City Commission Meeting Canceled Because Of Tropical Storm Elsa

SARASOTA, FL — The Sarasota City Commission’s Tuesday evening meeting has been canceled because of the Tropical Storm Elsa, which is hitting the West Coast of Florida.

The commissioners will meet Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Sarasota City Hall as planned, according to a news release from the city.

Commissioners were slated to discuss multiple complaints from Sarasota residents about Mayor Hagen Brody’s angry tirade over a video recorded during a March 29 vaccination event at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and shared to the city’s social media sites.

The video featured Mary Bensel, Van Wezel's executive director, and the mayor was upset the focus of the video was on her and the performing arts venue.

Related: Mayor’s Anger Over Vaccination Video Focus Of Complaints

Blaming the city's communications manager, Jan Thornburg, Brody went to City Manager Marlon Brown's office to complain, demanding to speak with him despite Brown being in a Zoom meeting and unavailable.

Several city employees who witnessed the incident filed complaints with the city’s human resources department.

The department and commissioners have also received numerous complaints from residents asking for investigations into this incident and other actions by the mayor, as well.

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One resident, Flo Entler, emailed Stacie Mason, the city’s human resources director, saying she was “disturbed” by Brody’s “temper tantrum,” adding that the incident was “very unsettling.”

Entler wrote, “I am asking that the city launch an investigation into these actions as Hagen has taken many liberties in his ceremonial mayor position. He has created a toxic work environment which could create a significant liability for the city.”

Another resident, Virginia Hoffman, in an email to Commissioner Liz Alpert, wrote, “How unfortunate for (Brody) that he doesn't have the depth of character to step up and be a man about his behavior. It inconceivable after all that has been said, all that has been written, this grown man still fails to see or take ownership for his obnoxious behavior.”

In an email to Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch, another resident, Robert Grant, said the situation “deserves a thorough independent investigation to determine whether he overstepped his authority and violated the city charter, not to mention the potential civil liability the city faces from labor law complaints.”

Because Tuesday’s commission meeting was canceled, the mayor’s behavior will be discussed at a future meeting, though no date has been set, a spokesperson for the city said.

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