Siletz news II., January 01, 1990, Page 7, Image 7

Volume II, Number 1
Siletz News n
Pigsley, was to “investigate the rumors, determine the
facts, and to give Council a more complete picture of the
events in question.”
What is Truth?
The Task Force met for “two and half days review­
ing personnel records, travel documents, financial re­
ports, enterprise contracts, customer lists, inventory
records, employment service reports, Royce Strong’s
record on salmon, and interviewing staff’ according to
its own report.
Task Force members Jessie Davis, Phil Rilatos
and John Roe refused to discuss the report or the process
behind its writing. Ted Werth also refused to comment,
except to say that his participation on the ad hoc Commit­
tee “was a joke.”
Officially entitled “Ad Hoc Committee Re­
sponses to Rumors,” the twelve-page Task Force report
is unsigned and undated. But a two-page memorandum
introducing the report bears the initials of Jessie Davis
and the date of Nov. 22, 1989. Private sources have
indicated that Tribal General Manager Phil Rilatos was
the primary author of the report.
The memo attached to the report ends with the
following disclaimer: “The Committee could take an
additional week to look into problem areas that surfaced
during the 2 1/2 days. However, we feel that we have
compiled enough information, supported by interview
and/or documentation for the Tribal Council and/or
STEDCO Commission to make a decision if necessary
and to proceed with further review of specific problem
areas, if necessary.”
Despite the rush, twenty separate allegations ap­
pear in the report followed by the Task Force’s re­
sponses. (See page 5 , “STEDCO Task Force Report”).
Once done with fact-finding, the Task Force re­
portedly issued its findings to Tribal Council and ST­
EDCO Commission members. In a special joint session
on Dec. 9, 1989, Tribal Council and the STEDCO
Commission reviewed and discussed the Task Force
report in a four-hour executive session.
With Tribal Council looking over their shoul­
ders, four STEDCO Commissioners—Delores Pigsley,
John Roe, Pat Morrell, and newly appointed Dan Van
Otten—voted in open session to fire both Werth and
page 7
Staggs. Staggs' dismissal was immediate. Werth was
given 30 days before his discharge.
Tribal member Kenneth Hatch was the only
STEDCO Commissioner to vote against the firing.
Commissioners Gary Sanders, Clyde Hamstreet, and
Don Barth missed the vote but later joined Hatch in
resigning from the STEDCO Board in protest of the
dismissals.
Although no record of Tribal Council delibera­
tion was kept, Tribal Council members Bud Lane and
Delores Pigsley as part of a public discussion held at the
Springfield Candidate’s Fair on Jan. 6,1989 indicated
that the Council split 6 to 3 on the decision to fire Werth
and Staggs.
Lane, Pigsley, and Gladys Staggs were reported
to have opposed the firing. Jessie Davis, Pat Morrell,
Dolly Fisher, Jane John, Manuel Rilatos, and Frank
Simmons apparently supported the decision.
Politics, Mismanagement or Growing Pains?
“Nothing in the [Task Force] report made me alter
my opinion of STEDCO,” said Don Barth, President of
Yaquina Bay Bank, after he resigned from the STEDCO
Board. “Sure, there were problems, but show me a
young business where that isn’t the case.”
Barth’s letter of resignation asked in part that
Werth be “given a vote of confidence and allowed time
to resolve these current problems with help from his
commission.” Contacted by phone, Barth repeated his
opinion. “You couldn’t have gotten a better manager
than Ted.”
Former Commissioner Kenneth Hatch agreed with
Barth. “It was unfair to him [Ted Werth] that he was not
afforded the opportunity to correct management defi­
ciencies.” Hatch also believes that Tribal Council should
return to the reasons behind the creation of STEDCO.
“One of the reasons for the establishment was to
separate business decisions from tribal politics,” Hatch
said. “It seemed to work that way for quite a while, but
it is not working that way now.”
Delores Pigsley, former Chair of the STEDCO
Board, also sees politics behind the recent firings. “My
concern has always been to keep politics out of ST­
EDCO,’’Pigsley said. “Unfortunately—orfortunately—
(Continued on page 8, "Storm")