Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
SANTA ROSA — Monica Young, the city’s human resources director who filed a restraining order against Mayor Nelson Kotiar, returned to work April 19 after being notified by the mayor she was being “formerly reprimanded” instead of fired.
In a letter signed by Kotiar, four memos were noted as the “reasons for this (disciplinary) action.” Her statements during a predisciplinary meeting on April 11 “provided mitigating facts,” stated the letter, but the mayor still concluded her “behavior was disruptive and unprofessional.”
“Moreover,” the letter continues, “during the meeting, you acknowledged that you looked through the confidential personnel files of several other employees for no other reason than to support your position. As an HR manager, you are surely aware that personnel files are confidential and should only be accessed when necessary for City-related business. The HR manager is not above this confidentiality.”
Young denied the allegation.
“I did not look through personnel files,” she told The Communicator. “I obtained all records legally through the IPRA request process, which can be confirmed. I made sure to do things legally because I knew this would come up.”
In her return to work for the city, Young was transferred to the city library — as projects manager, a position that didn’t previously exist. Her compensation remained the same.