Port places Michelle Bieda on leave
MOSES LAKE - Port of Moses Lake commissioners decided to place its Finance/Administration Manager Michelle Bieda on paid administrative leave and plan her pre-termination hearing.
Their decision comes after a consultant finished a fact-finding investigation about staff relationships at the port.
The consultant examined "how professional performance compliment or possibly obstruct the Port of Moses Lake's accomplishments of their mission and objectives," according to the investigation's summary report.
The report alleges Bieda was a "potential liability" as a manager of staff and claims other port employees described her as a "bully" and "mean," but "technically competent."
"Additionally, the three staff that currently or recently work(ed) for her become angry and emotional when they describe how she treats them," the report states. "They believed Mrs. Bieda has been on a personal vendetta against the executive manager (Craig Baldwin) since he did her performance review, and that she is willing to throw the port, and them, under the bus to further her personal agenda," according to the report.
The consultant made no formal recommendations.
The Columbia Basin Herald was unable to contact Michelle Bieda or Baldwin for comment.
Port commission President Kent Jones said the commission asked its attorney, Harold Moberg, to prepare a pre-termination hearing.
At the hearing, Bieda is given the opportunity to answer information generated from staff interviews and comments from others.
Moberg said the hearing date is to be set in the next 10-14 days.
Earlier this month, Bieda's husband, Rich Bieda, of Moses Lake, told the Columbia Basin Herald he authored a flyer and some emails to port commissioners questioning Baldwin's leadership skills and the reportedly tense office environment at the port.
Rich Bieda requested Baldwin's resignation.
The flyer alleged Baldwin hid the true amount of federal air service funds from port commissioners and treated port tenants unprofessionally by yelling and screaming at them.
During a port meeting in early April, Baldwin provided commissioners with a status report about the air service funds. It appeared he shared all details about the federal grant.
Bieda also claims the port spent $10,000 on a newsletter without requesting legal bids.
The Columbia Basin Herald prints the newsletter, but it is composed by port staff.
"The cost of printing a newsletter is well below $10,000," said Columbia Basin Herald Managing Editor Bill Stevenson earlier this month.
During a previous interview with the Columbia Basin Herald, Mindy Chambers, of the state Auditor's Office (SAO) said the port is legally allowed to pay less than $50,000 for services without obtaining bids.
She confirmed an issue about the port was reported through the SAO's citizens' hotline.
She was not legally allowed to discuss the matter until it is resolved. A status report on the matter wasn't immediately available Wednesday.
The following excerpts are from the consultant's report:
Specific findings of fact
"Do port staff work together as a team committed to the success of the Port of Moses Lake? Yes with one major exception, the finance manager. Setting Mrs. Bieda apart, the other staff want to be a team, enjoy working together and 'were' proud to work at the port. Even though they are not complimentary of some of Mr. Baldwin's management style they are a willing part of his team."
"Are there obstructions to the staff accomplishing the port's mission and goals? Yes. The spat the finance manager has with the executive manager is negatively impacting staff moral and teamwork. Some of the port's brightest employee resources are starting to question their future at the port."
"Is the port a motivating environment to work in? Not at this time. The executive manager needs to develop better delegation skills, learn to clearly outline work expectations, mentor subordinates and assume more of a leadership position. The finance manager is simply caustic."