Communications Breakdown
It all started with a simple question posed to Mayor Randy McClement and Director of Public Works Zach Kershner back on Oct. 26:
What, if any, changes you have made to the handling of cash flow at the Clustered Spires Golf Course since firing Don Frost in May 2015?
After he was fired, Frost was charged with theft over a period of six years, and during a recent six-day trial, much of the testimony centered on how Frost managed cash revenue from the sale and installation of golf grips. Because the transaction involved paying for a product and tipping for a service, Frost determined that accepting cash was the easiest way to dispense the tips to his assistants and to himself.
Cash was later deposited, but money from the grip sales was lumped into miscellaneous revenue. Prior to Frost’s firing, golf grips were added as a separate line item. The state alleged that Frost was pocketing the cash, but a jury found him not guilty.
What came to light during the trial, however, was that despite the allegations against Frost, the city’s internal and external annual audits did not uncover any problems at Clustered Spires, according to testimony from the city’s Gerry Kolbfleisch, director of finance, and Lora McGraw, accountant.
Frost was the head golf pro and general manager of Clustered Spires for 20 years. Because the course is one of the city’s enterprise funds, meaning it takes in money with the goal of being self-sustaining, it operates as a business. The city had apparently taken issue with how the course was managed, and the way cash flow was handled.
I had a tip that the city had not changed its closing procedures, where the money is counted and deposited, among other protocols, at the golf course since Frost’s departure. To determine the veracity of that information, I went directly to the source, City Hall.
Knowing the mayor prefers to answer via email, I sent my questions to public information coordinator Patti Mullins, McClement and Kershner. A few days later, Mullins called to relay the Mayor’s responses. The “city is making progress” on changing the way cash flow protocols are handled across all departments, I was told.
The city’s risk manager, Joe Lindstrom, is working on it, even though he wasn’t hired in direct response to the brouhaha at Clustered Spires, Mullins said. “We looked at cash handling procedures at that time throughout the city and have made some adjustments where they found places to be improved, including the golf course.”
That’s not really an answer. So I pressed on. In response I received Lindstrom’s job description in an email from Mullins who said the role includes “developing, organizing, coordinating, administering and managing the city’s risk management, safety, security, loss prevention, insurance and related programs and strategies to protect the city from exposure to risk that could have adverse consequences to the city’s operations, financial position or community reputation.”
She added that ongoing initiatives include “inspections of city properties to include the golf course. The city is increasing the closed circuit television footprint and review for many city properties, including Clustered Spires.”
“Closed circuit television footprints?” That sounds intriguing. I’d like to know more. And I still wanted to know exactly how the city had changed its cash flow protocols. Tired of getting dribs and drabs via email and a third party interview, I asked to speak to Lindstrom directly.
And that’s where communications broke down and I was told to email my specific questions. No explanation. No opportunity for follow-up questions, and more foot dragging was in store for me. Death by a thousand cuts.
For the rest of the story, read Media Policy Shields Mayor, Staff on this page.
