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Where’s Wally? Century Council Upset Their Gas Superintendent Skips Meetings
July 17, 2019
The Century Town Council is asking “where’s Wally?” after their gas superintendent has skipped multiple council meetings despite his required attendance.
The council instructed Wally Kellett to attend two council meeting per month to keep them updated on a gas department that is losing hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. But so far this year, Kellett has missed numerous required meetings.
“If he want to be an an employee, then he needs to be at these meetings,” Council President Ann Brooks said this week after Kellett failed to attend a council meeting.
A grand jury report in March 2019 found the gas system lost over a half million dollars in just two years, customers were receiving gas without ever being billed, the prison and other commercial customers were being undercharged due to faulty meters, nearly half the gas purchased for resale was unaccounted for, and the system was plagued with billing errors.
The town has taken multiple steps to rectify some of the gas department problems — purchasing hundreds of new residential and commercial meters, including a new meter for the prison and billing system training for employees.
The council requested Kellett keep them updated on the progress of new meter installations, back billing the prison and other issues concerning the department. But with few updates, the town’s governing body has been in the dark on strides made with their natural gas department.
“Our gas superintendent won’t come to these meetings. We need this vital information,” Brooks said.
When Brooks asked Town Clerk Kim Godwin why Kellett did not attend this week’s council meeting, Godwin simply said Kellett sent a text that he would be off for the day.
Pictured: Century Gas Superintendent Wally Kellett attended a town council meeting on April 15. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
29 Responses to “Where’s Wally? Century Council Upset Their Gas Superintendent Skips Meetings”
Are the city of Century is charging you for gas and you don’t even have gas in your house and you get like $100 bill come on let need to figure out what the hell they’re doing this has happened three months that my son has got a bill for gas
Ever heard the word Scape Goat? This man isn’t in charge of billing or collections, so how is it his fault that city hall has not been billing over half their customers? But maybe he could shed a little light on who all sitting around that table in city hall were getting “free” utilities.
I’m all for the WISE mayor
Go to the polls and vote in a WISE mayor
Where does the Buck stop @?
Can’t fire you if you’re not there! lol
Hey Century, looks like your shiny new consultant has his work cut out for him lol
What I never understood was why he was receiving an extra $500 for gas consulting. Shouldn’t that be a part of his job already?
Many people want the job, and he needs to be fired before the next meeting.
Guess what in Florida you don’t need an excuse to get rid of an employee its bye bye see ya later.
I’ll gladly take his place. Sounds like this guy has no respect for the people he serves nor the discipline to do what’s right. Should send him to the military to learn some values. I would save the city right away by not using city resources for personal gain.
Wonder who has been giving away the gas for free? Whos not making the meetings, who has not fired the guy? Wonder why…?
Seems pretty simple. Wrong person for the job.
Never at work therefore not setting good example for other employees.
This is just another example of the lack of quality that we have with our town employees overall. There are very few working up there who are in any way qualified to do the job they have been hired for. Examples are: Town Clark, gas superintendent, billing clerk, as well as many others. On a personal level I am sure they are all very nice people but that does not make them efficient in their duties. And anyone can look at the state of affairs up there and see that a clean sweep is needed. If part of this mans job is to attend meetings, and he is not doing it, he should be terminated and replaced with someone who follows the guidelines set forth in the job descriptions.
Then you know what I would do fire his a__ simple as that !
If he is an employee then why hasn’t he been reprimanded and fired.
“he gas system lost over a half million dollars in just two years,” Maybe as the manager of this debacle, he doesn’t have a good answer, thus, why bother showing up? How long has he managed this highly profitable enterprise?
This man is paid a very good salary plus drives a town vehicle back and forth to his residents in Pensacola everyday and he cant get the meters installed in a timely manner. This is part of what is wrong in Century employees not doing their jobs and doing their part to try and turn this town around. It is going to take everyone Mayor, Council and employees doing their part. Come on people we love our town lets do it we can turn Century around.
This place is a true circus. Why would anyone appear at a meeting when the ones running the meeting don’t have a clue what’s happening? That is truly an instance of “The blind leading the blind” here. SMDH.
That being said, if an employee fails to answer to his superiors, that is grounds for dismissal. The State of Florida is an “at will” state. An employer can terminate your employment at any time without explanation.
Fine him. Every unexcused absence is a $100 fine. People tend to respond when their money is affected. If he is required to attend then he needs to be there.
he is out installing all those new meters.
If he is required to be there, and is not attending, isn’t that breaking policy repeatedly? Why has he not been disciplined at least, and more appropriately, fired! He is allowing Century’s gas money to be stolen, lost or mishandled…This kind of malfeasance should NOT be tolerated.
I have to be honest, I would not want to attend that circus either!
Pathetic
In the real world when people don’t come to work they get fired
Off for the day? Sounds like he’s been off for several years now!
Terminate him
So many no-shows is a clear indication of how seriously he takes his responsibilities. He needs to be replaced with someone who cares about Century.
I second the motion Mrs Brooks.
“If he wants to be an an employee, then he needs to be at these meetings,”
I think that could be said about any employee. Tighten up or hit the road.
Who ever is skinning the top of the overpass and uprooting the pampas grass with riding mowers needs to wake up and know that will wash out.
Also to have let the billing go on like that..is flat out idiotic.