JOHN DAY – About 40 local residents gathered Wednesday to urge Grant County Road Master Mark Hensley to stay on the job.

Hensley has notified the Grant County Court that he would resign from the Road Department, effective Nov. 1.

“I don’t want to be in your shoes, Mark, but you’re doing all right, and we’d like you to stay,” Duane Lippert, a local contractor, told Hensley.

The group that gathered Wednesday included other contractors and local business owners, ranchers, federal workers, and retirees. They met in a conference room at the Road Department on Lower Yard Road.

Hensley’s decision to resign came after what was described by observers as a heated meeting with members of the road crew almost a month ago. Two weeks ago, he ordered a one-week layoff for the road crew, but that decision was rescinded before the layoff took effect.

Hensley has declined to comment on that session or the layoff, but told the people attending Wednesday’s meeting that lowered expectations and poor attitudes on the part of a few workers were affecting the department.

He said he’s tired of dealing with the sense that some workers “don’t have to do this, or don’t have to do that.”

“It’s not just here. It’s going across the country. People don’t think they have to be responsible,” he said. “But that’s not serving the public.”

Even so, Hensley remains proud of what the department’s has been able to accomplish.

“When our heads are screwed on right, we can tear into things and really move mountains,” he said.

He said, however, that he needed to abide by his decision to resign.

Others disagreed, urging him to reconsider based on the showing of community support.

“We need you to stand up for our rights,” said Dennis Dice of Dice Construction.

“If you don’t stick with this, then the Road Department as we know it is done,” said Ken Holliday, a John Day rancher.

“This community does not want to see you leave, and that’s why these people are here,” said County Judge Mark Webb. “You’ve got a lot of support behind you. People value what you have brought to the county and the Road Department.”

Several people attending the meeting urged Hensley to take a week or two off and then return to work with a better perspective.

“I wanted to give the crew a week off for this same reason,” he responded.

Hensley made no decision at the meeting, which lasted about an hour.

“I’ll stay open-minded until Friday,” Hensley said.