Holy political turmoil, Batman!
Yet more turnover at City Hall – this round mercifully unrelated to the continuing KeyPoint fallout – but if a fellow media organ is to be believed, it still goes back to the City Manager’s office.
Margaret Shaw, a familiar face from her afternoon actions before council as head of Neighborhood Housing and Community Development, is being transferred out of the gig effective June 7.
Shaw “will be transferring to Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services as a Senior Program Manager,” Ott wrote in a June 1 memo to council. Assistant NH&CD director Betsy Spencer has been appointed acting director, while Rebecca Giello, a manager, is now assistant director. Shaw has an impressive resume, having worked for the city previously from 1998 to 2002, before returning in 2006. Prior to that, she worked for the Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, in Washington D.C. from 1991 to 1995.
According to In Fact Daily, “Well-placed sources indicated that Shaw clashed with [Marc Ott’s] Chief of Staff Anthony Snipes as well as some of her employees and members of the public.” The move occurs at a politically difficult time for the city manager, as he recently endured a scathing public assessment of his performance, and a decidedly lukewarm endorsement from the council. We’ll soon see whether this move adds to his headaches.
What the hell else is happening?
On the city calendar: The Live From the Plaza music series continues today with Hosea Hargrove, outdoors at City Hall, 310 W. Second, 12pm.
The Design Commission, Comprehensive Plan Committee gathers at One Texas Center, 5th Floor, Room 560, 1:30pm, for more Vision Statement talk.
And don’t forget … The Night of the Bat going down this weekend.
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This article appears in June 4 • 2010.