One of the former city employees in attendance was Nick Beelek, who was building commissioner for less than a year. He was terminated in January. Beelek was the third of five building commissioners to hold the post since 2006. Jim Daly is the current acting building commissioner. Beelek has since gotten another job with an undisclosed municipality. "The public needs to be asking why the steady decline of loyal and experienced workers," Beelek said. Beelek said he also attended Tuesday night's meeting because he had heard Mayor Greg Costello was going to make a statement regarding staff turnover. Beelek read from a prepared statement during the public discussion portion of Tuesday night's meeting. He referred to more than 30 former city employees - whom he did not name - that were either fired, let go or quit since the time Terri Thorn, the city's current director of operations and finance director, was hired in July 2006. Beelek said 70 percent of the former employees on his list were over 40 years old and were replaced by younger, inexperienced people at lower wages. He said the new employees don't have the qualifications to fill such positions. "How do you people in charge of the city, time and time again, ruin the lives of hard-working people who dedicated their lives to serve here?" Beelek asked the aldermen and mayor, "many of which were doing their jobs for years before any of you were here. I will tell you how. You have no conscience, no morals and no ethics." Beelek then followed up by asking two current city employees if they had accepted bribes in any form. Beelek asked Patrick Randolph, recreation director, if he knew of anyone within the city who had taken bribes or gifts. Randolph answered, "No." Beelek then questioned Thorn on whether she had received an expensive mountain bike while interviewing candidates for the possible construction of an indoor recreation center. "I absolutely did not, Nick," Thorn fired back. "I won it in a raffle at training." Before Beelek spoke, Dennis Williams stepped to the podium and asked repeatedly if the mayor was involved with the hiring and firing of city employees. As a concerned citizen, Williams said, the constant staff turnover shows there is a problem with the relationship between the city and its employees. "Whatever the problem is it needs to be fixed," Williams stated. City Attorney Chris Graville told Williams the termination process is different for city employees, depending on whether a worker was appointed or non-appointed. Graville said an appointed employee, such as city clerk for example, could be fired upon the mayor's recommendation and board approval. If a non-appointed employee is terminated, Graville said, the process reverts back to city policy and can be appealed to a personnel committee. The three-member committee includes Aldermen Fred Flake, Jerry Cullom and Beth Kendall. Costello told Williams he has no authority when it comes to hiring or firing city personnel. He said his two main duties are to provide leadership and deal with public relations. "In this city, probably gradually over six years, maybe five years, it has gone to more of an aldermanic form of government that the mayor has little authority," said Costello, who was elected in April. He previously served as mayor from 1986-98. "I think I told people when I ran for this office, I was hesitant because it does not give you much power…The board of aldermen run it and they make the decisions." "You have no decision making in this at all?" Williams shot back. "Are you not informed? Or are you telling me the director of operations then has the right to hire and fire based on the board's recommendation?" Flake, board of aldermen president, declined to comment when asked who makes the personnel decisions in the city. He did acknowledge he is concerned about the staff turnover within the city. "We hate to discharge anybody," Flake told The Record. "We don't like to do that. Sometimes circumstances get to that point. We have to make a decision and those are tough decisions." .ð