Flagler Beach City Manager Dale Martin Accepts ‘Tough Love’ Evaluation of His First Year

With one exception, Flagler Beach City Manager Dale Martin did not get past “meets job standards” from four city commissioners and the mayor in the evaluation of his first year, and barely made it into that category (a few decimal points above “improvement needed) from one of them as he tallied an average score of 3.65 points out of a possible 5.

The exception was Scott Spradley, the commission chair, who gave Martin a glowing 4.45 points–just shy of “outstanding.” That helped push the average above 3.5.




“I like to look at it as little tough love. And it can make a difference,” Commissioner Rick Belhumeur, harshest of the graders, said.

Belhumeur’s totals added up to 3.19. Belhumeur has no issue with Martin’s mastery of policy. “However, if you add ‘projects’ to that list,” Belhumeur wrote in his evaluation, “there have been extended delays and not much oversight.” He was especially bothered by a sand fence the city was installing on State Road A1A, and that continued stretching into Beverly Beach, apparently at the city’s unnecessary expense.

He is also displeased with the staff reports that accompany meeting materials: they are “sometimes weak, if not totally missing,” and considers his holding staff accountable “weak.” Martin leaves emails unanswered at times. He gave Martin his lowest marks for staff direction, keeping the commission informed on finances, and producing clear, written communications (though Martin is among the better cut of administrative writers: Commissioner Jane Mealy, a retired teacher, gave him a 5 in that category).




Belhumeur’s list of compliments is longer, including Martin’s willingness to take direction, his open door, his analytical impartiality, his constant “good temperament and appearance” (a previous city manager, now dead, had been lacking both in temperament and appearance in his illness-ridden latter years), and his openness to media. (“He could reach out to them more often to share our news,” Belhumeur notes somewhat unfairly: the city does not have the public information budgets that Palm Coast, the county and the Sheriff’s Office do, and it isn’t the job of city managers to do that of reporters.)

Third-term Commissioner Eric Cooley (average score: 3.51) found in martin “The best feedback and open door communication of any city manager I’ve worked with” and “the most visionary city manager I have worked with so far,” but wanted a longer horizon on city goals than one year. He, too, as does Mealy, wants emails and residents’ communications answered faster–and more preparatory meeting materials, as Belhumeur noted. “There has been too many times information is being seen or read for the first time in meeting[s],” Cooley wrote. “This is [an] unacceptable meeting practice.” He also wants Martin to establish more cooperative channels with other local governments.

Mealy gave Martin his second-best evaluation (3.80 average), though her written criticism was more stinging: “Mr. Martin appears to favor some commissioners, those who make the loudest demands,” she wrote. Mealy has had those issues with some of the previous managers she has worked with. “Mr. Martin appears to value senior staff more than the ‘everyday’ workers. Holding an occasional get-together is not enough.” She said employees’ performances improve markedly when they are recognized. She commended him on his fiscal management skills and communications.




Commissioner James Sherman (3.57 average) echoed a lot of Cooley’s and Mealy’s observations, commending him for a “painless” budget season, the first in Sherman’s tenure, as well as for his “creativity” and fairness. He outlined what amounts to a work program, from cleanliness in the downtown district to :the overall appearance of our parks” to “find ways to assist residents with grant programs that could help them with flooding issues at their homes” (good luck: that’s a holy grail for which no local government has yet found its Indy Jones).

Spradley’s evaluation (4.45 average) had words like “exceptional,” “excels,” “excellent,” “commitment to staff excellence,” “applauded,” with some guidance to “improve the character and make-up of city staff.”

“This is not only Dale Martin’s first time through this process, but it’s my first time through this process,” Spradley said. “So it was a project to go through. I appreciate the hard work you’ve done. And I noted in my review that you came to us at a particularly difficult time, and so what I heard was a lot of hard work and forward vision.”

Mayor Patti King’s evaluation mirrored that of the majority, with a mixture of 3s and 4s, but more 3s than 4s.




Martin provided his own one-page evaluation, telling himself that staff accountability, code enforcement and coordination of the city’s downtown redevelopment agencies needed improvement. His list of successes were twice as long.

“I appreciate all the feedback that all you gave me,” Martin told his bosses. “I’ll take it to heart and look to improve on the things that you indicated you’d like me to see work on, and we’ll keep working on the things that you think we’re doing well.”

He said he valued the openness of the evaluation process. “Please ask for public comment, whether you get it or not,” he said. “There may be people that I deal with that you’re not aware of, that either I’ve treated them poorly or I’ve treated them well, but I truly prefer my evaluation–sometimes it’s awkward for everybody–but I truly prefer it to be done in public session.”

In the event, one resident spoke, describing the process as “fascinating” and the commissioners’ evaluations as “harsh.” Of the manager, he said: “Dale really does care about this community. We have good things that have happened and bad things that have happened, but his heart is in the right place, and I think he’s doing a great job for the city.

Martin said he looked “forward to working for you for many more years.”