Carla Stoa, long-time Austin-Mower County communications center dispatcher and dispatch supervisor, no longer is employed by the county.

Wednesday, January 12, 2000

Carla Stoa, long-time Austin-Mower County communications center dispatcher and dispatch supervisor, no longer is employed by the county.

Stoa’s last day of work was Dec. 30. She is one of the honored Mower County Sheriff’s Department employees and has her name and date of employment, March 12, 1979, on a plaque in the lobby of the Austin-Mower County law enforcement center.

Stoa was unavailable for comment and county officials and staff are saying little about the situation.

County Coordinator Craig Oscarson, who recently was given the county board’s authority to hire and fire certain employees, said yesterday that all inquiries were being referred to Steven Rizzi, the county board’s attorney for such personnel matters.

Stoa’s job opening has been posted internally and the county’s human resource director, Al Cordes, is proceeding with the process for filling the position.

On Tuesday, Oscarson said the Minnesota Data Privacy Act prevents further comment.

It is known that the city of Austin requested input in the termination/replacement proceedings. A meeting of appropriate city and county representatives, plus Mower County Sheriff Barry J. Simonson, took place last week. Simonson, as county sheriff, was Stoa’s immediate supervisor.

Today, Simonson confirmed to news reporters what Oscarson said Tuesday. All specific inquiries about the apparent dismissal of Stoa were referred to Rizzi.

According to Simonson, Stoa’s termination reduces the work force in the communications center from 11 to 10 employees. However, none of the services offered have been impaired by Stoa’s absence.

"Other people are working extra hours and taking on other duties," Simonson said.

The number of available dispatchers and dispatcher/clerk workers was reduced just a few years ago at the insistence of the city of Austin for reasons of efficiency and cost-savings.

However, that created problems for the workers and the peace officers and other emergency services agencies they serve.

When only one worker was on duty and called away from the communications console, an Austin police officer or Mower County sheriff’s deputy would have to be called in from their patrol duties to perform radio communications duties.

Simonson said today, in effect, it was business as usual despite the reduction in employees for a temporary period of time.