Landfill managers appeal suspensions

The timesheet saga at the landfill ended Wednesday without the termination of mechanic Carl Beckman.

However, the two top solid waste employees are appealing their suspensions.

On Saturday, Interim County Administrator Rick Helms said Solid Waste Director Ken Wheeler was suspended for a week, and Landfill Operations Manager Dick Gorman must take off two weeks, both without pay. Both were put on probation and told they must accomplish specific goals.

Beckman

Helms also intended to fire mechanic Beckman. However, on Wednesday, Beckman was suspended: "A complete review of solid waste operations ... revealed that you violated multiple county policies:

•"Taking more than allowable time for meal or rest period.

•"Falsification of personnel, county or departmental records, including employment applications, accident records, work records, purchase orders, timesheets...

•"Use of official position for personal advantage. This violation is a result of work that you performed on private vehicles at the landfill during normal business hours using the mechanic's bay on multiple occasions. You were compensated by the owner of the vehicles for the work performed."

Beckman was suspended two weeks without pay, placed on 90 days conditional probation, and transferred to the road and bridge maintenance shop. Public information officer Gloria Rybinski pointed out that Beckman did not sign the employee warning report.

Wheeler and Gorman

In their appeal, Wheeler and Gorman defended themselves and Beckman.

Wheeler and Gorman listed eight reasons for appealing, including: the investigative report which led to his suspension "was not supported by factual evidence," his request for the report was refused, the report didn't cite the personnel manual, the disciplinary actions are too severe, the investigation issues weren't raised prior to an official employee warning.

Elaborating on those reasons, Wheeler and Gorman wrote that then County Administrator Mike Wright based an investigation on three allegations: items for private vehicles were purchased on a county credit card, Beckman was repairing employee vehicles on county time, and Beckman falsified timesheets.

"The facts show, according to the purchasing department, no purchase cards issues were found," they wrote. "You, Mr. Helms, stated during the Aug. 27 meeting there was no evidence to support allegations that Mr. Beckman repaired private vehicles while in county employ."

The administration has shown more restraint in previous disciplinary actions like fuel theft and racy e-mails, Gorman wrote, and the department heads were not disciplined.

Wheeler duplicated Gorman's, but Wheeler also complained that he was disciplined in the presence of Gorman, and that now, Wheeler's ability to manage Gorman has been jeopardized.

"This was a highly unethical action on your part and a very unprofessional action for which I was shocked and offended," Wheeler wrote in bold letters. "This exhibited a gross lack of respect for me... My employee rights were violated."

Both Wheeler and Gorman stood up for Beckman. "Two of the three allegations were determined to be unfounded, and one could result in a mere reprimand. No terminations were justified."

In Gorman's case, no specific violations of the employee policy were cited, Wheeler said.

"During the past five years with Highlands County, I have served as a hearing officer for administration during several grievance cases," Wheeler pointed out. "In this case, one must question whether if the actions taken were based on an investigation. Or, are they only a justification to support previous directives to terminate Mr. Gorman and Mr. Beckman and to begin proceedings to terminate my employment with the county?"

Both men requested that the employee warning report be retracted and removed from their personnel files.

Fourth employee

A fourth employee was named in a series of reports that were forwarded to Highlands Today as part of a public records request. Other employees have complained that the fourth employee has been insubordinate, abusive, disrespectful, has bullied and assaulted at least one other employee, and has created an unsafe workplace by smoking in a vehicle.

That employee will be disciplined later, Helms said Saturday.

Helms began his probe on June 15, the day his boss, County Administrator Mike Wright, was suspended by the Highlands County commissioners. Since Wright was dismissed a week later, Helms assigned Community Services Division Director June Fisher to investigate.

Wright had wanted Wheeler to fire Beckman and to force Gorman to retire. Wheeler refused, asking for more time: "I wanted to look into these charges further before acting on them."

In Beckman's defense, Wheeler reported to Wright that when Beckman had repaired employee vehicles, both he and the employees were signed out at 5 p.m., and Beckman was using his personal tools: "They were only using the concrete (garage) floor that was cleaner than the parking lot asphalt."

Helms said Wheeler needed to supervise his department more closely.