Is there a reason Ed Burns can't just be hired for the position?

The Ferndale library staff has been encouraged to consider applying for the position, and were told that anyone who did so would get an interview.

Patrick Dengate
Vice President, Ferndale Public Library Board of Trustees

Ok Library Board President O"Donnell, I have to call you on this.
First, there is no Michigan Law that prevents a public employer from disclosing if a person resigned their position. In fact it is quite common and normal for a public entity to inform the public both if a person resigns, and in most cases why a person resigned.
If Kate Pohjola resigned her position, I as a taxpayer, want to know this. Further, if she gave a reason for her resingation, I would like to know that too.
Why, do I want to know, well because I am paying the bills as a taxpayer and I want to know what is going on. I also don't believe that she resigned, at least not of her own free will. If she did, it would be no big deal to at least tell the public that she did so.
Second, again there is no Michigan Law or legal decision that prevents a public employer from disclosing if a person was fired or terminated. There is not law that even prevents a public employer for disclosing why a public employee was fired or terminated. This too is very common (look at Mayor Kilpatrick for example). Again, as a taxpayer, I want to know if Kate Pohjola was fired or told that she would be fired if she did not resign.
Kate Pohjola is a good person and an excellent library director. Everyone says so, even the library board in the press release disclosing her leaving.
Mr. O'Donnell, you are running for school board, mostly on a platform of transparency.
How about a little transparancy here!

Mr. O'Donnell and other Library Board members,
I would also point out that if the board indeed gave Ms. Pohjola an ultimatum to resign or be fired. This would have had to be done at an open meeting, or the board would have had to go into closed session to make such a decision. I will bet that this did not happen, and that a violation of the open meeting act may have occured.
This is not open and honest government!
Also, Mr. O'Donnell you say "what's done is done" are you kidding me. This is your explaination! You and the board did this...YOU PEOPLE took a job away from a dedicated employee for no stated reason. I hope you don't think this is going unnoticed. Kate Pohjola was not a clerk or a low level employee, she was the director, this is a big deal and should not be explained away with flippant comments such as "What's done is done" it is innappropriate and demeaning to both Kate and the office of library director.
GIVE US THE FACTS and stop hiding behind made up rules and laws that don't exist.

All due respect Mr. Pawlica, this is not a private employee situation. The public sector is different. General Motors did not fire an employee...This is MY employee and I have a right to know why she left, particularly if she was not doing her job (which I doubt)
And please remember my initial point....Mr. O'Donnell stated that he "could not" say why Kate left....that is simply not true....Mr. O'Donnell could indeed say why, he just chooses not to...why....because he is hiding the reason.
Why would Ms. Pohjola comment as to why, I'll tell you why, it's because she is fearful that the Board will say negative things about her when she tries to get another job...can't blame her there.
Our elected officials at the library are hiding the truth. The truth should run amock on this one sir!
If Kate Pohjola is a poor or bad library director, the public has a right to know. If she is a bad director (again which I highly doubt), then she or anyone else in public employment should be disclosed to the public. We should not protect poor employees, all that does is allow the bad employee to get another job and screw up someone else's library. This is true for all public employees. Do you want poor performing teachers to get another job in another school district when they have been let go for poor performance, no of course not. Sometimes it is hard to do the right thing, but it is still the right thing!

"The Ferndale Public Library's Board of Trustees has announced the departure of library director Kate Pohjola, effective Aug. 23."

seems weird to me, someone leaving on a Thursday?

Mr. O'Donnell and other Library Board members,
I would also point out that if the board indeed gave Ms. Pohjola an ultimatum to resign or be fired. This would have had to be done at an open meeting, or the board would have had to go into closed session to make such a decision. I will bet that this did not happen, and that a violation of the open meeting act may have occured.
This is not open and honest government!
Also, Mr. O'Donnell you say "what's done is done" are you kidding me. This is your explaination! You and the board did this...YOU PEOPLE took a job away from a dedicated employee for no stated reason. I hope you don't think this is going unnoticed. Kate Pohjola was not a clerk or a low level employee, she was the director, this is a big deal and should not be explained away with flippant comments such as "What's done is done" it is innappropriate and demeaning to both Kate and the office of library director.
GIVE US THE FACTS and stop hiding behind made up rules and laws that don't exist.

