We are writing on the behalf of Peter Piir, who was terminated Jan. 25 from the city of Anna Maria Public Works Department after 10 years. We think the decision to fire him was much too harsh for what he did.
We sponsored a memorial plank on the pier in Anna Maria for our grandson, Phillip Guttridge, who worked at the City Pier Restaurant and passed away at 22 years old. After reading different, conflicting stories about what was going to happen to the planks we became very concerned. We asked Peter, since he worked for the city, if there was anything he could do to insure that our grandson’s plank would be saved. Being an employee of the city, he removed and brought the plank to us, and a few days later we were informed that we had to return our plank, which we did.
Peter is a long time good friend of our family, and he did what Pete does and that’s to help in any way he can. Pete has been an excellent employee, with never an issue with his work ethics. This is a drastic punishment for someone trying to do a good deed. Just another situation of the city of Anna Maria not being run like the quaint little city that it once was.
Jeanette and Richard Langer
Bradenton Beach
Denise Guttridge Raykov
Holmes Beach
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