Pot still being stirred at Silver Springs GID; ex-chief calls board 'dysfunctional'

Turmoil continues to plague the Silver Springs General Improvement District with the resignation of the board's chairwoman and now the dismissal of one of the treatment plant's operators.

At a special meeting Tuesday after a closed session, the board fired Randall Valiska "due to a number of problems, a lack of performance," said trustee Bob Freeman.

Bob Loding of Tri-City Water, whom the GID contracted to oversee plant operations, said he was disappointed with the decision.

The GID, which provides sewage services to residents of Silver Springs, had two operators in training, including Valiska.

Loding said that although he ran the operations, it was the GID board that made hiring decisions.

Valiska said he was accused of dereliction of duty, bad conduct and not working with the board.

"I was praised for my work until about a month ago," he said. "This was all set and rigged. I was gone, no matter what happened."

Trustee Harry Bryant said he initially planned to support Valiska, but "there are too many problems that put the GID at risk. I don't believe Randy is the sole person responsible, but sometimes when management makes mistakes, the employees have to take the brunt of it."

Without specifying, Freeman said Valiska had been praised only for those things he did well, not for everything.

After the meeting, Freeman, who became chairman of the board after the recent resignation of Margaret Ruckman, said he didn't know who would replace Valiska.

However, office manger Sandy Keeble confirmed that former GID board member Tabitha Perkins would start work immediately as a temporary, part-time employee. Keeble said Perkins has worked at the plant in the past.

Ironically, Perkins called for the resignation of Margaret Ruckman as chairwoman at the GID's July 10 meeting, accusing her of unspecified "unprofessional" conduct. Ruckman not only resigned as chairwoman, but as a trustee as well, calling the current board "dysfunctional."

Ruckman said she could have resigned as chairwoman and remained on the board, but doesn't believe she could do any good for the community.

"I was chairman of that board in name only," she said. "There were really five chairmen, and that won't work."

For example, Ruckman said, one employee was told by a board member to cut weeds around the plant, and while he was doing it, another board member came by and told him he was paid too much to cut weeds.

"You can't have five bosses," she said.

Ruckman said any problems with Valiska could have been resolved without disciplinary action. She added that it cost about $45,000 to train Valiska, who worked for the GID since May 2005.

Ruckman went over employment issues with Loding and Valiska in June in a telephone conversation, leading to a bill from Loding of about $170, which upset the board and led to Perkins' request for her resignation.

Meanwhile, Ruckman said the GID is owed about $18,000 in overdue bills, but the board is hesitant to take action to collect.

She also criticized the board for canceling a planned Aug. 16 meeting with Hale and Kay Bennett of the Silver Springs Airport, to negotiate a new Memorandum of Understanding for effluent disposal. Freeman said the meeting was canceled because the Bennetts planned to have an attorney present. The meeting has not been rescheduled.

She also said that a long-sought merger with the Silver Springs Water Company was not at all likely with this board, due to the infighting.

Ruckman said she was both saddened and relieved to be off the board.

"I feel like the people voted for me and I think I've let them down, but I have to think of my health, my sanity and my integrity, and I have to live with myself," she said. "I can't tell you how many sleepless nights I had with the things that were going on."

• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111 ext. 351.