After a series of major missteps, a protracted and seemingly personal battle with the popular police and several threats, both public and private, to quit her job, Coral Gables City Manager Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark resigned Monday after almost four years at the helm of the City Beautiful.
Police Chief Ed Hudak wins.
And it seems Commissioner Mike Mena is the hero.
The big question on everyone’s lips is: Does Cathy take Assistant City Manager Frank Fernandez with her?
Probably. You can’t be the city manager and the top sworn police officer in the city, which Fernandez is — the crux of a lot of the city’s problems. Las malas lenguas say that Assistant City Manager Peter Iglesias — who may or may not have resigned previously
— will be named interim until a replacement is found.
The resignation comes one day before the next commission meeting and two weeks after the last one, which featured a three-hour conversation about the structure in the city administration that turned into Swason-Rivenbark putting herself on the butcher’s block and ended with Mayor Raul Valdes-Fauli basically calling her a liar.
Read related: Coral Gables manager spanked for interfering with background check
This job has been in jeopardy for months, at least since the botched investigation into the popular police chief from an “anonymous” complaint many insiders believe Swanson-Rivenbark or Fernandez orchestrated. There has always been at least one and sometimes two votes. But Valdes-Fauli has wavered and even, some say, protected Swanson-Rivernbark pretending to be the third vote to fire her but never really coming through.
The hero of the day is Commissioner Mike Mena, who has been acting as a sort of mediator in the ongoing “talks 
between the city manager and the police chief” (read: crisis management) and provided a report at the Aug. 28 meeting that started that three hour trainwreck. Mena had been the missing link who, apparently, had his eyes pulled wide open at the Aug. 28 meeting where Swanson-Rivenbark and Commissioner Pat Keon did everything but throw herself on the tracks to protect Fernandez and his sworn position.
The structure and the assistant city manager’s status was put on the agenda to come up again Tuesday, which will now be about Swanson-Rivernbark’s exit, the structure moving forward and a search for a new city manager.
Coral Gables city manager has taxpayer paid ‘fixer’ for political headaches
Ladra tried but was unable to reach Mena, who woke up from his coma just in time, or he’d be facing a real challenge in the next election. But Commissioner Vince Lago, who has been the one consistent vote to get the manager out, told Ladra Monday that he would not let Tuesday’s become a drawn out commercial about Swanson-Rivenbark’s many achievements at the city — like the last meeting became.
“It is time to move forward and concentrate on Coral Gables businesses and its residents,” Lago said. “The separation agreement hasn’t been signed. But we expect to name an interim city manager at tomorrow’s meeting.”
As Ladra updated this story the last time (just about 8 p.m.) Monday, the ink is not yet dry on Swanson-Rivenbark’s resignation and exit package, which may not be finalized until late tonight or even Tuesday morning.
Swanson came back to Coral Gables in late 2014 after Pat Salerno resigned abruptly, rather than face questioning about lies he told the commission. She immediately started to make changes, hiring her people from Hollywood, including Fernandez, who she put in charge of public safety.
She quickly fell under fire when she failed to name Hudak the permanent chief and tried instead to install two chiefs of police, which her then city attorney told her she couldn’t do.
Read related: Coral Gables cover-up on police ‘spy’ protects managers
Swanson-Rivenbark then drew criticism for her handling of the Maj. Teresa Molina case. You remember that one, 
right? Where a police major was caught spying on a resident and commissioners at a city commission meeting and then offered the opportunity to retire with full benefits, actually maximizing her pension, rather than be fired. Let’s also remember Chief Hudak recommended termination.
She then had to take back a reprimand she gave the chief after a public and embarrassing investigation into a pool party photo that was posted on social media showed Hudak had visited an all-female officer party at a cop’s home. The investigation cleared Hudak of all wrongdoing but she felt to reprimand him anywa — then had to take it back.
Later it was discovered that Swanson — who cancelled a U.S. 1 corridor study ordered by the commission and getting a taxpayer paid public relations consultant on monthly retainer — had told the investigator to leave out certain information when vetting Fernandez.
