Besides the wrong number of CTSMC people resigning, these points need clarifying---
Soni Honneger resigned because improperly installed, railroad clueless and personally abrasive new CTSMC "president" Elmer Salazar was to "mentor" (micromanage) Soni's every move daily, while attempting to pay himself a $60,000, unauthorized, annual salary. Salazar is a manager at Los Alamos National Labs, whose job may be budgeted away.
Salazar's reportedly arrogant, heavy-handed approach apparently angered and insulted Soni, whose relatively short GM track record, perhaps lacking bureaucratic refinement, shows many needed C&TS physical improvements and overall successful operation during the 2009 season.
When Salazar would not back off, after several meetings and letters from Soni explaining his dissatisfaction, Soni resigned.
Even-tempered Soni, a Swiss-born-and-educated mechanical engineer, is also a top C&TS railroad engineer, led last summer's highly-praised engineer/fireman school for railfans, has rebuilt needed railroad equipment, owns and operates Snowzilla, his cleverly-modified version of a railroad snow blower which quickly opened the C&TS after 2008's record area snowfall.
Salazar's rise to CTSMC presidency was triggered when former head Frank Turner suddenly resigned recently, saying business on another railroad was taking too much of his time. However, Turner remains a CTSMC board member.
The Commission and CTSMC are presently NOT making nice, have NOT yet resolved their differences. The Journal reporter left last Thursday's meeting EARLY, missing essential highlights.
The Commission was highly critical of the Salazar-Soni dustup as well as the board's sloppy, untrustworthy management, considered yanking its contract, ended up giving CTSMC 30-days to prove themselves able to recover. Tighter Commission-ordered contract changes are also on the way.
The Commission has called for a March 3rd meeting in Chama to review CTSMC's progress, present the revised no-negotiation operating contract, and perhaps find resolution.
A so-far undiscussed concern is the line's high country snow removal, needed to be completed before C&TS's season start in mid-May.
