City Hall’s Troubled Seas

by friscowhistleblower | May 16, 2025 | Angelia Pelham, Bill Woodard, Brian Livingston, Cameron Kraemer, Candidates, Citizens Input, City Council, Elections, Ethics Complaints, Frisco Fire, Frisco Firefighters Assoc, HR Case 64 - HR Malfeasance, HR Department, Laura Rummel, Lauren Safranek, Mack Borchardt, Mayor Jeff Cheney, Nepotism, Political Candidates, Politics, Public Safety, Public Works, Richard Abernathy, Tammy Meinershagen, Wes Pierson

HR-GONE: The Mysterious Disappearance of Frisco’s Human Resources Trio

It’s been unusually quiet over at City Hall lately. It’s the kind of quiet that screams “Something’s rotten in the records room.”  While most departments are humming along in their usual bureaucratic fog, the stench of an investigation is sweeping the building due to some major “Absences.” 

A few weeks ago, Lauren “Sassy” Safranek and Jacinta Shanks, top brass in Frisco’s Human Resources Department, vanished like a bowl of queso at a Friday Night tailgate. Gone. Poof. Not a peep.  Did they get lost on a ship stuck in troubled seas?  Maybe they went ice fishing and fell in the hole?  It’s like they just pulled a Houdini!

We reached out to some of our sources inside city hall.  When something like this happens, it does not take long for whispers and rumors to begin.  One whistleblower told us, “One minute they’re steering the ship, the next day they’re gone like a Margarita on Cinco de Mayo.”  Did they quit? Nope. Did they announce a vacation? Were they abducted by an alien spaceship sent by fed-up municipal employees?

I mean, it’s not the craziest theory on the table.  What we do know is this:  Multiple sources allege they’re on administrative leave—which in government-speak often translates to: “Something’s gone sideways, and we’re pretending we have it under control.”

Rumor Tornado: Allegations Aplenty

Cue the local rumor mill which is working overtime, spinning out allegations faster than a ceiling fan in an August heatwave. Allegations range from forged documents, toxic workplace culture, and racist comments.  And while we’d love to dismiss it all as wild conspiracy, here’s the truth: When that much smoke is circling, it usually ain’t from a scented candle.  For a city who claims to have pride in their professionalism and diversity, something like this is not just smoke, somewhere there is a fire!  Someone call the Fire Department!! (more about that in a sec)

If things weren’t already murky enough, we got word that Shamaria, another key player in HR, is also out. Administrative leave too? Vacation? Witness protection? We hope to tell you soon why people are just vanishing from the organization chart.  We are just giving the city the courtesy of a comment request before we move forward.  For now, they think no one’s talking. Not the city, not the employees, not even a cryptic passive-aggressive Nextdoor post.  However, that is simply not true!  They have more cracks and leaks than the Titanic.

At least when you email any of them you get back the “official” statement which is a robotic Out-of-Office reply that reads like it was written by ChatGPT on Ambien.  The silence is deafening. No answers. No updates. Not even a cryptic “thoughts and prayers” from City Hall.  So, what did we find?

HR Hotline Tellanovella

Case 61: Discrimination or Harassment!  It was filed on 4/25/23 and closed one month later on 5/23/23 and the person identified in the behavior was none other than Jacinta Shanks – HR Manager.  The report goes on to say that on April 10^th while the Director was away, Jacinta pulled her staff into a meeting and yelled and screamed at them for two hours.  It reads “she was screaming that they were bad in their roles in HR, was name calling, cussing, screaming, etc.”  Not only could she be heard yelling through the department, but she could heard in the hallway too which the reporter said was abusive and unprofessional.   The end result? The case was closed and no evidence was found.

Case 62: Listed as “OTHER” was reported on 5/4/23 and closed on 5/23/23.  The hotline complaint is about the same “April 10^th Issue” listed in Case 61 but this time the complaint is the initial report was closed out and never investigated by the HR Director, Laurn Safranek. 

Case 64: Falsification of Contracts, Reports or Records was reported on 5/29/23 and closed out 6/22/23.  We reported this in our Twelve Days of Christmas Blog back in 2023.  It was Day 3: Case 64 & HR Malfeasance and Day 9: Case 64 Responses.  You can just click the Case names, and it will take you directly to those blogs. We know for a fact his true and it is why Lauren Safranek used a fake investigation to go after the Former Fire Chief, to cover up her own fraud.  The complaint was closed out due to NO EVIDENCE FOUND! 

