http://lwvnorthfieldmn.org/weblog/post/1089/ Serving the communities of Northfield and Cannon Falls, Minnesota, and surrounding areas Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:18:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 http://lwvnorthfieldmn.org/weblog/post/1089/comment-page-1/#comment-3851 Audio: Fireworks at the Special City Council meeting - Locally Grown Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:47:24 +0000 http://lwvnorthfieldmn.org/?p=1089#comment-3851 [...] Observer Jane McWilliams has blogged her report of the meeting, so be sure to read that before commenting [...] [...] Observer Jane McWilliams has blogged her report of the meeting, so be sure to read that before commenting [...]

]]> http://lwvnorthfieldmn.org/weblog/post/1089/comment-page-1/#comment-3838 kiffi summa Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:28:43 +0000 http://lwvnorthfieldmn.org/?p=1089#comment-3838 Jane has done her usual excellent job of writing the observer report. It is extremely hard to stick to a neutral LWV position when a meeting is as poorly organized as this one was, and especially when it is such a crucial meeting. There were more violations of process later in the meeting after Jane spoke initially at Open Mic. Without going into all the specificity, my general concerns about the council's process are these: First, they had a resolution last summer to pay the first $7500. of Mr. Roder's legal fees on the criminal investigation which former Police chief Gary Smith filed. They have exceeded that figure by several thousand dollars, and there is at least six thousand dollars outstanding. Mr. Roder asked for, and the council entertains, the idea of paying all the legal fees, open ended. There is no mention of the violated resolution or the need to rescind or correct the existing resolution. Mr. Pokorney said, after the meeting that this was a small detail, but how was it allowed for an excess to be paid, and what else might they feel it is unnecessary to correct? Second: Since last summer, and the incident in which Mr. Roder lashed out critically at Judy Dirks for bringing the "prayer ladies" in Mr. Roder's office to the council's attention, there has been a growing and pervasive tendency of council members to respond after citizen comments at the open mic, or comments made at the time of the agenda item. The council has usually already had their discussion before the public comment part of the agenda item, so when they respond in an argumentative or demeaning manner after a citizen comments, it is seemingly to have the last word. This, in my mind,is an unacceptable power play. We know they have the final say, in that they have the vote; Have they forgotten who they represent? Jane has done her usual excellent job of writing the observer report.
It is extremely hard to stick to a neutral LWV position when a meeting is as poorly organized as this one was, and especially when it is such a crucial meeting.
There were more violations of process later in the meeting after Jane spoke initially at Open Mic.
Without going into all the specificity, my general concerns about the council’s process are these: First, they had a resolution last summer to pay the first $7500. of Mr. Roder’s legal fees on the criminal investigation which former Police chief Gary Smith filed. They have exceeded that figure by several thousand dollars, and there is at least six thousand dollars outstanding. Mr. Roder asked for, and the council entertains, the idea of paying all the legal fees, open ended. There is no mention of the violated resolution or the need to rescind or correct the existing resolution. Mr. Pokorney said, after the meeting that this was a small detail, but how was it allowed for an excess to be paid, and what else might they feel it is unnecessary to correct?
Second: Since last summer, and the incident in which Mr. Roder lashed out critically at Judy Dirks for bringing the “prayer ladies” in Mr. Roder’s office to the council’s attention, there has been a growing and pervasive tendency of council members to respond after citizen comments at the open mic, or comments made at the time of the agenda item. The council has usually already had their discussion before the public comment part of the agenda item, so when they respond in an argumentative or demeaning manner after a citizen comments, it is seemingly to have the last word. This, in my mind,is an unacceptable power play.
We know they have the final say, in that they have the vote; Have they forgotten who they represent?

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