Former employees of the North Oakland Transportation Authority came forward last week to complain directly to the authority’s board about Director Pat Fitchena’s behavior and abilities.
‘There (were) a lot of things there that could have been a lot better while I worked there,? said Belinda Cox, of Oxford, a former NOTA dispatcher who resigned about 4? years ago. ‘I could not stay at NOTA anymore. I found another job and I moved on.?
Four former employees addressed the NOTA board at its July 17 meeting in Orion Township including former Operations Manager Danny Poole.
It was Poole’s July 24, 2007 written complaint regarding Fitchena’s alleged abusive behavior toward employees and alleged mismanagement of NOTA that’s been at the center of an ongoing controversy.
‘If anybody believes there’s false information in that overview, question it, I will answer it,? Poole told officials.
Former Dispatcher Cindy Newman addressed the board along with Cox.
Back when NOTA was still based out of the Oxford Veterans Memorial Civic Center, Newman told board members how Fitchena would ask her to answer the office phone while she was busy in the township-owned building’s kitchen preparing food for catering jobs ? Fitchena’s side business.
‘I couldn’t see that being the right thing to do,? she said.
Newman also recalled how Fitchena was ‘very mean? to Evald Jorgensen, the elderly gentleman who used to maintain the Vets Hall for the township before he passed away.
‘I heard some disgusting things come out of her mouth to him,? she said. ‘Evie was pulling things out of the closet and wiping tears off his face. I had to turn away.?
Cox discussed how when Fitchena started the job, she wasn’t at all familiar with the office’s computers, phone or fax systems and this placed a lot of stress on the employees who were forced to adjust to her and do some of her work.
‘I myself would think if you were going to hire somebody for that type of job, you would have hired someone with office skills,? she said.
Former dispatcher Ellen Harrington told the NOTA board about how frustrated Poole was because Fitchena was interfering with his job’s duties where the buses were concerned.
‘I can’t tell you how many times I heard Danny say, ‘How am I supposed to keep these buses running if I cannot do the maintenance on them? How does she expect me to run these buses??? Harrington said. ‘I can’t tell you how frustrated he was at his job because of things just like that.?
Poole reiterated to the board that he ‘truly loved? his job at NOTA.
‘When the alarm went off in the morning, I didn’t mind going there,? he said. ‘NOTA wasn’t a job to me, it was part of my life.?
‘By no means would I have ever left NOTA if I had not been (at my) wit’s end,? Poole noted.
Poole told officials he’s very upset with some of the false accusations levied against him by Fitchena and some NOTA board members.
‘If I was a bad employee, why was I allowed to continue to work there?? he asked the board.
Accusations against Poole have ranged from fraud ? which the sheriff’s department investigated and found nothing ? to who he spends his free time with.
Poole noted that during the June 16 hearing regarding his unemployment benefits, the attorney Fitchena paid to represent NOTA said that he and Oxford Township Supervisor Bill Dunn were ‘best friends? who hunt and fish together.
‘I’ve never fished a day, a minute with him,? Poole said. ‘I’ve never hunted with him.?
Dunn reiterated what Poole said.
‘I do not hunt with Danny. I do not fish with Danny. I do not go anywhere with Danny,? he said. ‘Me and Danny are not the best of friends. If that was stated, I’m a little bit miffed.?
Fitchena didn’t respond during the meeting to any of the former employees comments and allegations about her.
Board Member Mike Toth, who serves on the Lake Orion Village Council, said there’s nothing he or the board can do to change the past, but they can concentrate on improving the future.
‘If there are problems going on currently, I wish people would contact us now,? he said. ‘I do care about this and I think all the other board members here do.?
‘If there are any current employees who have issues, feel free to contact me,? Toth added. ‘Contact me anonymously if you’re afraid of reprisal, but I’d at least like to know what’s going on.?
NOTA Board Member Eric Wilson, an at-large member from the Road Commission for Oakland County, said now that the board’s heard from the employees, ‘we need to support our director,? move on and look at the authority’s policies and procedures for future situations.