Posted: July 8, 2010 - 12:06am
By TRACEY McMANUS
St. Johns County Administration placed suspended St. Augustine Amphitheatre General Manager Ryan Dettra on six months of probation with a $4,000 salary cut in response to a June 8 e-mail he sent to county employees, according to the incident's investigation report released Wednesday.
County officials placed Dettra on paid administrative leave June 11 after he charged money had been misused at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall renovation project. In the e-mail, Dettra openly criticized County Administrator Michael Wanchick and other county employees about the project.
"The allegations he made are well within his rights of discussion," said Public Affairs Specialist Karen Pan. "The concern came in the way in which (Dettra) communicated his concerns and allegations, and that is the latest in a trend of inappropriate communication in the last couple of years."
Dettra said Wednesday he accepted the county's offer to keep his position while requiring him to be on a performance improvement plan.
"I care about my staff," Dettra said. "It's been hard on them, so I've chosen to come back at least for a little while and make sure the Amphitheatre continues to prosper. I am just happy to be back."
The report, prepared by County Personnel Services Interim Director Stacey Stanish, cited five other instances since 2007 when Dettra sent "inappropriate" e-mails to coworkers. While also noting Dettra's "talent in dealing with acts, promoters and the booking side of the business," Stanish noted his punishment came as a result of a trend of poor communication and failure to follow policies.
Past "inappropriate" e-mails noted in the report include a 2009 e-mail Dettra sent to an unnamed county risk manager stating, "I am not interested in participating in county bureaucracy, and I DO NOT have to be copied. ... This discussion is over."
Dettra also e-mailed the deputy county attorney in 2007 and wrote, "Please understand that without knowing the background of the project and a financial breakdown you have NO business emailing nine county employees... please keep your comments to yourself. This type of e-mail wastes both your time and my time."
Pan said the county is still taking seriously the allegations Dettra made in his June 8 e-mail. The Clerk of Court's Fraud, Waste and Abuse unit is conducting an independent review of the allegations, which is expected to be completed in the next few weeks.
Wednesday's Personnel Services report concluded the county's internal investigation of Dettra's fraud allegations.
Stanish said Dettra's allegations that the county is losing revenue because of delays in the concert hall are "speculative" and based on personal opinion.
Dettra alleged the county is losing up to $1,346 per day in potential revenue, but, because there is no current business plan for the concert hall, that number cannot be substantiated, Stanish said.
In the report, Stanish noted Dettra scored high performance reviews in 2007 and 2009 except for criticisms for improving his relationship with fellow employees.
Dettra also violated the county's policy for communicating with the media when he forwarded his June 8 e-mail to The St. Augustine Record Editorial Page Editor Margo Pope, according to the report.
In a prepared statement, Wanchick said Dettra's punishment came after he failed to live up to past promises to improve his communication style.
"Dettra gave me his personal assurance that I could count on him to communicate in appropriate ways," Wanchick wrote. "Unfortunately, this latest episode is evidence to the contrary."
Part of the improvement plan includes requiring Dettra to attend Fraud, Waste and Abuse training; review options for resolving complaints; attend a business communication course; and review county media policy and his role in following policies.
"The county continues to value Dettra's talent, and we are hopeful he will embrace this opportunity to develop as a manager by overcoming his weaknesses and utilizing his strengths," Wanchick wrote.
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