The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.
Published March 26, 2014
No denial from Luber in P&Z Admin accusations
By Jeff Thompson
CAMDEN COUNTY - Second District Commissioner Cliff Luber responded in measured
tones to claims made by outgoing Planning & Zoning (P&Z) Administrator Donald
Hathaway at the March 19 P&Z meeting.
Hathaway read a letter of resignation at the Wednesday night meeting, citing
“multiple instances of confrontation from Commissioner Luber over the past year”
that created a “hostile work environment ... on a regular basis.”
In addition, Hathaway claimed “back handed insults, interrogation and reprimand
have been constant” and that the second district commissioner “issues statements
in the media typically infused with self interpretations of the facts, that
shows a total lack of respect for due process and the authority of others.”
Luber was subdued in his response to Hathaway’s claims days later but did not
deny any of them to The Reporter.
“I’m sorry Mr. Hathaway has been offended,” Luber said. “For me, I’ve been
trying to get Mr. Hathaway to properly do his job.”
Luber did not address any of Hathaway’s accusations in the resignation letter,
stating instead what he considers to be his responsibility to the public.
“I have an obligation to my constituents in the Second District and Camden
County to ensure they’re treated respectfully and equitably regarding Planning
and Zoning,” Luber said.
By his own count, Hathaway has been employed by the county at the P&Z
Administrator for approximately two and a half years.
Hathaway later expanded on his opinion of the Second District Commissioner.
“Mr. Luber is not an advocate of Planning & Zoning and does not understand the
separations of (county) departments,” Hathaway said. “He has overstepped those
bounds quite a bit.”
It is not known when Hathaway will formally leave county employment but he was
in his office at the Courthouse on Friday, March 21.
The search for - and hiring of - a new administrator is a relatively
straightforward employment exercise by the County Commission, according to First
District Commissioner Beverly Thomas.
“We typically develop a job description and pay scale,” Thomas said, “then post
it on Monster.Com (a job seeking website), the county website and the local
papers.”
The county then accepts applications for the position and begins to interview
candidates.
The commissioners are not the only people present for the interviews.
“We will typically bring in two to three P&Z (Commission) members for the
interview and potential candidate process,” Thomas said. “Input from the P&Z
Commission is important because they will be working with the (new)
administrator.”
(See the sidebar for the complete text of Hathaway’s letter of resignation dated
March 16 and read at last week’s meeting).
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