Community groups address CCRLD issues

DAYTON–There has been increased contention between the Board of Trustees at the Columbia County Rural Library District (CCRLD) and a group of community members, some of whom are past employees of the library and members of the Facebook group, Concerned Friends of CCRLD, created by Dale Slack, over the past year. But there seems to be light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

This tension escalated following the dismissal of former employee Shakira Bye, in January of 2019. The following board meeting in February, many of the Concerned Friends attended and brought forth concern over Bye's termination and the reported events leading up to it as later related in the tort claim filed by Bye's attorney, Jane Richards, against the CCRLD Director Dusty Waltner, and the Board of the CCRLD last June.

The grounds for the claim began in March 2017 and ultimately led to Bye being placed on administrative leave after she left a work-related conference in December of 2018. Bye claimed that she had reported sexual harassment by a patron on three occasions to Director Waltner, who took no action. In the tort, she also complained of her conversations being recorded without her knowledge or permission, which contributed to grounds for her dismissal. This action was in violation of the Privacy Act.

Bye wasn't made aware of these recordings until they were disclosed to her and her attorney following her termination. Additionally, library director Waltner did not release Bye's public employee records when requested within the time frame required under the Public Disclosure Act, and in some cases, requests were denied.

While at the December, 2018, conference, Bye claimed she was subjected to "discriminatory acts and harassing speech." Additionally, while at the conference, Bye allegedly was told by Waltner that she had no choice but to share a hotel room with a fellow male employee because there were no other rooms available. Bye found this to be false when she inquired at the reservation desk and proceeded to pay for her own private room. Upon return from the conference, Bye was put on administrative leave and was later terminated.

At the February, 2019, meeting, one of the Concerned Friends, Lorna Barth, said that the discussion became heated on both sides. The months following, other concerns began to surface including the perceived high employee turnover rate, the question of audio surveillance, the lack of background checks for staff and volunteers, and having no real access for the handicapped to the downstairs children's library. All of these issues have developed under Director Waltner, with oversight from the Board of Trustees.

Barth said that none of the concerns were accepted satisfactorily or addressed. The concerned group continued to attend monthly board meetings, anticipating that their concerns would be heard and addressed. Instead, the meetings, though officially public, had become increasingly private, says Barth, because the board sat at a closed table, discussing matters quietly where the public could not hear (though they were asked to provide microphones to help), and none of the documentation discussed was made available to community members who were present.

Additionally, the public questions and comments part of the meeting had been reduced to the point where it was temporarily not allowed in January of this year. Barth reported that concerns sent by email had gone unanswered. She said the public has no way of knowing what the library board is doing because their meetings cannot be heard, their questions go unanswered, the website information doesn't tell much and when public records are requested, they have increasingly been denied. One thing she suggested was that the board develop committees containing members of the public and the board, as many other boards do, to build cooperation and promote communication.

Barth, who worked for the library district four months in 2016, is not a disgruntled past employee, but is a supportive patron of the library then and now. She continues to be active in the Friends of the Library as she has done for years. She has expressed her commitment to working with others to encourage the changes necessary to improve access to the building, a safe working environment and transparency.

Bye also continued to be a patron of the library with her children up until December of 2019, when upon returning materials and meeting friends, she was asked to pay a cleaning fee for something she returned that needed special cleaning. She agreed to pay the fee but when faced with the director, words between them became heated to the point where the staff reported feeling so threatened for their safety that they called the police and Shakira was escorted off the premises. No trespass order was filed.

A witness to the event, Cassey Martinez, expressed that she felt very uncomfortable hearing the conflict at the library that day. She did not observe anything inappropriate from Bye, but rather the library staff. She now avoids the library for herself and her children who were frequent patrons up until that time. Martinez is not the only Dayton resident who avoids the library now.

According to the Concerned Friends Facebook page, several other people publicly declared that they have quietly stopped using the library.

The tension between the Concerned Friends and the CCRLD Board of Trustees has continued to be present. However, pressure from the community group through the year has brought a positive change to the lack of policy on background checks, wherein the library now conducts them for employees and volunteers.

Additionally, the director and board have actively advanced the process of putting in a wheelchair lift, and at the last board meeting in February, the board adopted new resolutions assuring public comment at the end of meetings for three minutes per speaker with 21 minutes allotted total. They also drafted a Public Meeting Code of Conduct for community participants–not directed towards the board. The meeting itself was transparent, documents were available to the public, and discussion could be clearly heard.

"It is vitally important that the CCRLD Board of Trustees and the community know that the focus of all this attention is to be of encouragement and assistance to bring forth the necessary changes to policy and procedure to ensure the Library is strengthened as a community entity," said Barth. "There are many with the resources and expertise willing to step up and become part of a strong, supportive, and safe place for all to visit and work. Transparency and the courage to make the changes necessary as we–board members, supporters, friends, past and present employees, and patrons of the library go forward–will make sure this valuable community asset is properly equipped to function in these times."

When given the opportunity to answer questions surrounding the events of the past year, Board of Trustees Chair Tanya Patton declined comment.