All due respect Mr. Pawlica, this is not a private employee situation. The public sector is different. General Motors did not fire an employee...This is MY employee and I have a right to know why she left, particularly if she was not doing her job (which I doubt)
And please remember my initial point....Mr. O'Donnell stated that he "could not" say why Kate left....that is simply not true....Mr. O'Donnell could indeed say why, he just chooses not to...why....because he is hiding the reason.
Why would Ms. Pohjola comment as to why, I'll tell you why, it's because she is fearful that the Board will say negative things about her when she tries to get another job...can't blame her there.
Our elected officials at the library are hiding the truth. The truth should run amock on this one sir!
If Kate Pohjola is a poor or bad library director, the public has a right to know. If she is a bad director (again which I highly doubt), then she or anyone else in public employment should be disclosed to the public. We should not protect poor employees, all that does is allow the bad employee to get another job and screw up someone else's library. This is true for all public employees. Do you want poor performing teachers to get another job in another school district when they have been let go for poor performance, no of course not. Sometimes it is hard to do the right thing, but it is still the right thing!

I am curious to know why we have had three library directors in four years. Can the Library Board be that hard to work with? There's an article about this in the Ferndale review as well: http://ferndalereview.com/?p=2324

Actually we have had 3 directors in about 30 years. Mary retired, Doug was here for the renovation, and left to be closer to his wife's family, and now Kate. Why did Kate leave? If you don't trust the board to do their elected job, why aren't you at the meetings? They are open to the public. It doesn't sound like you were ever at a meeting or you would know what was going on, what was discussed at the open meetings, and when they went to a closed session and why. You would know that the board is a group of dedicated volunteers that have the libraries best interests in every decison they make.

Mr. Munson's accusations and lack of knowledge are revealing. He goes so far as to accuse the board of breaking the law, but he doesn't even know the facts, let alone the law. The library board is a public body, governed by state law, which includes the Open Meetings Act. A public employee can request that their performance evaluation and/or any decisions regarding their employment be made in closed session. It was Ms. Pohjola who requested that the matter be discussed and resolved in a closed session. Closed sessions cannot by law be made public, and it is the employee who requests closed sessions, not the board. Also, Mr. Munson and others should consider this: what if the decision made by the board was actually beneficial for taxpayers and the library?

There is nothing stopping Ms. Pohjola from sharing the reasons for her separation...she is choosing not to give the reasons why. Perhaps it is because of actions or inactions on her part that she is too embarrassed to discuss. Being "a nice person" doesn't equate to being competent, and being dedicated and showing up to work everyday doesn't equate to being an honest employee. I'd be more concerned with why the library board has had a near complete turn over in the past three years than why one employee has left or was fired.

Reasons for board turnover: Sarah Parmelee moved to Huntington Woods (only Ferndale residents can serve on the board); Kevin Deegan Krause resigned after several years to focus on the Friends of the Ferndale Library; Mary Ann Neal resigned after about 20 years (she was on the board when the library was still part of the city, before it became independent); I resigned after 5 1/2 years. None of us served for short periods of time and each had their own reasons for leaving, but while on the board we all gave much time, energy, skill and dedication. John Sterritt just announced his resignation. I hope Mr. Pawlica (and others), will refrain from reading something nefarious or scandalous into the decisions of board members to resign.

Thanks, Greg, I appreciate that.

Ms. Warner, there is no lack of legal knowledge on my part. My point was that unless Kate's situation was decided at the August special meeting, there may have been an illegal meeting of board members. "may" means possibly, not accusing. We must always question our government, just to keep everyone honest.
Now all that historical information is interesting, however that was not the issue raised. The issues I raised is: why won't Mr. O'Donnell and the board be open and honest about what happened to the library director. Again Mr. O'Donnell has made open and honest government a keystone in his school board bid yet he hides behind non-existent rules or laws.
Also, Mr. Sontole, I hope you are not suggesting that I am required to attend library board meetings in order to point out what I believe to be problems? That is absurd, I do not attend City Council Meetings, or County Commission meetings, and I still have opinions regarding city and county issues. I have never suggested that library board members hearts are in the right place, I just decided to call out what I see as hypocrisy from Mr. O'Donnell.

Don't you think, Mr. Munson, that the library board would LOVE to fully explain the situation - if they could legally - if only to get people like you off their backs and stop the irresponsible rumor-mongering?? Don't you think Ms. Pohjola would rather you just let this go so she can move on with her life?? Be a gentleman here, and leave the woman alone. You are not a crusader for honest governance, because you DON'T understand the law re. closed sessions, public employee privacy rights, severance agreements, etc. Ms. Warner is correct. And your implications that something fishy's been going on, the board is not to be trusted, or even that the board may have broken laws, is really irresponsible.

