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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