email: editor@ independent.com
VOL 9 No. 38
www.fbindependent.com ww .fbindependent.com
Phone: 281-980-6745
FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Official newspaper of Fort Bend County, Missouri City & Sugar Land
Fort Bend Volunteers breakfast with County Judge Bob Hebert
Jim Cook, (MinuteMaid) left, Dee Koch, (The George Foundation), Christen Johnson (Johnson Development) and Jim Rice (Rice & Gardner). The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce’s Community Resources Division will host the Annual Fort Bend Volunteers! Breakfast on Wednesday, Sept. 28, from 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. at the Safari Texas Ranch, 11627 FM 1464., Richmond, TX 77407. Fort Bend Volunteers, an initiative of the Community Resources Division of the Fort Bend Chamber, invites you to join Judge Robert Hebert in paying tribute to our invaluable volunteers. “Each year, the number of individuals and groups referred to volunteer opportunities in the greater Fort Bend County area steadily increases. These selfless individuals play a significant, and often unheralded role in making our county such an outstanding place to live and
raise a family.” says Judge Hebert. Khambrell Marshall, KPRC 2, will emcee at the breakfast and will provide a greater insight on the impact of philanthropy. Jim Rice, Rice & Gardner Consultants, will be honored as Social Innovator of the Year. The Fort Bend Volunteers initiative brings together volunteers and the nonprofit communities; it helps volunteers find the ideal service opportunity and the non-profits benefit from their time and talent. The mission of the Fort Bend Volunteers! is to match community volunteers with service opportunities in Fort Bend County. An expert panel of judges was assigned the difficult task of selecting the most exceptional volunteer from among many
well-deserving nominations. Join in applauding the accomplishments of all the nominees and inspiring others to follow in their footsteps by helping to support the efforts of Fort Bend Volunteers! All nominees will be recognized for their outstanding service and dedication to Fort Bend County. Stay informed and engaged by attending this important and relevant breakfast. The Community Resources Division of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce is under the leadership of Chairman, Dee Koch. The Chamber of Commerce Community Resources Division also presents the Youth in Philanthropy and Leadership Excellence for nonprofits programs.
Stafford grapples with sexual harassment allegation By BARBARA FULENWIDER Stafford City Council at its Sept. 7 meeting, amended the city’s equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment policies because an employee filed a harassment complaint against a council member. Mayor Leonard Scarcella said, “We wouldn’t be here with this ordinance except for an action by a member of council. It’s very concerning to me that we have this situation … and also ramifications from a legal standpoint because of what has transpired.” The mayor said, it was “one of the most unfortunate circumstances we’ve had. I am very concerned about how our employees are treated.” He also said he had been threatened with the human resource department “looking into me or taking action against me because I was trying to protect city employees against harassment, intimidation, bullying and coercion. This is something that is totally unacceptable.” Scarcella also said he “could not be more fervent about resenting this and all the implications that it’s all my fault and the retaliation simply because other council members have misbehaved inappropriately with city employees and are trying to cover for the councilman named in the complaint.” Scarcella said Councilman Cecil Willis, who has been on council for many years, told him that during all that time he’d only seen three incidents of sexual harassment of employees and two of them were recent. “Council needs to recognize these are serious violations.” Scarcella told councilmembers “you are always saying you want to be transparent. So stand up and be transparent when someone violates the law or policies rather than take action against me simply because you are trying to give cover to a councilman.” City Attorney Art Pertile, with Olson and Olson, presented amendments to add to the city’s reporting procedures regarding harassment. There are new directions for policy and procedures HR must follow.