According to las malas lenguas, Swanson most recently threatened to quit and take both Fernandez and Iglesias with her. Iglesias balked at this and quit on his own. He had been planning to do so anyway, unhappy with the direction the city had taken and the morale issues. Swanson thought this would stop her termination, which is cemented now that Mena has waken up from his coma. In fact, las really malas lenguas say she wanted to have it be up for a vote and Mena and Commissioners Frank Quesada and Lago told her nananina.
It will be interesting to see who sits in her seat Tuesday morning.
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Dear All:
As my greatest nightmare is coming to pass — redeveloping the Andalusia parking garages to the EXCLISION of a department store, thereby doomong Miracle Mile to never being able to compete with shopping malls, and inevitably giving way ro 15 story buildings on Coral Gables’ main street! — it is dawning on me that former City Manager Swanson may have been the holdout for something better in the parking garages.
I Apologize to you, former City Manager Swanson.
Sincerely,
Jackson Rip Holmes
[…] Read related: Coral Gables Manager Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark quits job in battle with chief […]
Why it doesn’t work…good observation. It’s not just about Cathy Rivenbark. People like Frank Fernandez and Peter Iglesias (two peas in a pod) including other cronies need to be replaced too. The commissioners need to make a difference and clean house! I am asking all my neighbors to attend the commission meeting and HOLD THE COMMISSIONERS ACCOUNTABLE! Our tax dollars are being wasted on inexperienced people like the Interim City Manager. How much experience does he have as a City Manager??? ZIP, ZERO. He cannot even communicate clearly.
Enough is enough.
There is alot of focus on Frank Fernandez, but don’t forget the Interim City Manager Peter Iglesias. That guy treats contractors like sh*t. He thinks he knows it all…and that’s why it doesn’t work with him. Abuse of power… check. Unecessary revisions…check. Making me spend more money than I actually need to…check. Giving people a hard time…check.
GET RID OF HIM ASAP!
Get rid of those 2 idiots, Iglesias and Fernandez, Swanson’s 2 henchmen. We need a fresh start, we need someone new to the our city. It doesn’t really take much to figue this out.
A job is not a sinecure. Since we’re new residents we haven’t been watching, but maybe someone else remembers a city manager who was up to the job. We mean not only an intimidator with a loud bark, but an executive climbing the ladder of his career.
I agree with DifferentSmell. Our elected officials have taken the first step in course correcting the City of Coral Gables with the removal of City Manager Swanson. Now our elected officials should proceed with finding someone from the outside to come in with a clean slate and proper city management experience. Allowing any of Ms. Swanson’s hires – ACM Peter Iglesias, ACM Frank Fernandez – to remain is a essentially allowing a continuation of the problem. Now is the time to find the right person – an outsider that can come in and fix the issues without bias.
The old-guard rats are scrambling. Including a former Salerno crony is making her rounds. LOL. Some lazy elected officials will push to have Peter stay permanently to avoid having to go through a search process. Same old Coral Gables shit. Heck we have the same mayor we had in the 90’s!
Now is the time to look at the proposed budget for 2018-19 and start by cutting the fat from the top, of course. How many chiefs, under chiefs, etc are needed to manage the troops? How many of the new “initiatives”, new “positions”, etc. are really needed to run a city the size of Coral Gables? Someone should ask questions about where the money is stashed away from the many “vacancies” that were not filled this year. There is a Budget Meeting, open to the public, TOMORROW at the Commission Chambers. Anyone interested should attend and voice their concerns. Wake up and make it happen.
Hollywood’s problems soon become EVERYONE’S problems!!! Hollywood Police Chief Frank Fernandez was trash here in Hollywood…as was his other city of Miami counterpart, Hollywood Fire Virgil Fernandez (who’s now the Miami Beach Fire chief getting paid $250,000/year!!!!!!!). F them both!
M. Mantle ….where have you gone? Your silence suggest that maybe you are not working. Team Lyinbark has had a major setback! Little Frankie Fernandez is right on her heels. Next stop, the unemployment line. M. Mantle support Big Ed. Support the winning team that has honesty, integrity, and hard working women and men. The truth is that you will see how the police department should be run. No more free passes from Frank or Cathy for bad behavior. No more free passes for lying, cheating and stealing. The new and improved 2.0 version of the CGPD & Team Hudak is surely welcomed by many.
Strike 3 M. Mantle, your out!!!!
