Residents appear before commission with bullying, road complaints

By Charlene Sims, info@linncountyjournal.com

MOUND CITY – During the Monday, April 21, Linn County Commission meeting public comment session, two residents took the commissioners – specifically Commission Chair Jim Johnson – to task for bullying. One questioned the ethics of Johnson voting to fire former Public Works Director Shaun West earlier this month.

As rural Centerville resident Rogene McPherson limped and pulled a chair up closer to the commission table, Commissioner Alison Hamilton told her that she had to stand at the podium to speak.

McPherson said, “I’m sorry, I’ll speak loud, but I cannot stand at the podium unless you want to see me fall to the ground.”

Hamilton answered, “We can move you to the podium and she can get you the mic please.”

At that point County Clerk Danielle Souza, brought the mic over to the clerk’s table so that McPherson could sit at that table and speak.

McPherson said she had three or four things to talk about if she could get to them in the time limit.

She told the commissioners that she had made a commitment to always start out with something positive about Linn County. However, she added, “That’s been a stretch in the last few years, but I’m trying.”

McPherson talked about the beauty, wildlife and nature in Linn County and told the commissioners that is why so many people live in Linn County so that they can appreciate what God has created. 

She then went on to her first point of striping on the roads, Wesley Chapel Road (West 1150 Road) and County Road 1077. McPherson said she heard through the grapevine that was supposed to happen this spring but she has not heard anything about it. She asked for the update on the striping. Commissioners did not respond.

McPherson had been to the commissioner meeting about how hard it is to see on the blacktop roads at night without any striping. McPherson said how she had been on Wesley Chapel Road that day and talked about all the curves that were dangerous without markings on the road and how that had to be a safety issue for people driving that road at night. 

She told the commissioners, “I’m going to start referring to these roads by the church names because we need all the religion in this meeting that we can get.”  

McPherson said while she doesn’t go on Wesley Chapel Road that much, she does travel CR 1077 at night and it is dangerous road. She said she would probably keep coming back to commission meetings to tell the commissioners that until it was striped.

Her second concern was that Johnson had voted to fire West with a 2-to-0 vote.

She said that she strongly disagreed that Johnson could vote on firing West when West had two grievances and an ouster filed against Johnson.

“Whether that’s legal or not,” McPherson continued, “I don’t know and I didn’t have time to check with the state’s attorney office to find out. But I do know looking at the Kansas County Commissioners’ Association Code of Ethics. 

“Looking at one of the points ‘a county commissioner should perform the duties of public office with fairness and impartiality so as to enhance public confidence in county government.’ Then you go down to about point four – ‘a commissioner should abstain from voting even if not required by law if his or her impartiality might be reasonably questioned.’

“I’m reasonably questioning whether the two of you could have done that considering the fact that there’s . . .  Shaun’s filed two grievances. You can do whatever you want to with it because I doubt that Shaun would come back. But, it’s just an example again of how people are treated in this county, and I’m tired of it.”

Referring to Commissioner Jason Hightower’s presentation which she has printed, McPherson said, “I absolutely agree with this. We have had enough of it. And if he (Hightower) then I may just come every week and harass you because usually I can come up with something. And I’m not really that kind of person.”

She went on to tell the commissioners that her father had been a commissioner in Nebraska for years. She said when her dad died the church was full because people respected him.

Johnson interrupted her and told her that her five minutes were up.     

Next, former employee and Mound City rural resident Kevin Amer spoke. He told that he had given half his body for his previous job as traffic control sign installer for the county.

He told the commissioners, “I just want you to know that you’ve gotten rid of any kind of a wall for the employees that they felt they had sort of a safety deal. I’m not diving into politics, and cousin, I am not beating you down today, OK? I just want you to know that your employees probably need uplifting.”

Amer said that employees used to get picnics to show appreciation, flowers or cards when they were in the hospital.    

Amer suggested, “You need to reconnect with your employees that’s all I am trying to say. There is no wall now between the employees and you guys.  

“So we have a policy on bullying. Several of us, years ago, had to take these classes, go through harassment and bully training. You know, probably need to do that again. For darn sure because. Then when it happened, we were supposed to report, as an employee, every time somebody bullied you or you would lose your job.   

“I’m sure some of us don’t know that because we just don’t keep up on it. Probably need to redo all that but that was through our insurance company.  Probably get them back in here to run that through again.

“I’m just trying to say just open up your hearts to your employees a little bit more. And I know some of you do and you try. Try a little harder, all of you. I do want the bullying to stop, and I’m not pointing fingers at nobody. Your employees feel so unsafe right now.”