Mill Creek park firings precipitate public anger

After the public relations debacles in 2014 and 2015 over the killing of geese, the hiring of the executive director and the discovery of dead fish in the polluted lakes, you would think the Mill Creek MetroParks board of commissioners had learned its lesson. You would be wrong.

The commissioners are again embroiled in controversy, this time over the unexpected termination of several long-time employees.

We’re not going to second-guess the decision by Executive Director Aaron Young, with the backing of the board, to hand out pink slips that began a week ago Friday. Young justifies the action by saying that the park must cut costs in order to close a $15 million gap in the long-term capital improvements plan.

What we do find disconcerting and, yes, puzzling, is the way the firings were handled. Vindicator Reporter Jordyn Grzelewski and Chief Photographer Robert K. Yosay, who were at the park on another assignment, witnessed what could only be described as an insensitive, heavy-handed way of dealing with individuals who have been loyal, dedicated employees. Park police stood by while they were escorted from their places of work.

Among those fired were two full-time, well-known staff members: Horticulture Director Keith Kaiser and Outdoor Education Manager Ray Novotny. In all, 13 positions are to be eliminated.

Not surprisingly, public reaction to what occurred was fast and furious.

But what did surprise us was Executive Director Young’s response to the public backlash on social media, Vindy.com and calls to journalists.

“I understand the unintended negative connotation that the involvement of MetroParks Police has had on the perceptions of the day’s events and apologize to those affected staff members if the support that I sought on their behalf contributed to the uncomfortable nature and stress of the situation.”

Basic question

The key words are “unintended negative connotation,” because they suggest that no one in management or on the board of commissioners thought to ask this very basic question: Why are we taking such an aggressive approach to the terminations?

According to reporting by this newspaper, commissioners were made aware of Young’s plans and gave their blessings. We know the board met behind closed doors (executive session) with the director, but the public was not privy to whatever was discussed because there was no vote taken on the matter in open session.

The Vindicator is being told that Young did not need a formal vote in order to fire the employees. However, did no one think to hit the pause button and say, “Remember the euthanizing of the 238 geese, the violation of the open-meetings laws when Young was hired and the mass fish kill in Lake Newport as a result of high E. coli levels that resulted in the three lakes being closed for public use during the prime summer-recreation season?”

Talk about a public-relations disaster.

Indeed, those incidents left such a bitter taste in the mouths of area residents that there was a very real concern about the chances of the MetroParks levy on the November 2015 ballot. As it turned out, the combined 1.75-mill, 15-year renewal and a 0.25-mill additional tax barely passed – with a 54 percent vote in favor.

We strongly endorsed the paired levy, arguing that the future of the park district over the next 15 years hung in the balance of passage.

We urged Mahoning County voters to go to the polls and show their support for the 125-year-old metropolitan park, the region’s largest and finest natural asset.

We also advised county residents not to let the controversies color their judgment about the need to keep the park system vibrant and upgraded.

It was our hope that the management team and the board of commissioners had learned from their past missteps.

But the firings of Kaiser, Novotny and the others lead us to the conclusion that they have a major blind spot when it comes to dealing with those who pay the tab.

The Mill Creek MetroParks District is a public entity operated largely with public dollars. More than 70 percent of the operating budget comes from revenue generated by levies. Young and the board should conduct public hearings to explain in detail the reason for the cuts and why they were handled so ineptly.