Carmel Public Works Director Bob Harary is very, very sorry he told off a critic in a graphic and ungracious way on Feb. 11. On Feb. 19, City Administrator Chip Rerig told Harary all is forgiven, come back to work.
"I completed my investigation and didn’t find any other inappropriate or challenging communications with Bob Harary," Rerig says. "This appears to be a one off."
The sole inappropriate communication reportedly was the email reply of Harary’s to an unidentified Carmel Highlands resident, suggesting the man see a proctologist about removing his head from his anus.
The man, known only by his email address of "Carmel Highlands," wrote a lengthy letter to city officials on Feb. 3, complaining about the number of trees that came down in Carmel during a storm that weekend, causing power outages and closing down streets.
Harary, who Rerig says was "tired and frazzled" from working nearly back to back storms, let Highlands have it in his reply on Feb. 11.
Upon receiving Harary’s sharp response, "Carmel Highlands" forwarded Harary’s email to city officials and copied two TV stations. Within hours Rerig placed Harary on paid administrative leave and launched an investigation.
Harary spent the week at home contemplating how to make a public apology and was assigned "homework," Rerig says, writing a white paper about the possibility of the city undergrounding utilities.
On Tuesday, Rerig was satisfied that Harary had paid his penance and was ready to return to duty.
"Bob has learned from this, he’s apologized profusely," Rerig says. He expects Harary will apologize to the Carmel City Council and the community at large at a future meeting.
Many in the community were already singing Harary’s praises after the incident became public.
"Give this Carmel public works director a raise. I think he responded perfectly," Aaron McGilloway writes on the Weekly’s Facebook page. "Being storm prepared or not sometimes Mother Nature is gonna do her thing."
For good measure, Rerig is planning on holding communications training for the entire staff.
"It’s OK to think (negative thoughts), and maybe to type them, but you don’t hit send," he says.