A second Fruitland Park employee has filed a complaint against Commissioner Rick Ranize and this time the outgoing elected official isn’t keeping quiet.
Library Director Jo-Ann Glendinning filed the first complaint against the District 1 commissioner about a month ago, claiming that he threatened to take away money that was earmarked for new library furniture and made several other comments “which turned our talk uncomfortable.” At the time, Ranize declined to comment before speaking with his attorney.
The latest complaint, which was obtained by Villages-News.com through a public records request, was filed recently by Public Works Director Dale Bogle. He sent his concerns to City Manager Gary La Venia and Human Resources Director Diana Kolcun.
In the two-page complaint, Bogle claims that Ranize accused him via an email to La Venia of failing to take care of a tree limb issue on North Valley Road. Bogle also alleges that Ranize has a “personal vendetta” against him and is creating a “hostile work environment.”
Bogle also claims that Ranize has:
• Asked personnel at other municipalities about him and the way he performs his job.
• Asked that two of his full-time employees and his administrative assistant be let go.
• Gone to several city employees and questioned them about what he does, adding that commissioners are supposed to work through the city manager if they have an issue with a department or employees.
• Made comments to the city’s library director “that he is going to make it unpleasant for the city. “I feel that he was directing that comment to me,” Bogle wrote.
• Made comments that the city manager is afraid of him. “Never in the 13 years of my employment with the City have I ever bullied or threatened anyone, especially the City Manager, who I have great respect for,” Bogle wrote.
Bogle said he believes the state’s Sunshine Laws and the City Charter “are a big question here” and he feels that Ranize “needs to step back and think about what he is doing.”
Bogle goes on to say that he has been a “loyal employee” for 13 years, starting as a ditch digger and working his way up to the job of public works director. He said he will and always has put the safety of his employees and residents first.
“I will not let a bully push me around because he doesn’t like me,” Bogle wrote of Ranize, whose son used to work for the public works department. “I do not intimidate anyone in our City and am and always will be respectful to City residents, for they are who we all work for.”
Finally, Bogle alleges Ranize, who retired from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, only cares about the police and fire departments. He said that to him, that means Ranize “has no care or concern” about city residents who want safe water, sewer services, parks, streets repaired and the beauty of the city maintained.
Ranize said he’s not sure where Bogle’s complaints are coming from because he always goes through La Venia with questions or complaints. As a commissioner, he said, he certainly has the right to question things he disagrees with or doesn’t understand. And he cited the city’s charter to back up his claim, which in Sec. 3.08 makes it clear that commissioners are to work through the manager with issues or concerns but are not prohibited from “closely scrutinizing by questions and personal observations, all aspects of the city government operations as to obtain independent information” to help form sound policies to be considered by the commission.
Ranize has suggested removing some positions from the public works department in past meetings because he said they aren’t handling duties he was assured would be taken care of when those positions were added.
Ranize also said Bogle wasn’t present when he met with Glendinning so he has no idea what they discussed. He added that he’s never approached Bogle in person about any of his duties and doesn’t plan to do so in the future. And he said that even though he called for La Venia’s resignation in a commission meeting two weeks ago, he’ll continue to take issues and questions to him until his term as a commissioner ends in November.
Both La Venia and Mayor Chris Cheshire declined to comment on Bogle’s complaint, citing the fact that it is an employee-related issue. La Venia did confirm that it will become part of the independent investigation that was launched after Glendinning’s complaint was filed.
Ranize, who as elected in November 2014, will be replaced after the Nov. 6 general election by Villager Patrick DeGrave, who was the only candidate to file for the open District 1 seat. Ranize was voted into office at the same time voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to divide the city into five districts. And since he doesn’t live in District 1, he couldn’t run for the post again.
