By MATT PIKE
A joint statement from the city of St. Joseph and the Bartlett Center board aims at clarifying the recent changes at the Bartlett Center and the claims of LaTony Williams firing.
Officials with the city say they did not participate in the Bartlett Center board’s decision regarding its director or in the board’s subsequent actions to dissolve the organization and had no prior knowledge of the meeting or issues to be discussed. The city later learned, at a September 17th meeting with Bartlett Center board members, that Williams offered her resignation. The board also voted to request a meeting with the City Manager to discuss the possibility of securing a new provider to take over services at the Bartlett Center.
City leadership was not aware of that board meeting or the topics discussed before it occurred, and no City representatives were present. Members of the Bartlett Center board then requested a meeting with the City on September 18th to discuss ways to avoid an interruption in services and the potential transition of the program. During that discussion, City leadership was asked whether the City wanted the director to assist with the transition, to which the offer was declined. The statement says Williams employment status was not discussed by City officials with Bartlett Center board members.
“I can speak to what was discussed when we met, and the resignation of the Bartlett Center’s executive director was not requested,” City Manager Mike Schumacher says in a news release. “The City has no role in employment decisions between an employer and its employees. No City staff or leaders were present for conversations between the director and the Bartlett Center board, so we cannot speak to what the director was told during those conversations.”
At this time, the City and the Bartlett Center board are working with other community partners on a plan to provide continuity of childcare services for families served by the Bartlett Center. The hope is to have a temporary provider step in until the City can move to a full request-for-proposal process to identify a permanent childcare provider to operate at the Horace Mann building. The City and the Bartlett Center board remain focused on supporting a smooth transition and minimizing disruption to the families who depend on these services.
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