Parks gardener Denise Pepmiller filed a formal grievance to Parks Commission Chair Kevin Ruehle in regard to Interim-Director Scott Miskiel. Her grievance, filed in an email to Ruehle on April 16, said Pepmiller’s job had become “nearly intolerable” and that she felt Miskiel had “gone out of his way to belittle me, discriminate against my family status and bully me around.”
A day after a May 4 meeting with Ruehle to determine if action would be taken, Pepmiller was terminated as Parks gardener for noncompliance and insubordination. The timing of the termination raises questions as to the reasons behind her termination.
When Ruehle was asked if filing such a grievance was a firable offense he said it was not and that the filed grievance was not part of the decision for her termination. Due to the grievance being an employee matter, Ruehle said he could not expound further.
It did take 18 days after the April 16 email before Pepmiller sat down with Ruehle to give feedback about her grievance. Ruehle said there was no need to take any action.
The interim-director of Parks is afforded the same powers as a permanent director and thus has authority to hire and fire employees. Ruehle said it was not a conflict of interest as he and commissioners Ruth Hager and Carmen Burden kept Miskiel out of the loop as to the reasons given within the grievance. Hager and Burden met with Pepmiller separately prior to the May 4 meeting to advise Ruehle feedback on how to proceed.
Parks has not hired a replacement gardener and Parks employees have been pulled from other projects to assist in the work at gardens around town. Ruehle said that they are looking at possibly hiring contract labor to upkeep the gardens until a full-time gardener is in place.
Pepmiller has worked as Parks’ gardener since Miskiel’s start as interim-director on Oct. 15, and has applied for the Executive Director position.