Meanwhile, Over in the Fire Department…

You’d hope that while HR has hit the skids, all the other departments would be cruising along smoothly, right?  Wrong.

Five employees have recently left the Frisco Fire Department.  We’re not talking about minor attrition here—we’re talking about experienced professionals pulling the ripcord. Some retired early, which means, “I’m out of here because this will never get better,” while others just walked out of the job.

Why? The unofficial rumor is due to the lack of true Fire Department leadership and lack of support by city management.  Tammy’s recent comments “caught on tape” sure didn’t help when they were called 300lb Bullies.  They have realized it is not going to get better without change on the Dias and new fresh minds sitting in the seats on the council. Maybe that is why the Frisco Firefighters Association and Frisco Police Officers Association has endorsed Burt Thakur and Jared Elad in the runoff.  One thing is clear for sure those that put their life on the line to save our lives and our property are sick of the city’s BS and jumping off the Titanic early while there is still a lifeboat to get them somewhere else. 

Damage Control in Public Works?

HR, then the Fire Department?  Surely, it’s a fluke – nothing to worry about, right?  Wrong.  Just a few weeks ago a lady spoke at citizens input about the “issues” in public works and how she was upset that a letter she sent it to recognize someone was never given to them.  Well turns out there is a flood in the Public Works Department too and it goes back several years.

Sometime in 2024, Lauren Safranek (HR – now allegedly out on administrative leave) hired an outside HR Consulting Company, called Kathy Shields Consulting, to investigate the “alleged complaints through the HR hotline of an inappropriate relationship.”   That’s right, the “ALLEGED” complaints involve Lover Boy, Kevin Grant, his alleged girlfriend, Loosey Goosey Gloria Martinez (who is married to someone else who works in the city).   

Sources from deep in city leadership told us NDA’s were required by everyone in Public Works.  The affair is alleged to have been happening for several years now, and the consultants couldn’t understand why people were bothered by it.  Well, when one who is loosey goosey starts to get promotions and special treatment you can see why it would upset those that work around her.

Piling High HR Allegations in Public Works 

Case 55: Time Abuse was reported on 1/3/23 and closed on 1/30/23.  The report reads that Office Manager, Gloria Martinez and Kevin Grant, Assistant Director for months would go off during work hours to donate plasma for extra money while still on the clock (meaning they were stealing taxpayer dollars and being paid for it).  The confidential reporters said they believed the stolen time was equal to $50,000 dollars.  Their report continued with all the CSR’s and other direct reports were aware of the happenings.  HR found no evidence and closed the case.

Case 57: Offensive and Inappropriate Communication was reported on 3/17/23 and closed on 5/8/23.  This report is about Marvin Redmond, a Supervisor and foul mouth in the office.  HR found no evidence and closed the case.

Case 58: Nepotism/Favoritism Inappropriate Workplace Relationship was reported on 3/20/23 and closed on 4/11/23.  The report says Kevin Grant, Assistant Director of Public Works and Gloria Martinez, Office Admin, are having an inappropriate relationship and disappear at different times of the day for extended periods.  It mentions Kevin has a DUI so he gets Gloria to drive him everywhere.  They openly flirt in the office making others uncomfortable and awkward.  The Director of Public Works, Gabe appears to do nothing and turns a blind eye.  HR found no evidence and closed the case. 

Case 59: Violation of Policy was reported on 3/20/23 and closed on 4/12/23.  The report states that Gabe Johnson, the Director of Public Works knows that Kevin Grant, Assistant Director of Public Works was convicted of a DUI which is an issue because driving a city vehicle is part of his job to check on employees and job sites.  The report notes others have been fired in the past for DUI’s but this time Gabe choses to look the other way.  HR found no evidence and closed the case. 

Interesting thing here, we did a simple search, and we found a DUI for a Kevin Grant – could it be the same Kevin Grant that works at the City of Frisco driving city vehicles?   

Case 84/85/86/87/88: Multiple Reports about Public Works and the HR Cover up also reported to the hotline in 2024/25.  The first starts with a 3-page complaint about Gloria Martinez, the Strategic Services Manager in Public Works (new title), related to her behavior and ongoing love affair with her boss.  The case was closed when NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND!

