As promised back in this article, here are Curtis Waskey’s questions from the October 27th Library Board meeting.
Formatted the best way I can (based on the original).
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Curtis Waskey’s comments to the Library Board22 comments to Curtis Waskey’s comments to the Library BoardLeave a Reply |
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Way to go Waskey.
Well…it’s been two weeks and all I’ve heard is a dead silence. Isn’t it about time we got some answers? Gene Brauda also had a list of questions regarding the numbers the library has been quoting, which he included in a letter to the newspapers last week. Again, this was received in silence. These are extremely important issues being raised…doesn’t anyone on the board appreciate this?
Newspapers? Who reads those? 😉
The board knew that there would be backlash and braced themselves for it. It was well thought out in some respects. I think we need to start calling BoS and town council members and ruffle some feathers higher up about how those appointed library board members are running things in a completely unacceptable way.
Let rally infront of the Bos, and Town Council offices. .
There will be a joint meeting on Monday November 16th. of the BOS, town of SoBo and town of halifax. Be there and show your support. We need speakers and you must call the BOS and be placed on the agenda. Thanks and lets keep this alive! Also lets keep up the letters to the editors.
Curtis Waskey
I assume you are number 1 on the agenda, Mr. Waskey? You were rudely cut off during the last meeting.
The last meeting was with the Library Board – this meeting is the joint meeting of the Halifax County board of supervisors, South Boston town council and the Halifax town council. Anne Raab has put in a call to Jane Jones and Lottie Nunn in order to get on the list to speak. We will also be presenting the petitions that have been collected. We need as many names as possible. Does any one want to gather signatures? If so, I will send Southside Central a copy of the petition form.
Thanks,
Curtis Waskey
I’ll be there for sure!
Has anyone attempted to get a copy of the minutes of the infamous meeting of the Library Board? It should be public record.
I have several full petition pages. Who can I give them to? Curtis, will you be collecting them? Can I bring them to you somewhere or is there a central location for all to be turning them in?
The easiest way to turn those in would be to take them to Anne Raab at Electric Service on Main Street in South Boston or drop off at Bill Greer’s Law Office on the corner of Main and Wilborn Ave.(across the street from South Boston’s Town offices). If neither of these works, let me know and we will get it done. Both of these locations also have blank copies that you can sign or take and gather signatures. Doing so will greatly support the cause for Woodson.
Thanks for all of your concerns in this matter.
Curtis Waskey
Thanks, Curtis! I printed off a bunch of pages on my personal printer/copier so I have plenty and now I’m glad to know where to bring them when they are full. 🙂
Has anyone made an attempt to obtain the minutes of the Board meeting that preceded Woodson’s dismissal? I think it would be crucial to have these in hand. I realize that if ordinary procedure had been followed, any discussion may have been in camera, but we would at least finally discover whether or not the vote was in fact “unanimous”…which apparently it was not in spite of claims to the contrary. If any discussion regarding Woodson’s dismissal was not made in camera, then it is public record and cannot be kept from view. Either way, the Board cannot prevent their disclosure. There are too many questions and too many apparent irregularities regarding that meeting. We need to see the minutes.
In lieu of letters to the editor I decided to start sending in cartoons…
A slightly abridged transcript of Curtis Waskey’s statement to the combined boards on Monday night can be found here:
http://www.thenewsrecord.com/index.php/news/article/curtis_waskeys_presentation_to_supervisors_on_hughes_resignation/
Too bad both papers chose to edit his comments.
R
It’s too bad that I haven’t received that transcript. I would have ran it verbatim.
The Gazette-Virginian did a wonderful job in editing the letter while still inserting the questions that remained unanswered and the mistakes made. It was also started on the front page with a good lead in line. I don’t believe anything was lost. Several of the board and council members were not aware of all the facts before this meeting but understand now. Some expressed great interest in the alleged actions and mistakes of the board and director. Our goal was accomplished. The pressure is on. As I stated during this meeting, I don’t see them (the Library board) as the enemy – I just want to see them reverse their mistakes. I don’t agree with the director’s management style and don’t believe she is a good fit for our community. Hopefully some of their (Library) board’s members are now recognizing her blunders.
Kudos to Curtis!!!
Any chance you could post the entire text here, Curtis?
If he sends it to southsidecentral@southsidecentral.com, I’ll publish it as a new article.
As I would have done in the first place.
November 16, 2009
Ladies and Gentlemen of our respective Governing Bodies,
I wish to thank you for this opportunity to speak before you this evening. I come before you with a heavy heart and an overwhelming sense of injustice for one of our beloved public servants. Mr. Woodson Hughes has endeared himself to this community by his acts of kindness, unselfish service, his encyclopedic mind, and his ever present professional can-do attitude. The sentiments I wish to share with you this evening are not mine solely, but are the feelings of hundreds of my fellow citizens in this community as evidenced by the petitions we have submitted to you. We have collected over 858 Signatures to date and expect more to follow.
I am saddened by the negative publicity our Public Library System has received of late but I am also very proud of our citizens for voicing their very strong opinions about a serious injustice done to a valued community resource.
We submitted generic questions to the Library Board at their last board meeting seeking answers. These questions remain unanswered. Each of you has in your packet a copy of these questions. It was communicated to the members of the Library Board that these questions were generic in nature and were at the heart of our concerns. We also expressed our opinions that transparency was indeed more appropriate than invisibility.
At the heart of our concerns are the following:
• Fact – Mr. Hughes (and we suspect other employees of the Library) has not received a written annual performance review by the Library director (Ms. Griffin) since her arrival. This is contrary to written Library policy.
• Fact – Mr. Hughes received a pay increase in 2008 without a performance evaluation. This is also contrary to written Library policy.
• Fact – The called meeting of October 12th was not called seven day in advance and the news media was not given notice of this meeting. This was not an open meeting but a closed session meeting to discuss a personnel issue. A vote was taken in this meeting and there is no public record by way of recorded minutes for public viewing. This is contrary to Robert’s Rules of Order and the customary protocol for public governing bodies.
• Fact – Mr. Hughes was not given an opportunity to view or have explained to him the allegations lodged against him, face his accusers, nor defend himself. He was fired and threatened by intimidation if he did not resign. He was denied any due process. This was done without any regard for his 22 years of loyal and valued service.
• Fact – There is nothing in the written policy that addresses under what circumstances fines may be forgiven. There are no guidelines or procedures. The present system did not identify who forgave what fines and there were no shifts that employed less than two persons at any given time. The system does not have the capacity to positively identify who did what. The Halifax Library branch also experienced similar results proportionate to there circulation numbers. No one there has been fired. The Director has distorted the dollar amounts as most of the forgiveness was for values associated with items that were lost and then later found and returned.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Boards, you our elected officials, our protectors and the voices of reason and fairness, I ask you to intercede on our behalf. This entire incident is screaming for examination. If we are right, please help us to undo this wrong. If we are wrong, help to make this visible and clear. I don’t believe there is one of you sitting here tonight that would agree that 22 years of loyal and faithful service deserves the treatment this Library Board has inflicted by their Heavy Handed Actions. A comprehensive policy for fine forgiveness needs to be adopted, procedures need to be explained, and management systems need to be improved. Disciplinary actions should be taken, but only after there is a clear policy to work by. Discipline should be fair and equal for all employees. Punishment should be equal to the infraction. Your citizens deserve answers. We would like to see a valued and prized community asset like Mr. Hughes reinstated and a governing Library board directed towards proper procedures and behaviors in the future. Thank you.
Respectfully Yours,
Curtis Waskey