Time’s up Mr. City Manager
Feb. 13, 2020 PLYMOUTH VOICE.
Plymouth Michigan News
OPINION
A recent firestorm sparked at the Plymouth Downtown Development Authority meeting last Tuesday resulted in a public apology from City Manager Paul Sincock regarding his mistruths and misrepresentations regarding the involvement of the city in the preparation of an Eastern Michigan University citizens survey . Sincock lied to the members of the DDA board regarding the city involvement both in preparing the questions for and the funding of the survey.
This could be the defining moment for Sincock.
Concerned resident and local businessman David Rucinski, who campaigned against the radical remodeling plans set for Kellogg Park in 2016 -and collected 1,100 signatures in opposition to the changes, filed a Freedom of Information Act request that revealed Sincock’s falsehoods. Ruciniski claims Sincock spearheaded the survey despite his claim he had no knowledge of the questions and it was a no-cost project. The questions were reportedly slanted by Sincock and a DDA employee to elicit favorable responses to their plans for the fountain, the park and the Saxton property.
So what does this say about our city manager and his integrity?
The matters of replacing the “broken-down” Kellogg Park fountain, plans to remodel the entire park and develop the long-vacant Saxton property have been stalled in secrecy and deception since 2012.
The looming question today is can Paul Sincock survive and how can the city manager continue to effectively lead Plymouth if he simply cannot be trusted?
Glib and unconstrained, Sincock acts as the top official in Plymouth, despite the election of a part-time mayor. Sincock has obviously enjoyed the limelight of his position and control of city matters for decades despite his status as a hired employee who should answer to the city commission. Often, it seems, the commissioners’ report to him.
Eloquent, artful and articulate, Sincock enjoys his public position. He’s the guy in golf-cart on July 4 welcoming the parade by-standers as he patrols Main Street. He acts as both the city fire chief and police chief and exercises total control of public safety in the city. It is his voice heard on the city answering system and voicemail and he personally writes the weather reports and traffic conditions. He presides at meetings of the city commission, DDA and the Fire Advisory Board, even though he’s not the chair.
He’s a full-time paid executive who has a cavalier attitude toward public safety with his “three-tiered” response that leaves city residents at the mercy of an outside ambulance service that often takes more than a half-hour to respond to emergency medical situations. Not to worry, a police officer arrives first on the scene with a defibrillator in the patrol car trunk. According to the faux “association” which condones this dangerous practice, it is adequate because it reportedly saves money if not lives.
Perhaps the Plymouth City Commissioners and the mayor should take a more hands-on approach to the management of both the city and the “city manager.”
Plymouth Voice.
