Wednesday, April 09, 2008

In the Pacific Northwest, all roads lead to the Mill.

Monday, April 7, 2008 (2:00 PM)

Mr. Zandberg:

Please be advised that the Edmonds School District is running behind in responding to your pending public records requests due to a personal matter. We are currently aware of six pending requests, and will send responsive documents as soon as possible.

We anticipate that any overdue requests will be fulfilled no later than next week, and all other requests will be fulfilled within the time period previously projected.

Regards,
Sarah Spierling Mack
Attorney

Tuesday, April 8, 2008 (11:21 AM)

During the week of April 7th I'll be intermittently out of the office due to a family medical emergency. I will respond to your message as quickly as possible when I return. If you need to speak with someone immediately, please call Sandy at 425.431.7052.

Thank you,

Marla Miller
Assistant Superintendent, Business and Operations

Editorial: I hope it isn't serious.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Spring break, perhaps, for Marla?

Anonymous said...

Good thing you're a patient man!

It's certainly expense to have the attorney reply to you. Maybe that's one place the district can cut part of the $4million.

Anonymous said...

Maybe she's out looking for a job.

Anonymous said...

Her father is close to death. Let's respect family emergencies for what they are.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps she has eye trouble, you know, can't see coming in to work.

Anonymous said...

We can only hope .....

If I remember correctly, it was only a few spring breaks ago that Marla's mysterious illness appeared and she didn't come back for several months.

We can only hope ......

Maybe we won't need to run the levy after all if she's not here to waste millions more.

Anonymous said...

Mark, don't be cruel. It is below you. It's a family illness and a serious one.

ESD15.org said...

Your point is well taken. My point was how everything of consequence must pass through Marla's hands to ensure that her message, vision or reputation remains in tact.

I genuinely hope that everything is all right at home for her. It is not the mission of this forum to cast stones or even a disrespectful glance at people uninvolved in the current mess.

Anonymous said...

There is no reason that a records request under the Freedom of Information Act should be held up by the presence or absence of ONE person in a PUBLIC AGENCY. What does this one person have to hide?

Anonymous said...

Why must all public records flow only thru Marla Miller? Is it to preserve the secrecy and selective information releases?

A fundamental audit principle is to have checks and balances. Any business official knows this. Why has she refused to subscribe?

Anonymous said...

I think that there is an actual answer to that question, and it is the same reason why Marla has to physically sign all federal and state documents.

Anonymous said...

the district has never cared if you are ill or if you have a serious illness in your family if you are absent to often you are out of here except for the employees that get the special treatment! No human in HR

Anonymous said...

I ask, again, where is the Superintendent when these issues arise? Isn't Nick Marla's Supervisor? Is he blind or dumb or both?

Anonymous said...

Nick only cares about Nick. As long as he looks good, all is well in the Edmonds School District.

Anonymous said...

Wait, who thinks he looks good? Him? He looks like someone riding the fence. What is your sexuality? Trench coats look suspicious in city or country.

Anonymous said...

It depends on what he has on under the trench coat. Suspenders maybe? The visual associated with "riding the fence" is worrisome.

But seriously, if Nick Brossoit could find a new school district to go to without it looking like a demotion, he would be gone.

Anonymous said...

No equality, no sympathy!
Know equality, Know sympathy!

Anonymous said...

Now that his divorce is final, maybe an alleged conflict of interest will get him out?

Remember, this is the same guy who lied for Bruce Williams. I don't trust him, do you?

Anonymous said...

I hear that Nick said he would not leave our district in the shape its in and let the person that follows him to do the clean up like some other districts. Well looks like Nick will be here a while because we are in deep shit and he has his hip boots available for the long haul!

Anonymous said...

Hip boots and a trench coat? The image is getting better, or worse.

Anonymous said...

It is too easy to get sidetracked by the cheap shot on this one.

The point has been made and should be repeated: Why do things come to a grinding halt in the absence of ONE person? A properly run business should be able to function for several weeks with authority properly delegated to subordinates in the system. If that isn't happening, if nothing can move in the absence of ONE person, something is wrong with the organization.

If a superior is unavailable to "sign off" on a piece of work and the subordinates are shaking in their boots in mortal fear to take the authority to "sign off" in the bosses absence, the boss is the problem. The good boss has instilled the knowledge in their workers that they are competent enough to do the job WITHOUT the boss watching their every move. If I have left my subordinates fearful of doing their job in my absence, I am not doing my job well; I should "go do something else for awhile."

I am truely sorry that Marla is having a family crisis; I just checked my father out of the hospital last night for the second time in a week. I am there; I am doing that. But the world won't stop while that's going on. Others around me understand that they will need to pick up a little of my work while I am otherwise needed. And they know that they will have my thanks for stepping up when needed rather than freezing in place out of fear.

Anonymous said...

Richard R. said it well; why is Marla the ONLY person qualified to sign documents? Any business/organization would have a back up in an emergency situation. Why can't Nick sign off on documents? After all he is at the TOP of the heap, or does Marla have him under her thumb as well?
This does not make any sense at all. Does Nick even know what goes in the Business/Finance Department? How are they getting away with these practices?