La Pine, Ore. — Allegations of misconduct and a lack of transparency have plagued the La Pine Park and Recreation District, drawing scrutiny from both former employees and concerned community members. The controversy centers around newly appointed board members, with claims of document mishandling, potential conflicts of interest, and questionable board practices.
Teri Myers, a former clerk for the district who worked there for 14 years before her termination in December, claims that Carlos Soto, a newly appointed board member, was involved in shredding documents without proper justification. Myers alleges that Soto was seen shredding unspecified documents on October 27th at the district’s public building, which raised alarms about the handling of district records.
“I witnessed him take things and shred them. He just shredded stuff,” said Myers, who further accused Soto of hiring an IT company to erase electronic files from district computers. According to Myers, Soto had them “wipe everything out of the computers,” a claim she says she observed firsthand.
However, Soto denies these allegations, stating that the district’s computers were outdated and plagued with software issues. He insists that the IT company was hired to update the system and remove the outdated remote access of former employees and board members. “Everything is web-based, so you can’t get rid of anything,” Soto explained. “We just cleaned up old access accounts for people who haven’t been involved for years.”
Despite these claims, Myers remains skeptical. She contends that the board did not follow proper procedure when removing records, as district policy requires board approval for any records to be removed from files. Minutes from the November 5th meeting, however, show that the board did approve the removal of former user access, though Myers questions the legitimacy of the meeting minutes, citing discrepancies in the recorded minutes of a December meeting she had submitted.
Another point of concern raised by community members involves Soto’s multiple roles within the park district. In addition to serving as a board member, Soto is the vice president of the district’s foundation and president of the local pickleball club. Critics argue that this dual involvement presents a potential conflict of interest, particularly regarding the pickleball club’s use of district facilities.
Campbell, a community member, expressed concerns over Soto’s influence, pointing to a deal that allowed the pickleball club to utilize the gym for 58 hours a week in exchange for a $10,000 donation. “It amounted to just $0.23 per hour for gym usage, while the public rate was $60 an hour,” Campbell remarked. “It seems like there’s special treatment being given here.”
In response, Soto defended the pickleball club’s arrangements, providing a breakdown of the club’s donations and expenses, which amounted to over $94,000 for the 2023-2024 season. “We don’t get special treatment. We pay our share, and we even quadrupled our cash donation this year,” Soto stated.
Another troubling issue for the district is the alleged failure to properly document board meetings. Myers and others have claimed that board members have met in private, making decisions outside of public meetings, which could violate open meeting laws. According to La Pine Parks & Recreation District Board Policies, three or more board members meeting together constitutes a public meeting, not two.
“This community is divided,” said Campbell. “The kids and the people who use these facilities are the ones who are suffering because of it.”
In an effort to rebuild trust with the community, Soto emphasized the board’s recent initiatives to increase transparency. He pointed to the availability of meeting minutes on the district’s website, the implementation of a new video conferencing system, and the open invitation for the public to attend meetings and ask questions.
The Oregon State Police have confirmed they are investigating the La Pine Park and Recreation District, though they have not provided specific details on the focus of their inquiry due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
As the situation unfolds, many in the community remain uncertain about the future of the district and the integrity of its leadership. With an investigation underway and conflicting accounts of events, the La Pine Park and Recreation District faces increasing pressure to address these concerns and restore public confidence.
