In this Sept. 11, 2012, file photo, sunglasses reflect the computer screens in front of a Lewis County 911 Communications Center dispatcher as she takes a call during a Friday night shift. The center is located on the top floor of the Lewis County Courthouse.
Most people seem to agree that Lewis County E911 Communications has a toxic culture. The cause, however, is up for debate.
Lewis County E911 Communications dispatchers this week took a majority vote of no confidence in interim manager David Anderson, less than a week after Anderson and the Lewis County Board of Commissioners dismissed concerns about the center’s management as little more than nonsense and political maneuvering.
“Whether by apathy, ignorance or pride, he has proven himself unwilling to or incapable of learning the specific requirements needed of him in this department, or even the fundamentals of the department he supervises,” states a letter from dispatchers to the county commission regarding its vote of no confidence in Anderson. “Further, he prioritizes compartmentalization over correcting these inadequacies, as though preventing his subordinates from drawing attention to the growing problems will somehow make them cease to exist.”
In their letters and statements to The Chronicle, dispatchers describe a work environment in which they feel a disconnect between themselves, their management and Lewis County government. While they acknowledge that Anderson has inherited many of the problems at the center, they argue that his leadership has done too little to solve some problems and has made others worse.
Anderson and Lewis County Commissioner Bill Schulte said last week the challenges from area fire and police chiefs were unfounded and based on hidden agendas, possibly to avoid paying higher rates.
However, in a strategic planning document, Anderson lists first among department weaknesses a “toxic culture (low emotional intelligence)” among communications staff. Conversely, he listed his own emotional intelligence as high.
Schulte, Anderson and county Central Services Director Steve Walton did not return requests for comment Wednesday.
“Lewis County dispatchers are dedicated to ensuring the safety of our citizens. We love our jobs and what we do, and are committed to performing our jobs exceptionally well every day, despite the lack of leadership from management, lack of support from the BOCC and the financial issues that surround the communications center,” dispatchers said in a written statement to The Chronicle.
Last fall, a group of fire and police chiefs began meeting to discuss problems they saw within the Lewis County Communications Center.
They met with former Central Services Director Mike Strozyk and former communications manager Craig Larson, and, when they felt they were not able to get their problems addressed, met with the county commission in January. Shortly after, Strozyk and Larson were fired.
In February, the chiefs’ group began meeting with Walton and Anderson, both appointed in interim positions at the time.
Last week, the chiefs again expressed concerns with leadership at the center, which were summarily dismissed by Lewis County Commissioner Bill Schulte as “bullshit.”
While fire and police chiefs maintain that the dispatch center needs strong leadership, suggesting someone with a “type A” personality, Schulte said dispatchers need a softer leadership approach because most are women, drawing ire from the dispatchers in a statement to The Chronicle.
“The recent comments made by commissioner Schulte are reprehensible and do nothing to help create a cohesive work environment among the multiple agencies we serve,” the dispatchers stated.
According to their letter to the county commission, Lewis County dispatchers don’t mean to undermine Anderson’s authority, but want to honestly address issues to improve the communication center.
In emails between Anderson and communications staff, obtained this week by The Chronicle, Anderson repeatedly blames criticisms of the department on hidden agendas and directs staff to not discuss dispatch center issues with outsiders.
“There are multiple instances shown through his electronic correspondences to staff where the interim manager gradually moves from hollow appeasement to dismissal to outright censorship any time an issue surfaces concerning his decisions,” the dispatchers’ letter reads.
Emails among communications center employees, obtained by The Chronicle, show dispatchers expressing concerns that Anderson has pushed trainees to get certified to work alone too quickly, that Anderson has too little experience writing grants, and that he has little knowledge of their contracts.
“Not only are his character and current behavior in question by staff, but the interim manager exhibits an unwillingness to listen to advice which would otherwise protect the Department from severe financial liability, both in the form of litigation from the public and the loss of funding as a result of failure to uphold grant requirements,” the dispatchers’ letter to the commission states.
In another email, Anderson asked dispatchers to volunteer to bring in an item of their personal clothing to be embroidered with a county logo — specifying that it shouldn’t be underwear. A representative from the dispatcher’s union, Teamsters Local 252, notified Anderson that the union did not approve of the request.
In an email to staff dated Jan. 29, Anderson asks employees to leave their cell phones in their lockers and use the center’s instant message system, first, because “what they are writing is probably tearing someone else down,” and second, that phones are a distraction on the job.
In an email dated March 31, Anderson asked employees not to share information about the communication center with anybody outside the department.
“If you have shared Communications business, whether it be innocently or with an agenda in mind, I do not want to know about it,” Anderson said. “I would rather keep on believing that we can all get past whatever hang-ups that we have and build on a working relationship and team spirit within the Center.”
Because Lewis County E911 Communications is a public agency, much of its business, aside from personal information of 911 callers and staff members, is a matter of public record.
In an April 25 email, a communications staff member asked Anderson to explain his assessment of communications staff in his “2016-2024 Strategic Planning” document as having “low emotional intelligence.”
“Not many know what (emotional intelligence) is, and even more will deny not having it, so it’s important to know what it is and not jump to any conclusions,” Anderson wrote in his response.
He went on to explain that people with low emotional intelligence struggle with self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. He provided in the response a link to an online quiz to allow the employee to determine their own emotional intelligence.
Anderson and Schulte have repeatedly accused detractors of having an agenda, and Anderson again brought up allegations of hidden agendas in an email dated May 11 regarding a Chronicle article on the dispatch center.
“… I wanted to let you know it was my honor to take one for the team,” he said. “Light will be shed on the dark agenda and undermining efforts of a few.”
Anderson disputed claims by fire and police chiefs last week that he has not worked to address a list of short- and long-term concerns for the dispatch center. He asserted that all of the problems listed as short term concerns — including dispatchers missing radio traffic, not speaking clearly, or not providing follow-up information — were addressed. The chiefs disagreed.
Anderson also listed among his achievements a decrease in overtime hours and the creation of a draft strategic plan. He said the dispatch center meets national standards.
Lewis County plans to advertise for the permanent dispatch manager position by June 1. At a meeting with commissioners Tuesday, Central Services Director Steve Walton said the job description and posting was currently being drafted. The Lewis County Board of Commissioners asked to approve the posting before it becomes official.
Commissioner Bill Schulte said last week that he told Anderson months ago that if he did well in his first six months, he would automatically be the top candidate for the job. Schulte and county Central Services Director Steve Walton both indicated that they believed Anderson was doing a good job
In their letter, dispatchers expressed concerns that the department’s current position could worsen, and urge the county commission to consider another candidate for the position.
“During his tenure, barely four months after being hired, the Interim Manager has demonstrated the same policy of half-truths, empty promises, and general incapacity we had come to expect from the previous administration; an administration the County Commissioners themselves saw fit to abruptly dismiss,” the dispatchers’ letter reads.
