CARMEL >> Carmel activist Carolina Bayne plans a quiet march next month led by a bagpiper and fueled by furor over the city government”s top administrator.
Bayne, who years ago demanded that the city famed for having no residential mail boxes offer limited home mail delivery, is taking aim at three-year City Administrator Jason Stilwell in a petition drive started this week.
Bayne collected signatures in front of the Carmel post office late Wednesday morning and found some sympathizers and others who felt quite the opposite.
Several people walked briskly by the table Bayne and assistant Stephanie Kirz had set up, while at least one tourist, a woman from British Columbia, said she was quite willing to sign anything to save such a pretty little city as Carmel.
Another Carmel resident, who refused to give her name, blasted the petition, saying things were far worse under Stilwell”s predecessor.
Bayne, whose group Save Carmel Together she said has about 12 members, contends the policies and actions of Stilwell have taken a toll on the city”s finances and its international reputation.
“Our agenda is to get Carmel back on the straight and narrow,” Bayne said.
The petition lists nine items for which the group finds fault with Stilwell. They range from a wave of terminations and resignation of several longtime workers and at least two pending civil suits filed by employees to the hiring of out-of-town attorneys and a $900,000 tab for a new restroom at the south end of Carmel Beach.
Mayor Jason Burnett said he and Stilwell met with members of the group on Monday, and they demanded that he call a council meeting within 48 hours to address their concerns.
Burnett said points raised by the group against Stilwell reflect decisions made by the council. He said it is “quite unethical” to ask the council to punish Stilwell for its own actions.
“They should raise those concerns with the decision-making body and not blame our staff for following the directions of the decision-making body,” said Burnett, who won his second term in April while facing only token opposition.
“It”s perfectly fine to disagree with decisions I”ve made, but to blame our staff for simply doing their job is unacceptable,” Burnett said.
Stilwell, a former Santa Barbara County administrator, started in Carmel in 2011 and succeeded Rich Guillen, who resigned that year after the city settled a sexual harassment lawsuit against him and Carmel for $600,000.
In December, the City Council extended Stilwell”s contract for three years and raised his base annual salary to $185,325.
“The council has confidence in our city administrator, and the community has confidence in our council — at least they did in the most recent election,” Burnett said.
Bayne said one of her biggest concerns is “a lack of transparency.” Community residents don”t know why there is such a turnover among employee ranks. She pointed to the recent termination of a city clerk who held the job for only 45 days.
The president of the Carmel Residents Association said she hadn”t seen Bayne”s petition and couldn”t comment on the issue.
Sue McCloud, who preceded Burnett as mayor, said she wants Carmel to succeed and said she didn”t want to “add fuel to the fire.”
“I”m not playing any role. That”s for the people to decide,” McCloud said. She said she wouldn”t sign the petition.
Bayne is no stranger to political causes. She said she previously has worked on efforts involving term limits, workers” compensation reform, water and the Rancho San Carlos subdivision.
Larry Parsons can be reached at 646-4379.
