Holding Atlanta City Government Accountable

Press release issued today: December 15, 2008 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ATLANTA ARBORIST FILES WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIM Former City of Atlanta Senior Arborist Tom Coffin today filed an “intent to sue” letter with the city for wrongful dismissal under the State of Georgia's Whistleblower Act.” Dr. Coffin asserts that he was fired for raising concerns about failure to enforce Atlanta's tree preservation laws while serving as field supervisor of the Arborist Division in Atlanta's Bureau of Buildings. Field arborists are hired as degreed professionals explicitly to implement and enforce Atlanta’s Tree Protection Ordinance. In the weeks prior to his abrupt dismissal in July Dr. Coffin was pressing his supervisor, Arboricultural Manager Ainsley Caldwell, to accept disciplinary charges he was making against two subordinate field arborists for official decisions they had made that violated the Code of Conduct of the city and the Standard Operating Procedures of the division. On July 14, ...

The Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD) announced today that it is planning to switch to a four day work week to save on expenses. This shortened work week is expected to increase the time it takes to get a permit by 10% (which already makes me question how it is that hours worked will be cut by 20% but actual production will suffer only 10%.... hmm). The shortened work week will also make it more inconvenient for you to get a permit to do general work on your home. It probably won’t help the trees too much, though. Sounds like the Arborist Department is perfectly happy with nothing more than “photos showing the structural failure” of your tree to allow you to remove it “immediately”. Anyone with a copy of Photoshop should be able to make the most robust tree look like it’s about to fall down. Below is the letter issued today from James E. Shelby , Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Community Development: December 5, 2008 Dear DPCD Stakeholder, Due to...

In anticipation of the numerous depositions alone that will be required as a result of the lawsuit Tom Coffin intends to file against the City of Atlanta, Coffin is hoping to establish a legal offense committee to help with his legal expenses. He would like to structure the committee in a way that would allow continued and broadened scrutiny of practices in the Arborist Division as well as be expandable to include other city departments and other issues of accountability, transparency, efficiency, etc. People with experience in fundraising and/or hosting benefits to raise money are particularly needed for his effort, even if all you can do is offer advice. However, those with no experience are needed as well, so please don't hesitate to get involved. (Getting the word out is the most important thing you can do.) If you would like to volunteer for this effort or want more information, please contact Tom Coffin or me directly, that is, if you know how. I'm not posting our persona...

I'm not sure that City Council has even begun their audit, but Tom Coffin already has all the evidence he needs just by the charts below . The City's attempt to portray Coffin as an overbearing but ineffective employee because he didn't use kinder, gentler methods of enforcing the Tree Ordinance is belied by the data Coffin recently received via Open Records. Yesterday, in an email to his supporters, Tom stated that: I will soon be filing suit against the City under the State "Whistleblower" statute (O.C.G.A. 45-1-4 (2008). Up until last year, the state's whistleblower law didn't even apply to city and county employees, but due to a recently passed bill by State Representative Rich Golick of Smyrna, Coffin can now file suit under this stature.

By Tom Coffin, Ph.D. Many people protested my July 29 firing at the first meeting of the City Council in August. There were also a few detractors, among them my former colleague and subordinate, Janell Bazile. Rank-and-file employees of the Bureau of Buildings are prohibited from speaking in public without the consent of management. Ms. Bazile was speaking for Arboricultural Manager Ainsley Caldwell, Bureau of Buildings Director Ibrahim Maslamani, Department of Planning Commissioner Steven Cover, and perhaps even Chief Operating Officer Greg Giornelli. Ms. Bazile assured the council that my published evidence of “near total abdication of enforcement of the tree protection ordinance” was inaccurate. She argued that there were other important enforcement measures short of citations that can be used under the ordinance. She implied, without evidence, that such activities were the actual mainstay of all the field arborists but me. This collaboration theory was accepted whole in the post-fi...

From the 10/20/08 Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation E-letter: Dear Members and Supporters, On October 29th, the same day that we planned our next luncheon, City Council will be meeting at 1:00 to discuss, among other items, the $850,000 expenditure for a redundant turnaround plan. We feel this meeting is so important that we have canceled the luncheon so we may attend this meeting. In addition, we will be submitting a proposal calling for a full audit of the City, as we are concerned that many more inconsistencies exist, including the under funded Pension Funds. We urge you to attend this meeting! If you can not attend, please email City Council, urging them to take action on a full city audit as well as rethinking a $850,000 expenditure we can not afford! Sincerely, Barbara Payne Executive Director

Updated October 20, 2008: Please note, this luncheon has been cancelled . From the 10/16/08 Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation E-Letter: Dear Members and Supporters, The City of Atlanta needs a front overhaul! One way to demand accountability from all City employees is to implement performance metrics! While Georgia is a Right To Work state, this should not mean that City employees escape the need for reviews and being held to a higher standard of job performance! Tickets are on sale for our October luncheon with Tom Coffin, who will be discussing the need for performance metrics and telling his story of his experience as a City employee. Unlike our last luncheon, we will NOT be allowing walk-up, so get your tickets early! Sincerely, John S. Sherman, President Barbara Payne, Executive Director Click here to reserve your ticket(s).