The Greensboro City Council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 18 may have set a record for city manager participation.
Interim City Manager Chris Wilson, future City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba and former City Manager Jim Westmoreland all spoke during the meeting.
It was Wilson’s last meeting as interim city manager and he received accolades from just about every councilmember for the work that he has done in the interim position.
Wilson took the opportunity to thank the city staff, not only for the work they have done through the recent winter storm, but also for the work they do every day to keep the city running.
Jaiyeoba was scheduled to make his first in-person appearance at a City Council meeting on Tuesday, but the condition of the roads kept him in Charlotte where he is an assistant city manager, and even if he had been in Greensboro, the City Council met virtually, which meant no one was in the Katie Dorsett Council Chambers.
Jaiyeoba spoke to the City Council virtually at the beginning of the meeting. He began by thanking Wilson for the work he has done and complimenting the city staff, in particular the first responders during the recent weather event.
Jaiyeoba said, “You’re going to be hearing a lot from me. Over the next several days I will be reaching out to each one of your individually, just to kind of lay out what we plan to do in the next 100 days at least, first of all, and I’m sure you are all going to be excited about what we are planning in terms of implementing your vision and goals as council. So, I’m looking forward to that and once again thank you for the opportunity of hiring me to be your city manager. I can’t wait to start.”
Jaiyeoba takes over as city manager on Feb. 1.
Former City Manager Westmoreland spoke in his current role as interim executive director of Gateway Research Park about a grant application for Core Technology Molding Corporation. But he took the opportunity to congratulate Wilson on the job he has done as interim city manager.
Westmoreland, who was city manager from 2014 to 2018, said, “Kudos and congratulations to interim City Manager Chris Wilson for his efforts to hold down the fort and advance things in the past couple of months. We sure appreciate Chris and thanks for your great work.”
Aww… don’tcha just love these mutual back-patting societies? It’s so warm & fuzzy when Public Sector parasites congratulate each other on what a great job they’re all doing! Well I guess that’s why they all deserve bonuses, because well, they all agree they’re just doing a great job. That’s in addition to their six-figure salaries, benefits and Rolls-Royce retirements (“I’ve ‘put in’ my 30 years”)…..obviously.
But then, without them all, I’m sure the city of Greensboro would grind to a halt instantly.
Yeah…. right.
I’m sure interim manager Wilson was lauded for his tough decision to forcibly relocate homeless folks and their belongings from the sight of councilmembers and government workers in downtowns governmental plaza. Such great leadership to kick folks at their lowest because providing access to restrooms is soooo hard for the political elite to handle. Way to just move a problem outta sight while at the same time making police into homeless wranglers instead of focusing on skyhigh crime.