A Letter To James Gibson And Copies To County Commissioners

Editor’s Note: The following was submitted to The Glasgow Courier to be ran as a Letter To The Editor. As this was submitted to Road Department and Landfill Supervisor James Gibson, The Glasgow Courier decided to not make any edits to the letter for publication.

September, 18, 2024

Supervisor, James Gibson,

(Copied to the county commissioners)

Supervisor James Gibson, please add this to my two week notice with the following:

I would like to supplement my two week notice of resignation with the following comments as to why I resigned. I worked 8 years for the landfill and 7 years for the Airport. This coming 2024/2025 budget year my supervisor from the landfill Brian Austin asked for a $1.00 raise for all the employees at the landfill. He was denied for the reason of not being collegial enough, which was stated by Commissioner Armstrong. At the same time the manager, Lucas Locke had left the airport as manager along with two of the operators. Assistant Manager, Austin Sundeen was given a raise and the two operator positions were listed with higher pay. At the June 11, 2024 Airport meeting I asked for a raise from the Airport Board or I would be putting in my two week notice.

The Airport Board was informed by commissioner Tweten at that time the Airport Board had to come to the commissioners and get permission from them to give me a raise. The Airport Board asked what I was looking for. I told them I just wanted a little “atta girl”, like a $0.25 raise on the 4 to 5 hours I work a week at the Airport. The Airport Board made a motion to give me a $1.11 raise which would bring me up to the same wage I was making at the landfill. Twice the Airport Board went to the commissioner’s office on their own time and asked for a raise that the Airport Board felt I deserved. They were denied both times because according to the commissioners I would not be doing any extra work. This was not true! I ended up dealing with DOWL Engineering company quite a bit after Lucas Locke left. I felt much under-appreciated after being denied raises at both the landfill and the airport.

Then in July, 2024 my supervisor Brian Austin, who had been with the county for thirty years was terminated. At which time we had five employees at the landfill. All five of us at the landfill got along great and worked well together. Lucas Knaff quit the same day Brian Austin was terminated. August Aho, who had been with the landfill close to ten years, was asked if he wanted the Interim Landfill Manager position for $27.00 an hour. Mr. Aho stayed for a little over a week acting as interim manager before he put in his two week notice. At which time the commissioners brought in you, James Gibson , the road department supervisor, to run both the landfill and the road department (Both jobs by themselves are 40 hours a week) bringing your wages from around $28.00 to $31.60. I was the last employee at the landfill. When I resigned you then received $35.00 an hour and Nathan Lierow went from $24.00 to $28.00 an hour? Why do the males deserve such substantial wage increases when I, the female with landfill experience who “mans” the office weigh scale, does not deserve a dollar raise? Then in the last week I heard you hired someone from the clerk and recorder’s office to take the administrative assistant job at the landfill. With the cost of living in July I was making $21.16. The new administrative assistant, knowing nothing is making $21.84.

Then my supervisor, who has no landfill experience, was telling me how things were going to change at the landfill that was wrong in my opinion. The landfill was also starting to be a mess. People using the landfill on a daily bases, started to complain about problems arising at the landfill. The landfill is becoming unsafe for the public. I noticed vectors that have come up that weren’t there before, creating hazardous conditions.

The working face requires compacted cover as a deterrent and litter control. When not done properly it makes the working face like a sponge and unstable which could cause trucks to tip over. This inadequate compacting creates a deck with debris including nails causing flat tires.

When a customer was at the scrap metal pile an employee driving the front end loader pushed up the scrap metal pile, potentially causing serious harm to the unwary customer.

Two of many examples.

When I reported these things to my supervisor of about one month, either ignored me, I felt, or told me it’s what the commissioners wanted.

During the last four to five years I have been under extreme scrutiny and personal attacks by the commissioners for my work at the landfill and my work with my supervisor, Brian Austin. Your personal attack on Brian seems like a personal attack on me causing stress and anxiety. I have experienced loss of sleep, headaches and other health concerns.

I attended the Scobey landfill meeting with Brian Austin, for which he was reprimanded. I did the time cards that had honest mistakes on them, for which he was terminated.

I was the one who refused to talk to the insurance representative from New York Life, for which Brian was called to a meeting addressing my “being rude”.

I was the one who told my supervisor that MACO was dropping insurance coverage for landfills but we were not informed of this by the commissioners. So Brain had Mr. Irving write a letter for which Brian was reprimanded. Now the commissioners are facing a lawsuit for a closed meeting about me hanging up the phone on the representative from New York Life.

My understanding is since the commissioner’s terminated Brian Austin over things I was involved in, I believe I was next in line. The constant stress of personal attacks against me by the commissioner’s and their complete failures to appreciate financially or even acknowledge my worth as a dedicated employee was overwhelming. I had no choice and felt that I had no alternative other than resign. My dedication and sincerity provided a comfortable environment and I enjoyed going to work every day until the Refuse Board was disbanded.

Please do not tell people I’ve retired because, in fact, I was forced to resign.

Sincerely,

Darcia Schindler