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Large crowd attends first meeting with new MetroParks board members
CANFIELD
The two new members of the Mill Creek MetroParks board hit the ground running at their first meeting Monday night, vowing to take a close look at a controversial staff restructuring that many community members have questioned.
Lee Frey of Canfield and Tom Shipka of Youngstown also promised to meet with any members of the public who wished to do so, responded to questions and concerns raised during public comment, and diligently asked questions of park staff members.
The meeting at the MetroParks Farm, which drew a crowd of about 100 people, took a markedly different tone from other board meetings since public outcry began four months ago over the staff restructuring that eliminated numerous park positions.
All who spoke during public comments warmly welcomed Frey and Shipka. Many expressed optimism at what they seemed to view as a possible turning point in MetroParks officials’ relationship with the public.
Frey, too, expressed hope, telling The Vindicator after the meeting: “I think there are ways to be successful. I was pretty encouraged. I see possibilities of accomplishing things that need to be done.”
During the meeting, Frey voiced emphatic opposition to a proposal from board President John Ragan that the board establish new public-comment rules, one of which would limit the total time allotted for public comment to 30 minutes per meeting.
“I can never support the 30 minutes total [rule],” he said. “If 50 people want to speak, 50 people should speak. That’s just the way I feel.”
The board tabled that proposal, which board member Germaine Bennett also opposed.
Frey has said park leaders need to be more receptive to public input. He supports Mahoning County Probate Judge Robert N. Rusu Jr.’s proposal for a citizens advisory committee that would counsel the board on what members of the public view as priorities.
Also to that end, Frey quizzed MetroParks Executive Director Aaron Young on a number of concerns that were brought up during public comment.
“If you hear a theme, that theme needs to be addressed,” Frey told The Vindicator.
One of those themes was concern over the park’s nature-education program.
That program soon will lose two of its three part-time naturalists. Naturalists Hillary Lenton and Julie Bartolone last week submitted their letters of resignation. Lenton cited a “hostile environment” as her reason for leaving.
“When I was hired at the Ford Nature Center three years ago, I knew this was my dream job and I loved what I got to do every day. But, I cannot continue to work in this hostile environment,” reads her resignation letter, provided by the MetroParks. “My hard work is neither acknowledged nor appreciated and it is no longer healthy for me to be an employee of Mill Creek MetroParks.”
Those resignations follow several others in recent months, including those of Kevin Smith, treasurer/administrative director, and staff accountant Mark Mrofchak, who was appointed last month to fill Smith’s role in an interim capacity.
They also come as park officials deal with more fallout from the staff restructuring: a lawsuit.
A complaint filed against MetroParks officials alleges they violated Ohio Sunshine Law in their planning of the position eliminations.
Another theme repeated Monday, and which has been repeatedly raised in the wake of the position eliminations, is a call from some community members for Young to resign or be removed by the board.
Frey told the newspaper it’s too early for him to take a stance on that.
Shipka expressed his disapproval over the MetroParks’ handling of the staff restructuring, saying, “I was prompted to apply for this position by disappointment over the staff cuts. ... The jury is still out on whether those staff cuts were needed, and I will gather more information.”
Shipka also alluded to the anti-Young fervor, saying that while he plans to investigate the staff restructuring, “That does not mean the people who made a mistake are evil. It does not mean they will make such mistakes again. ... I would hope that down the trail as there is change up here, there will be change down there, too, and we can work together for the future of the MetroParks.”