County appaluds efforts of retiring administrator

By Sam Harvey
Staff Reporter

Sussex County Administrator Bob Stickels publicly announced his retirement – effective Nov. 1, 2006 — at the March 14 County Council meeting and earned a bit of an early roast from his colleagues in the process.

“He knows enough about everything. He’s a little dangerous,” joked Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Director Lawrence Lank. On a more serious note, Lank credited Stickels as an excellent administrator, and said he’d be sorry to see him go. He remembered Stickels from the ballpark where their sons played Little League, and from his days as a construction supervisor and town manager.

Those were different times — while working for Melvin Joseph Construction, Stickels remembered submitting a simple letter, reading to the effect, “We will comply with all county codes and requirements,” and that was enough to get their project off the ground. (Lank said he did get a couple sets of plans, too.)

Council Member George Cole, who’s served since 1986, remembered Stickels’ shoebox-sized office when he first came to work for the county, two years later (1988). “Over the years, we were able to sell that building, and then build this building (the present County Administrative Office Building),” Cole recalled.

“It took someone like him to juggle all the old personalities,” he added. He commended Stickels for weathering nearly 20 years worth of council members and their perpetual clashing of ideas, calling him honest, forthcoming and helpful.

Finance Director David Baker, who came to the county in 1978, commended Stickels’ manner with staff, and his ability to make tough decisions.

They’re at it again — citizens and members of the media can expect one last PowerPoint presentation on the annual budget under Stickels’ watch. Serious business — however, and although he may not realize it, Stickels has gained a certain local fame for his slightly hokey and humor-spiked (often set to music) budget presentations.

Chief of Public Information Chip Guy said Stickels made his retirement announcement to staff the next day, March 15. “Knowing Bob and Bob’s sense of humor, a lot of us thought he was just pulling our leg,” he said. “But this time, it was no joke.”

According to Guy, Stickels is pushing for a renewed deputy administrator position – the same position Stickels himself held, briefly, when he joined the county in 1988. This could give a presumptive appointee the opportunity to shadow for a few months, Guy pointed out.

Council Member Vance Phillips has broached the suggestion that the county consider a politically-elected, rather than appointed, position, to supersede both deputy and administrator.

“Someone who would still have administrators working for him, but who would be elected on a county-wide platform and would be able to offer a mandate, as far as the direction the county should be taking,” Phillips explained.

“It’s another consideration,” he said. “There’s been a lot of talk about having two at-large council members, and this might address some of the concerns of people at the beach, who feel they don’t have enough representation.

“There is a downside,” Phillips admitted. “Another position means more government, and the potential for one individual to wield much more power than anyone would, otherwise.” But with the county’s rapid growth and all the issues that came with it, he suggested it might be time to consider the model.

Phillips said he’d felt Stickels’ announcement made for a good time to introduce the idea, for public debate — and he suggested Stickels would probably make an ideal candidate, if the county did move in that direction.

However, at least from the staff meeting, Guy said Stickels seemed more inclined to pursue some more free time to work on his golf handicap.