Council sets the policy, Pertile said, and has control over department heads but not lower level employees. “The policy is to protect harassment from others.” He said he will bring changes in the sexual harassment policy back to council as well as policy that reflects operations. The policy will say that employees must first report sexual harassment to their department head or the HR director and then may go to the mayor. “That’s the recommended change in the harassment policy,” the attorney said. Scarcella said the changes address all city employees but “we’re not here tonight to discuss city employees harassing other employees. It says others or people outside that category. This consistently addresses all city employees or general public. “It does not address city council or anyone else harassing or intimidating employees. If a council member makes an employee uncomfortable, is that addressed in here or what you referred to earlier,” the mayor asked. “The policy,” Pertile said, “is to protect harassment from others. We don’t have authority over some vendor. There’s not much you can do if Pertile walks off the street and creates a hostile environment to an employee. “Same thing with an elected council member. There’s not a policy or rule that could punish a council member from doing what they were elected to do” – run the city. Scarcella then asked Pertile if a council member makes an employee uncomfortable, is that addressed in the changes. Pertile said it would only be addressed if a council member harasses or tells an employee how to do their work. Then the employee has the right to make a valid complaint. If a council member, Pertile continued, did any number of things and the allegation was found to be true, it goes to council. “The mayor does not control that elected official or have him or her removed. The electorate can throw them out of office but
the mayor or council cannot.” As a council, Pertile said, “You cannot do anything but instruct the council member. You can say you cannot have any further contact with this employee but you cannot penalize the council member. There are actions council can take but it cannot terminate a council member. ” He went on to say that the mayor as the chief executive officer of the city gets to determine what actions are taken. “It’s on the city manager and mayor to take care of their employees.” Scarcella asked how he should give such directions to a person who was found to have committed sexual harassment, and Pertile said, “You just talk to them. Tell them they have to come through you before they can have anything to do with that employee. City rules should not be by fiat. You determine what to do and what to say.” Council Member Virginia Rosas asked if the human resources person is the alleged source of the discrimination then the complaint goes to the mayor. If the mayor is the one who is harassing, does council deal with it, she asked. Councilman Wen Guerra then asked what if the mayor is the problem? Pertile said, “The person sexually harassed would first go to human resources to file a complaint and then the HR and city attorney would determine how best to investigate the complaint. After the complaint is investigated and proved to be correct against a council member, including the mayor, it goes to council for resolution.” After the questions were answered, council members had their turn to speak and only Rosas did. She quoted a biblical verse: “ ‘He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone,’ and that’s all I have to say.” Willis made the “motion to approve as presented” and it was seconded by A. J. Honore. There was no discussion and the motion was passed unanimously. After that agenda item, the council meeting was adjourned.
Workplace Health Assessment Wellness Champion Award 2016
Missouri City City Council on Sept. 6 recognized the Sta-Mo Storm Baseball 10 & under and 14 & under baseball teams for winning the 2016 United States Specialty Sports Association World Series Championship. The team has been together two years. In their first year, they placed third in the World Series in Myrtle Beach, S.C. For the 2016 Season, they worked hard and brought home the first place title in the 2016 USSSA World Series located in Gulf Shores, Ala. Visit the team’s website to learn more: www.stamostormbaseball.com. Mayor Allen Owen is at the center, sixth from left, and Councilman Don Smith is far right. FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE.
12551 Emily Court, Sugar Land, TX 77478 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, TX 77478 Seshadri Kumar Publisher & Editor
www.fbindependent.com 281-980-6745
Fort Bend Independent, (USPS 025-572) is published every Wednesday (for a subscription rate of $20 per year) by Fort Bend Independent, LLC., 12551, Emily Court, Texas 77478. Periodicals Postage Paid at Stafford, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fort Bend Independent, P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Tx 77487.
On September 13, 2016, Fort Bend County Commissioners Court was awarded the American Cancer Society’s ‘Workplace Health Assessment Wellness Champion Award’ for providing excellent wellness opportunities for its employees The Workplace Health Assessment Tool is a free service through the American Cancer Society that provides companies with customized recommendations based on a 60 question survey. Fort Bend County received
second place in the nation for providing wellness services such as nicotine cessation programs, exercise programs, wellness classes, and multiple health screenings. Pictured Left to Right: Commissioner Grady Prestage, Pct2; Gilbert Jalomo, Purchasing Director; JT Pena, Risk Management Loss Control Manager; County Judge Robert Hebert; Commissioner Richard Morrison, Pct1; Meredith Noonan, American Cancer Society Program Manager; Danielle Garrison, Commissioner Pct4 Executive Assistant; Commissioner James Patterson, Pct4; Commissioner Andy Meyers, Pct3; Pamela Gubbels, Director of Finance & Investments; Wyatt Scott, Director of Risk Management; Deanna Belto, Risk Management Wellness Coordinator; Katie Herrington, Commissioner Pct2 Staff Director.