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Oak Harbor parks staff raise workplace concerns during supervisor hiring discussion; director urges fair evaluation
Summary
Park employees used an internal meeting to recount alleged harassment and poor leadership by a candidate identified as 'Mike,' describing staff turnover and specific incidents; Oak Harbor parks management acknowledged concerns, outlined the supervisory role and said new hires would have onboarding and a probationary period.
During the same meeting, parks staff shifted to an extended discussion about internal staffing and a pending supervisor hire, with multiple employees raising concerns about one candidate and recounting incidents they said showed poor leadership and interpersonal misconduct.
A parks staff member identified workplace culture concerns and said they had heard repeated complaints about the candidate referred to in the meeting as "Mike," including claims of belittling language, absenteeism and at least one alleged physical confrontation in the shop. "He called me old and lazy," one staffer said as an example of the behavior they described; another recounted taking an HR harassment complaint.
Why it matters: staff described repeated turnover they attributed to the candidate’s conduct and urged that the selection process take these concerns into account. Management said it had heard similar feedback previously but emphasized a standardized hiring and onboarding plan. The director (unnamed in the transcript) told staff the open supervisor position had been elevated in rank and would include park tours, probationary review and performance expectations. Management asked staff to give a newly hired supervisor a chance while promising to monitor performance and intervene if needed.
The staff debate included calls for both a firm leader and a leader who works supportively with staff. Several employees argued they do not want a micromanager or dictator; others urged that the city hire a candidate who can provide consistent operations and follow-through. Management said the role will not be autonomous from the department director and that the city can take corrective action if a hire does not meet expectations.
No appointment was announced at the meeting. Staff and management agreed to continue the selection process with additional interviews and to involve HR as appropriate; the director said they would take staff feedback into consideration during final selection and onboarding.
