June 23, 2015
SPCA board clashes with ex-employees
More than 25 people attended a contentious meeting of the Cortland Community SPCA board of directors Monday night, many to air their grievances against the board, while others spoke in the board’s defense.
Board President Joe Peters permitted three minutes for each member of the public to speak, but the public comment portion devolved into a back and forth conversation, and at times argument, between board members and former and current employees that took up the whole meeting.
Among the criticisms were charges that shelter board members exceeded their authority, interfering with shelter operations and that the shelter lacked a division of power between the staff and board. Safety concerns and dysfunction in leadership were also problems highlighted by those present.
Former employee Donna Moran accused the board of violating its own bylaws, which say that board members cannot interfere with daily operations at the shelter. Moran said that such interference puts the shelter’s tax exemption status in jeopardy.
Another former employee, Rachel Swirski, who quit this month, pointed to a breakdown of order at the shelter, alleging that there is no division between the board and the staff.
“The rapid turnover rate alone should be enough to tell you something is wrong,” Swirski said.
Swirski said communication is important, especially now that the shelter no longer has a manager or an executive director, following the resignations of both officials earlier this year.
Former shelter manager Diana Niemi resigned in March, while Bob Eckard resigned as executive director May 4.
After the meeting, board member Kitty Totman, who served as president before Peters took over, defended the high turnover rate, saying it is normal in entry-level staff positions.
Totman said the board has already posted job listings for two new positions at the shelter, animal care manager and office manager. These positions will replace the executive director and shelter manager positions, splitting the managerial duties.
Peters pointed out that in addition to those posts, three of the office staff have quit and also will need to be replaced.
Currently, there are 13 employees at the shelter, and ideally there would be 16, Peters said.
Board members have three-year terms, and can be re-elected.
At one point, Peters reiterated that he would not take action to remove any of the board members cited in a motion of no confidence offered by the staff on May 22 involving issues covered at Monday’s meeting.
Speaking in defense of the board, Jennifer Oates, who has been volunteering at the shelter for five years, asked board members and the staff to set aside their differences so that the shelter could move forward with replacing shelter management.
“You guys think you’re opposing, but you’re on the same team,” Oates said, adding that the ongoing arguments between the board and staff make the community look bad.
Throughout the meeting, much of the discussion centered on the former executive director, who members of the board faulted for the allegedmiscommunication.
“Bob (Eckard) would tell us nothing was wrong,” Peters said. Eckard, who was not at the meeting, did not address the board’s concerns about some employees with them individually, Peters said, adding that was part of the problem.
In a phone interview this morning, Eckard said that the board relieved him of shelter management duties in late April, and told him to focus on fundraising. He said prior to that, there were no huge issues to bring to the board.
Speaking about Eckard’s plan to build a new shelter facility, Peters said that plan has been tabled.
“It’s a hope and a dream we’d like to see come about,” he said, adding that the board must first determine how to raise the funds for the project.
Before ending the meeting, Peters affirmed that he believes the shelter is moving in the right direction.
“It just seems to be an all around better place,” Peters said, adding that the current staff doesn’t have too many complaints, and there have been about a dozen adoptions so far this month.
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