Lake City Assistant City Manager Start Date Delayed: "The best laid plans of mice and men..."
Posted September 23, 2019 09:45 pm | Updated Sept. 24, 2019 08:25 am
City Manager Helfenberger and Mr. Akhimie during
last week's meet and greet in City Hall.
(Photo: Columbia County Observer)
LAKE CITY, FL – Unforeseen events have delayed the start date of Vince Akhimie, Lake City's new Assistant City Manager to Monday, October 14, coincidentally the date of the next City-County joint meeting.
Mr. Akhimie was disappointed this afternoon when he told your reporter, "Personal and family issues came up suddenly and had to be addressed and I am looking forward to beginning on the 14th."
Checking with the City's HR Director, your reporter asked, "Are there any HR issues which would affect Mr. Akhimie's beginning on the 14th instead of today?
Director Greene answered," As far as I know, Mr. Helfenberger did not have any issues with delaying his start until the 14th. If Mr. Helfenberger is agreeable, then there is no issue from an HR standpoint."
Gracious
Lake City's City Manager, Joe Helfenberger, took the news of the delay with his usual unflappable grace.
This afternoon he shared his thoughts about the delay.
He said, "We could have made the start date later if we would have known, but evidently he didn't know either."
Mr. Helfenberger continued, "We are looking at the 14th which is the joint City-County meeting. It is just a coincidence in the way it worked out, but I am glad that he is going to be there. It would be a good start."
Mr. Helfenberger thought for a moment and said, "I'm looking forward to Mr. Akhimie getting on board. We just need to get him here."
Update: extraneous mark on wall removed from photo
