue are resolved.

Moosbrugger said she has enjoyed her experience working in Hawthorne and has learned a lot. She said she’s received support from several people in Hawthorne during her suspension and struggle to clear her name.

A few of the people supporting her spoke at the May 4 meeting, including Hawthorne resident Larry Tilbury.