Rise ordered to apologize to STPUD employee
By Kathryn Reed
After a 90-minute closed session and another hour of discussing the issue in open session, Dale Rise’s colleagues on the South Tahoe Public Utility District board told him to apologize to the employee who brought a complaint against him.
Rise, who is chair of the board, was out of the room during the open deliberations per counsel’s advice.
Dale Rise
He was given a chance to speak before the board members talked among themselves on Thursday afternoon.
“I did nothing wrong,” Rise told the board. He also went into great detail about issues leading up to the alleged incident.
Jeri Callian, whom works in customer service and is the employee who filed the claim, said, “I can’t express in words my shock and disappointment.”
Callian claims Rise created a hostile work environment when he came to the district in his capacity as a contractor. The investigator’s report says otherwise. What was determined is Rise violated three board policies.
It was as though the two were not party to the same incident in listening to their words.
After the public spoke – which was Kenny Curtzwiler and John Runnels on behalf of Rise – counsel told the board to focus on the facts, the report and not the extraneous words that had been spoken.
It was left to board members Eric Schafer, Chris Cefalu and Jim Jones to decide what to do. Marylou Mosbacher, who is vice chairwoman of the board and who should have been running the meeting on this matter, decided she could only stay two hours.
As she left at 4pm she said, “Maybe you could give me a little more notice.” Apparently no one told her elected officials are supposed to stay until the end of the meeting and not put personal matters first on meeting days.
Schafer then took the gavel.
The three members agreed to accept the report given to them in regards to the findings from the investigation. But it was 2-1 vote in regards to what punishment should be meted. Jones was the dissenter.
“This is very serious. He has violated what code of ethics we do have. I think more needs to be done than an apology,” Jones said before the vote.
Cefalu and Schafer were of like minds in that not much could be done based on the infractions, which in large part have to do with a board member talking policy with an employee.
In the end, Rise must apologize to Callian in writing or verbally.
But it was also agree board members should be conducting themselves at a higher level as an elected official. Staff was directed to review the policy manual regarding board member conduct to see if it should be beefed up.
I think that Board member Eric Schafer did an excellent job in handling the proceedings and guided the Board to the proper decision. He repeatedly stressed that when one is elected to the Board they assume a higher level of responsibility than a normal member of the public or a customer. A Board member should, right or wrong, know when to step away from situations that may esculate. The Board member should then approach it, if he feels that the employee is incorrect, through the District General Manager for resolution. Mr Schafer also stressed numerous times the need to refine and clarify the Board policies to prevent further occurances by any Board member in the future.
Cudos Mr. Schafer on a job well done!
Story is very short on pertinent details. So what happened that brought this censure on? What about the investigator’s exonerating report and what board policies were violated?
“Johnny! Say you’re sorry to Billy for taking his toy!”.
“Fine. Sorry.”
Turnip, there was only about 6 people there so I am not sure where the information came from or who reported it. For the most part it’s very accurate if a little incomplete. As for what brought it on well….
Let me guess Skibum. Was this a repeat of history?
He must have flunked his anger management
class!
Why is it Skibum always acts like and writes on every subject as if he is the only one with all the information, he is the only one with the “real story,” and he is the one all should turn to if we really want to know what happened. Of course, at some point he eventually says,”in my opinion only”
Let this be a WARNING to the public.
DO NOT go near STPUD and DO NOT go near any of the employees or you might find yourself standing next to Dale Rise in front of the District’s legal council.
We should think seriously about re-electing an individual who has violated District ethics and not just this incident. It should be an embarrassment to the District to re-elect a man who believes domestic violence is a “private matter” and is willing to battle the police over it.
Mr. Claudio – would you still say the same thing if it was your wife, daughter or mother who experienced what I did?
And you feel, without being a witness to what actually happened, you can tell the public to stay away from STPUD and STPUD employees because I had audicity to stand up and decide that I was not going to take being treated the way I was?
I at least tried to do something positive, to protect other employees in the future from experiencing what I did.
I assume, from your words, that any public employee should just grin and bear it when faced with a similar situation. I guess someone forgot to tell me that as a public employee, I have no rights to be treated decently and with respect. Thanks for setting me straight on that!
I will now have to inform my two adult sons that I was wrong when I tried to instill in them, as they were growing up, that if they saw something wrong, someone being bullied, they should stand up and doing something about it – because you obviously do not believe it is okay for anyone, or is it just public employees to stand up for themselves?
As one who has stood up for my rights and the rights of those in our community over the last 40 years and been taken to task for it numerous times, I must agree with Ms. Callian’s statement above and support her right to do so.
I believe that STPUD and it’s employees try to serve to the best of their ability and most times are fair and balanced in their dealings with the public. I was not present during the above mentioned dispute and as such need to base my opinion and perception on a balancing of both sides.
Further I think that Mr. Claudio’s comment was unfair and an unjust condemnation of the District and its employees who like the rest of us aren’t perfect, but trying. In our community I see both positive and negatives among its residents. I know I have my strong points and certainly areas which need improvement. Mr. Claudio is a good hearted person who is extemely loyal to his friends. He sometimes speaks without careful consideration of his words and their effects in defense of those he cares about. We all have been guilty of this and wished we could take back those words spoken in haste or anger.
Let’s live and learn from our experiences and work together to make this community a better place.
I stand corrected.
Maybe I should say its a good idea to have your guard up when you are at the District or around it’s employes. Be careful what you say and who you say it to. One wrong word could mean trouble.
Tahoe used to be a friendly little mountain town.
Yet another example of why Dale Rise should never hold public office. He is abusive in every aspect of his life.
When first elected he promised no rate increases and has done so, abusing your vote. Said he was a friend to the workers and has abused them too. Then there’s the domestic with SLTPD, it takes a lot of abuse for a LEO to pull and discharge a taser.
I know my vote this election,
NOT DALE RISE
It is unfortunate that Mr. Claudio thinks that members of a public entity should not have a voice in how they are treated, just like anyone else should have. Mr. Runnels is correct in his observation that Mr. Claudio speaks without consideration. I’ve attended a few Board meetings in the past when Mr. Claudio was on the Board. He was an embarrassment- ill-informed and rarely prepared. Every person has a right to stand up for what is right and not be afraid of the consequences of their actions. Based on Mr. Rise’s past anger management issues, Ms. Callian’s complaint doesn’t seem that far-fetched. All you need is a police scanner to observe how often the police are called out to Mr. Rise’s house. Sadly when you’re a public figure, your personal life is put under the microscope also. While I am not a believer in mixing up the private and personal lives of elected officials, this complaint wasn’t a result of a private matter and was done in a very public place. Shame on him for not readily apologizing for his behavior.
A person who has anger issues, and a history of domestic violence has done this repeatedly – these are not isolated incidents, I have to wonder how times this has happened
Mick it right, I could have done a better job but now I have a chance to make up for it by doing everything I can to stop this “MONEY GRAB” by the District.
I have a meter and my water bill increased by $120.
This will amount to almost $500 a year.
WHY?
Nothing has changed except the State law saying we have to have meters. The Law does not say what the District should charge. The District is using the State law as an excuse to raise our rates.
1. Show up at every STPUD meeting and speak for three minutes. (two meetings a month)
2. Start a petition in your neighborhood protesting the water rates.
3. Call our representatives in Sacramento and ask them for help.
4. Call our representatives in Washington DC and ask them for help.
5. Call our repressive on the County Board of Supervisors and ask for help.
6. Write letters to the Editors of all our newspapers including the Lake Tahoe News.
7. Call for the Citizens for Responsible Government group to meet on this matter 541-5710
STPUD is not our friend.