Can somebody explain to me what is so hard about hiring a competent and honest City Manager? I’m perplexed about the City Commissions’ (present and past) inability to hire such a person. Brown, Salerno, Swanson, and remember the guy that was named after Salerno for a couple of days that proved to be a phony?!? Get it together, Commission!
well, well, well: another corrupt, self centered, egotistical, maniacal and bad person has left the City. There should be more, maybe its time the commission drained the swamp. Start in Finance where the Director (Diana Gomez) was investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission for cooking the books at the City of Miami. Someone took the bullet for her – he was rewarded with a job in the City Beautiful. Fernandez? His ego basically forced a “cop’s cop” Timoney out at the City of Miami, to which the proud members of that police department let him know what they really thought of him, only to have Hollywood and then Gables hire him. The list goes on and on and on and on. If not the Commission, then how about a FDLE investigation into the City’s finances, lack of ethics, corruption, etc?
Coral Gables is extremely lucky to be BLESSED with the tenacious, courageous, and I HOPE ADDITIONAL PULITZER-PRIZE WINNING professional journalist, and publisher, Elaine DeValle.
Sincerely,
Jackson Rip Holmes
This news has just been confirmed at Coral Gables City Hall.
There is no person more corrupt than the Finance Director, DIana Gomez. She should have been fired along time ago. She cooks the books and rigs the bids.
…we suggest, that now this city will accept the professional help of a reputable employment agency, and not hand out any more sinecures.
Well wel well…you finally met your hell. Its about time weeble wobble. You’ve been dodging bullets longer than expected.
All bad acts come to an end Lyinbark. So it’s time to pack your things and take your clowns that you protect and get the hell out of town.
Sometimes the bad things that happen in a city, puts the city on a path to the best thing that’s ever happened. Guess what Coral Gables. This city will thrive now.
Chief Ed Hudak will be able to run the Police Department like it should be run, not with clowns trying to interfere. Frankie your next.
It is a great day for the City Beautiful: the end of an administration that bragged about ethics, transparency and honesty, but whose actions were the complete opposite. Kudos to Commissioner Lago who saw through the smoke and mirrors long time ago and would not let go even though he was alone many, many times! Congratulations to Commissioner Mena who came in late in the process, but once he saw the reality stuck to his guns.
Let’s move on and get our City back on the right track.
agree!!
Good evening,
Here we go again in the City Beautiful – from David Brown chasing skirts to Pat Salerno’s autocratic style, we ended up with the back-room hiring Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark and her awful record at the City of Hollywood.
I hope that this City Commission FINALLY gets some FISCAL sense by reducing the BLOAT at City Hall (administrative employees, double-dippers, high salaries/benefits). How about hiring a City Manager that is paid less then $100,000, directing existing high earning employees to accept a pay reduction (or they are welcome to go somewhere else where their “stellar” skills would be better compensated. The double-dippers (you know who you are, retirees of other municipal governments, should have any concerns leaving the City Beautiful)). Time to privatize the IT Department and save the City Beautiful’s taxpayers some of their hard earned money, just to name a few suggestions.
There are lots of people who would love to serve as City Manager of the City Beautiful. This City does need multiple Assistant City Managers and sundry other Department Directors who are treading water until their solid gold retirement!
Another city ruined by this piece of garbage. I’m sure they will be suffering the consequences of her so called “leadership “ for years to come, just as we have in Hollywood. What a loser…..
As economic development director Swanson shwed her cards – making those whom disagreed with her out to be ‘idiots’ or ‘insane’ as she so put it. she did the biding of many including former city manager Jack Eads and Raul Valdes Fauli when he was the mayor years ago. VF showed his loyalties by not voting to rid Coral Gables of her this time. she wrecked the downtown playing favoritism to select entities ie Miracle Theater and ignored U of M’s extensive recommendations for downtown redevelopment. the place is a mess and businesses still struggling. be glad she’s gone – but do not underestimate her ‘powers of persuasion’.
Rumor is Mena was livid after the last meeting where he openly stated that he would not allow anyone to draw a line in the sand in front of him and the Commission (her M.O.). He was respectful throughout and tried to broker peace and she over-played her hand. Once she lost him, this was inevitable. He is a straight shooter and a reasonable guy (just ask Hudak or anyone else involved) and quickly earning a reputation as a voice of reason in City Hall.