Ark Valley News - Bad judgment

Bad judgment
Last Updated: October 11, 2018

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed such foolishness and callousness existed in our town. The Valley Center Recreation Commission Board, by a vote of 3-2, voted to terminate Steve Geddes' 33-year long career without any reasons, facts or explanations. Danny Park, who made the motion, simply stated that due to a splintered relationship with the governing body, he thought the director should be removed and they should go in a different direction. Nick Barnes seconded the motion, again offering no explanation. The motion carried with Danny Park, Nick Barnes and Jamie Anderson's votes. Barry Hager and Rod Jackson objected.

Mr. Hager was the only one to express regret to Mr. Geddes.

At times in the meeting, Mr. Park seemed to be scolding Mr. Geddes for having objected to the school board's unjustified, unauthorized and burdensome — not to mention expensive — request for an audit. He complained that the rec comm should have simply turned over five years' worth of annual audits (although he contradicted himself by admitting the school board, under the law, lacks the authority to request an audit).

Mr. Geddes promptly reported that he did so after the last board meeting, as they wished. He even volunteered to answer any questions the school board might have with any expenditures made during these past five years. It is apparently of no real interest to either the school board or to Danny Park what those audits reveal as they have ensured Mr. Geddes, by firing him, will not be available to explain any questions regarding them. Again, there have been no charges of mishandling of funds or anything sinister upon which the school board's claims were based. To this day, the director of the rec commission remains mystified why its finances were even under scrutiny.

Here's another example of the board's shortsightedness: the by-laws were adopted in 1983. When Mr. Geddes re-typed them "as is" and set them before the board, as previously requested, they voted to approve them.

After the vote, Mr. Park asked to go back into executive session (a misuse of executive sessions and a violation of the Kansas Open Meetings Act, the second violation in last evening's debacle of a board meeting) because he questioned the wording of the phrase "one year contract." Mr. Geddes graciously said they could cross out those words if they wished. The board chose to do nothing. The bylaws were never amended and remain in full force and effect.

Well, Mr. Park has shown he is a man who routinely exercises bad judgment. Something tells me Mr. Park won't be having the last word.

— Tracy Edingfield Dunn, Valley Center