County Further Expands Reinshuttle's Role

BRADENTON – Manatee County confirmed to TBT on Tuesday that Deputy County Administrator Robert Reinshuttle has been assigned Interim Director of Public Safety. Reinshuttle’s assignment to department interim was effective August 4.

While there have been no public announcements by the county in any board meetings, nor press releases announcing the assignment of Reinshuttle to head of the department, a memorandum from HR, dated August 4, made official Reinshuttle’s "temporary assignment as interim."

The county told TBT in an email that there had been no news release announcing Reinshuttle’s new assignment because his position as a Deputy County Administrator already placed him over Public Safety. "It seemed redundant to publish a news release on his simultaneous Ôacting’ role as director,“ said the county’s PIO in an email.

TBT was told that while there were no public announcements of Reinshuttle’s assignment to interim, commissioners were notified of the change in briefings by the County Administrator.

As we reported in late July, the Department of Public Safety’s former director, Jacob Saur, was "let go" on July 26. Though an internal email dated July 26 that was shared on Twitter appeared to announce the county’s separation with Saur as a firing, the county called the email a "miscommunication."

The August 4 memorandum making official Reinshuttle’s assignment to interim director of public safety appeared to confirm what sources shared with TBT in July–that Saur had been given the option of either resigning or being fired.

"On July 26, 2022, former Public Safety Department director, Jacob Saur, was allowed the opportunity to resign," the memo explained. "Mr. Saur submitted a resignation letter effective 8/10/22."

In the days prior to Saur being "allowed the opportunity to resign," another longtime employee and Public Safety Department division chief also announced their intended separation from the county. Stacy Hardy, Chief of Emergency Communications 911, submitted her resignation after having been employed by the county since 2003.

Hardy was a member of the emergency communications team which helped to earn Manatee County’s 911 center a "Triple-ACE" accreditation from the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch (IAED). As reported by the Bradenton Herald in 2017, Manatee County’s Emergency Communications Center was one of only two in the state and 13 in the world to have earned the triple accreditation from the international nonprofit that sets standards for dispatch centers.

On July 20–six days before Saur was given the option to resign–Commissioner Carol Whitmore sent an email to County Administrator Hopes and Deputy County Administrator Reinshuttle communicating the commissioner’s concern over having just heard the news of Hardy’s resignation.

"I just heard that the head of 911 resigned. Stacy Hardy?“ the email questioned. "Plan on replacement? We are one of maybe three 911 operations in the world that are a special accreditation. She has been instrumental in this," Whitmore wrote.

Later that evening, shortly after 10 p.m., Reinshuttle sent an email to Hopes about Hardy’s resignation. In his email, Reinshuttle suggested that Saur be "placed back in that role" to fill the vacancy created by Hardy’s announced departure. Saur previously served as Chief of Emergency Communications before being promoted to public safety director in 2020.

In concluding his email, Reinshuttle referenced the commissioner’s email from earlier in the day, seemingly frustrated that the commissioner learned of Hardy’s announced resignation before he had.

"How in the world does Whitmore find this out before I do?" Reinshuttle wrote. "Information is on a lockdown in public safety."

Hopes replied to Reinshuttle in agreement with his suggestion that Saur be reassigned back to his former role of communications chief, but six days later, Saur was informed of his dismissal from the county altogether.

TBT reached out to the county by email to ask whether anyone had been assigned to the role of Chief of Emergency Communications 911 interim. The county’s PIO responded, stating that there currently is not an interim Chief for Emergency Communications 911.

"Ms. Hardy’s direct reports are presently reporting to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Chief and Deputy Public Safety Director James Crutchfield while recruitment to fill that vacancy permanently is ongoing," the PIO explained.

The county’s posted position openings show an ongoing active listing for the position, as well as a position posting for Director of Utilities–another county department that lost a director last month. However, there is currently no active posting for the position of Director of Public Safety that Reinshuttle is temporarily filling.

When asked about why the position of Director of Public Safety was not also an active posting, the county’s PIO explained that a decision has not yet been made as to how the position may exist moving forward.

"HR is coordinating with Administration on the position moving forward, but no final determination has been made," the PIO said in an email. "The Deputy Directors of EMS (Chief Crutchfield) and Emergency Management (Chief Steve Litschauer) and Deputy County Administrator Reinshuttle are already handling director duties."

In late May, the Director of the Department of Financial Management and CFO, Jan Brewer, also departed the county. Brewer not only served as the director of finance and CFO, but also as a deputy county administrator over the departments of finance, human resources, and information technology. With Brewer submitting her resignation in May, and several other high-level changes having occurred since, TBT requested updated information from the county as to which deputy county administrators are currently assigned over which of the county's departments. Below are the updated details about administrative assignments as provided by Manatee County:

- Department of Financial Management

- Department of Information Technology

- Department of Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Economic Development
-Administration, Board of County Commissioner aides, etc.

- Department of Property Management (Bishop is also the director of this department)

- Department of Public Works

- Leisure Services*

- Department of Development Services (DePol is also the director of this department)

- Department of Utilities

- Department of Public Safety (Reinshuttle is also interim director of this department)

- Natural Resources and Agricultural Extension*

- Department of Community and Veterans Services

- Department of Human Resources

- Information Outreach/Public Records Requests*

*Divisions within the Department of Parks and Natural Resources are currently divided between two deputy county administrators. Divisions relating to parks and recreation are categorized as "Leisure Services" and are under Deputy County Administrator Charlie Bishop. The Parks and Natural Resources divisions of Natural Resources and Agricultural Extension are under Deputy County Administrator Robert Reinshuttle. Employees of the divisions of Public Record Management and Information Outreach also report to Reinshuttle.