My point about your apparent lack of attendance at meetings (and thus seeming previous lack of interest) was that it does not match your current obsession with this issue. Now, suddenly, you're a self-appointed watchdog?

I think it's become clear from your posts that they aren't even really about the library, but that you (or those on whose behalf you are writing), have some other agenda - having to do with the school board election. This makes your treatment of the board and Ms. Pohjola even more reprehensible, using them this way. Shame.

- Dennis

Mr. Sontole, I am sorry, but I actually do understand labor law as it pertains to the public sector. If the library board would love to expalin the situation, they are not only allowed to legally, I believe that they are obligated to do so.

If I thought I was doing Ms Pohjola a dis-service, I would stop, but actually, I am attempting to clear her name.

BTW do you know how to disprove my implications that something is "fishy" is going on....tell the public what happened in an open and honest way.

Now you make the accusation that I am only interested in this matter because of the school board election and Mr. O'Donnell's involvement. Well guess what, GUILTY (kind of)..
You see I am indeed interested in the school board election, and I have been listening to Mr. O'Donnell go on and on about the lack of transparency in the current board and school adiministration. Mr. O'Donnell's position on the matter is clear, yet he has the opportunity to be open on a subject and he chose not to.

I also do utilize the Ferndale Public library and had met Kate Pohjola and think she had done an excellent job (again from the public prespective). I truly believe she is getting a raw deal, and without the public being informed of what happened there will always be the implication of her being let go for wrong doing.

So my involvement may have started with Mr. ODonnell's lack of transparency, but it is also to clear Kate's name.

BTW, stop the drama, only 5 people read this.

Munson: Such an exaggerated sense of importance! Super-hero on his way to clear someone's name. Someone who did not ask him to "clear her name", someone who requested privacy, someone whose request for privacy was legal and whose request for privacy was legally granted by the library board. Nobody is hiding behind "non-existent rules or laws". You might try reading the Open Meetings Act, the only law that applies here. It actually exists! And it was followed! Your thinly-veiled motive - do and say whatever you can, regardless of the truth, or who might get hurt - in order to slander Mr. O'Donnell and do harm to his campaign for the school board. Give it up already. Anyone with a brain, and with a modicum of concern for Ms. Pohjola, can see that you are only using her in your crusade against Mr. O'Donnell. (Except for Ferndale_1986, whose logical thinking skills and grasp of the facts are second only to yours)

Mr. Pawlica,
settle down now, I am just requesting information. Remember, any time the government operates in secret (even the times they are permitted to do so) any questions asked are or could be valid. Much of this communication stream has gone far afield of what was originally talked about, and it is interesting, but we should never trust someone because they are simply an elected official.
If the board were to come out with allegations against Ms. Pohjola with some supporting facts I would shut up....it is hard to be biased when no facts have been revealed . I am not accusing Mr. O'Donnell of not having a good reason to dismiss Ms. Pohjola just that he will not tell the public anything about it.
And if Ms. Pohjola left for personal reasons of her own, the board could have and should have said Ms. Pohjola has resigned for personal reasons she wishes to keep to herself. If that was the case I would have never commented in the first place. But that is probably not the case, you yourself in your first post indicated that her "leaving was probably not on positive terms" due to the silence on both parties.
Just saying

Wow! As a holder of a degree in librarianship, lover of books, and Ferndale resident since 1998, I am so happy to see such interest in our public library, both by demanding information about its inner workings and the enthusiastic defense of our library board by our residents.

It's unfortunate that we've had two short-tenured directors at the library in the last several years. As far as Kate Pohjola, I agree with Greg Pawlica, who wrote "You know what...MAYBE Ms. Pohjola is a very private person and has fleft for personal or family reasons. Maybe she has a sick relative that needs taking care of and doesn't want the world to know about, and has asked the board to not share any information. MAYBE Ms. Pohjola is the one that is demanding privacy on the matter and the library board is seeing to her wishes."

Should the board have given an answer? Yes, and they did. They announced her resignation. So, she obviously resigned. I doubt they could lie about that. Was it a mutually agreed-upon resignation between the board and the director? Perhaps, but so what if it was or wasn't? The board released the reason she is no longer with the library: a resignation.