What is black and white, and read all over?

Right now in Goochland you could solve that riddle by declaring one of the following as your answer: Amendments 13 and 14 of the Goochland County Board of Supervisors Standards of Conduct, or, County Administrator’s Operations Policy: Thoughts to Share and Points to Make.

Last week, at a vote of three to two, our supervisors passed two amendments written to, depending on whom you consult, either ease communication and accountability, or completely suppress it.

And now County Administrator Gregory K. Wolfrey has written an operations policy, released this week to the county’s department heads.

Although the policy states its intention to be a personal communication from the county administrator to the board of supervisors, some local officials have speculated that Wolfrey’s thoughts and points are equally relevant to county employees.

In fact, in a section entitled “Interaction with County Employees,” Wolfrey offers his perspective on awkward supervisor-employee encounters.

“Board members can be intimidating (always unintentionally!) to County employees,” he writes. “In his or her desire to please, the employee may not completely understand the situation, may not have the correct information at their disposal, and, as a result, may not give accurate information or may overstep his or her authority.”

The implication is that county employees, when presented with a real live supervisor, are easily excited by the attention; this creates a fierce craving for praise and a dazed inability to comprehend simple requests or professional boundaries.

The obvious solution? Cut out these unnerving interactions completely, advises Wolfrey.

“The County Administrator’s Office will be glad to coordinate necessary contacts with employees,” he writes, “and would actually prefer that.”

The County Administrator’s Office would also prefer that supervisors, when offered complaints or suggestions by employees, ask employees to identify themselves before reminding them to follow the chain of command. 

And then report the employee’s complaints and suggestions to the county administrator.

But even if one of these levels of protocol is breached, Wolfrey is able to assume a zen-like acceptance.

“I am not naïve,” he writes, “and know that, for various reasons, it doesn’t always work this way. I don’t spend much time worrying about it.”

Unfortunately, some county employees aren’t as laid back as the county administrator.

The Gazette has heard from several people who are spending time worrying, worrying that they will be fired if they speak to a supervisor without recording the exchange, or express a dissenting opinion, or speak to a reporter without anonymity.

I would like to follow the counsel Wolfrey gives in his policy on dealing with rumors: “Please check with us before reacting. Although we are sometimes guilty, more often we are not.”

Unfortunately I have not been able to check with the county administrator before reacting.

Wolfrey writes, “Be accessible,” when describing how to deal with the press. 

I know that it doesn’t always work that way. I remind myself of this when my messages go unanswered, and I’m trying not to spend much time worrying about it.

It’s just—I don’t know if this is one of those times when the county is innocent. Or not.