We could keep going, but we don’t want to sound like a broken record.  Sources from deep in city leadership told us NDA’s were required by everyone in Public Works during the investigation. The consultants couldn’t understand why people were bothered by it.  Our guess, when one who is loosey goosey starts to get promotions and special treatment, you can see why it would upset those who work around her.

What we find interesting is each time they are closed due to no evidence found.  One report, I could see its just petty employee behavior but when you have multiple reports in multiple departments and they are always investigated by the same HR folk (who are even named in the complaint) something tells me – there is some rotting shit in Denmark.

Let’s Talk About Leadership — Or Lack Thereof

Enter Wes Pierson, Frisco’s relatively new City Manager.  According to the Tammy tapes, she just finished his “yearly review.”  Don’t worry, we are filing a PIR for that blow pop sucker! 

To hear some folks inside City Hall tell it, Wes didn’t just walk in with a chip on his shoulder—he brought the whole bag of chips on this back.  There’s a growing sentiment that his arrogant, top-down leadership style is rubbing people the wrong way, all the way down to those “entry level employees.”  Micromanaging? Check. Intimidating culture? Double check. Open-door policy? Not unless you’re bringing praise, apparently.

And here’s the kicker: this isn’t Wes’s first rodeo when it comes to morale problems.

Sources from his previous job in Addison say the same script played out there. Multiple departures. Low morale. Leadership complaints. Sound familiar? Because it should. History doesn’t repeat, but it sure rhymes.

Walking on Eggshells

Maybe it’s time we stopped asking what happened and started asking who’s driving the bus at the city.  Insiders describe the current vibe inside City Hall as “walking on eggshells.” But in the absence of information, people fill in the blanks themselves—and right now, that blank is filled with rumors, stress, and enough anxiety to power every Keurig in the building.  However our City Council Members want you to believe everything is just dandy – and the truth is the cancer is all over the city including our City Council.

Final Thoughts

To the City of Frisco: This isn’t Mean Girls. We get that HR matters can be sensitive and complex. But people deserve a straight answer—or at the very least, an acknowledgment that something is amiss. And to Mr. Pierson: you were brought in to lead, not reign. Arrogance isn’t management. Intimidation isn’t accountability. And silence isn’t transparency.

The people who make this city run—from dispatchers to developers—deserve better than this circus. We’ve got talent walking out the door, departments on edge, and a leadership team that thinks “no comment” is good enough.  Then to top off the Sunday, we have city council members getting caught on tape showing their authentic self in a safe space, acting no better than some of the city “employees” she thumbs her nose up at, who work for our city. Too bad we can’t file an HR Complaint with the hotline about Tammy.

If you read this and don’t think we need a change in our city, you are simply delusional! If you want to try and discredit us because we are anonymous – go ahead. Companies and cities cannot operate this way.

Years of HR HOTLINE COMPLAINTS, which name HR as part of the problem investigated by none other than HR. Simple No Evidence Found! Years of complaints about issues in Public Works, but simply no evidence found! More reports about other departments from PD, Facilities / Maintenance, and Professional Services, simple, no evidence found!

A city’s HR Team doesn’t go POOF IN THE NIGHT, unless there is a serious issue! If you want to believe our Fire Department is a group of bullies, we can’t change your mind. The fact is that a fire department does not lose tenure like our department has in one year unless there is a reason for it. If you want to believe that our Public Works department has no issues after 15+ complaints have been reported for the same thing by different people, then we can’t change your mind. How many cities have to hire this many outside consultants or investigators to look at an issue and still find no evidence? What you should care about is that it is your tax dollars paying for it.

For years, the city has operated with the mentality to protect the ones they like and cut the ones that could or will “uncover the problem”. Hence, our former Fire Chief and several other employees across other city departments. If you want to blame the wrong people and keep denying there is a problem, better yet, that there is a cancer in the city that starts at the top, then you are blind and stupid.  The problem starts with our city council leaders and trickles down through the city. I would love for someone to explain to me how one city has so many problems! Don’t believe us, fine! We can’t make you see what you choose to close your eyes to. Just continue to be sheep!

City of Frisco Motto: Keep the cancer, eat the innocent!