Because of ongoing U.S. military activity
in Afghanistan, Miramar City Commissioners have approved a temporary change on
how the Police Department fills the top job for its code enforcement activities.
The action in December created the role of temporary community standards manager
within the department, a job that will last through Sept. 30, or longer.
The permanent post, by the same title, has been vacant for two years because
Shawn Powell was called to active duty for the U.S. Southern Command
headquarters in Miami.
Powell, a captain occupied with activities involving Army operations in
Afghanistan, had been in the manager's role for more than three years when he
was called from the Army Reserves into active duty.
To maintain oversight in the 12-person Community Standards Department, two
high-level managers from the Police Department stepped in during the past two
years. Capt. Cynthia Brown from the Community Policing Bureau supervised workers
initially but was later replaced by retired Police Maj. Robert Morgan, who
started working under contract to the city in February.
Morgan will continue to supervise the code enforcement activities but will
operate as a temporary city employee rather than a contractor, assistant Human
Resources director Carolyn Cervanti said.
Before Powell was called to active duty, his immediate supervisor was Morgan.
"Who better to do that job than the major that commanded that particular
division?" Cervanti said.
"Given the nature of [Powell's] long departure from the city, it became
apparent that the time had come to ask the commission to approve a temporary
replacement," she said. "There had to be some better way of doing this
and the Human Resources director [Phil Rosenberg] had a conversation with the
police chief and they decided to create a temporary position."
The new job was not advertised, Cervanti said, and Morgan was placed into the
identical job he had already been filling on an interim basis.
Morgan is being paid $62,852.
Powell could not be reached for comment at his Army base headquarters.
(source) Sun Sentinel (Martin R. Drummond) 1-14-04