The four elected members of the Maplewood City Council have decided to appoint former Maplewood councilperson Julie Wasiluk to the open council position, serving until a new councilperson is elected in the 2010 special election. The appointment will presumably become official at the next council meeting.
Here is a link to the newly available stream of the workshop meeting.
Congratulations Ms. Wasiluk, and Maplewood!
Showing posts with label council actions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label council actions. Show all posts
Welcome Julie Wasiluk
Commentary - winning
Tonight the Maplewood City Council will likely take an action that I think is wrong. It will be so wrong that I will view it as a betrayal of any sense of justice there may be in the world. Those members of the council for whom I and many others did volunteer campaign work (all of them) know how I feel about this action. Shouldn't they just do what we want? After all, because of us, they (we) won! If they won't do what we want, then maybe we should just quit - just stop paying attention, or stop being supportive, or threaten not to be helpful the next time around.
And it's not just a local phenomenon. Thousands of posts have appeared on the national blog-scene attacking the Obama administration for not doing what the base wants, and making just that argument to quit.
But that is selfish thinking, not principled thinking.
Elected officials in a representative democracy must govern. They must use their collective judgment to do what they determine to be best for every person affected by their decisions, not just their supporters. We work to elect those candidates that we think will do the better job of making those decisions for us as if we were personally charged with representing everyone, not just our narrow point of view.
So, when the council makes the terrible decision they are likely to make tonight, it will be the right decision, since they are doing what they think is best for the city - all of the residents, businesses, and neighbors - not what is best for me.
To think otherwise is to become what we have worked so hard to reject.
Stephan
Followup on our good start - another viewpoint
Alert reader FB sends along a graphic illustration of the good start signaled by last Monday's special council meeting.
Commentary: what we can look forward to
After Monday night's festivities, the new council members took their first official actions forecasting the tone for the coming era. Without much fuss, they
- - created a process to fill the council vacancy with an experienced person who could immediately set to work on city issues,
- - initiated a process to arrive at a common set of goals,
- - scheduled the required special election to fit in with the rhythm of 2010 state elections.
We can look forward to a proactive, civil council that will provide stable municipal governance in a continuing environment of financial turbulence.
We are off to a good start.
Stephan
WØrd of the day: Grandstanding
Grandstanding
| From the agenda for Monday's budget hearing: D. PUBLIC HEARING 1. 7:00 p.m. – 2010 Budget Proposal – Budget Hearing (Formerly Called Truth In Taxation Hearing) a. Staff Summary Of Proposed 2010 Budget b. Mayor Longrie’s Proposed 2010 Budget c. Public Comment d. Resolution Certifying Taxes Payable In 2010 e. Resolution Adopting 2010 Budget |
Mr. Nephew has more.
WØrd of the day: Commitment
Commitment: showing up to do the job you were elected to do
[random scene from either the workshop or regular council meeting of 11/23/09]
Editorial: Mr. Hjelle's sense of irony
A. Mr. Hjelle's 2005 campaign questionnaire response to the Chamber of Commerce
We have a great bunch of people providing these services in Maplewood, it is the self-serving and highly paid senior staff that needs to be replaced. These are the idiots that cost us money and waste our tax dollars. Again, I see it everywhere in Fire and the Police
B. Mr. Hjelle's unbroken voting record in 2006-2007 in support of Mr. Copeland, his reorganization, and management style. From Judge Gearin's findings in the Le decision which detail the results:
This group of 38 [managers] decided that they wished to form a bargaining unit after Ms. Cave's election. They were concerned because the Mayor, Councilmember Hjelle, and Councilmember Cave were critical of management level employees. (p.17)Other management positions became vacant during this same time including the Assistant City Manager and the Assistant Finance Director.
Mr. Copeland testified that three Association postions were eliminated. The facts show that nine Association positions were eliminated. They included: the Human Resource Director, Park and Recreation Director, Finance Director, Community Center Manager, Deputy Police Chief, City Clerk, Deputy Fire Chief, Public Safety Communications Supervisor, and Public Safety Communications Manager. (p.22)
C. Agenda item from April 14, 2008 council meeting:
L. (New Business)Mr. Hjelle urged a discussion of continuity planning since so much managerial and administrative know-how has been lost in the City.
3. Consider Policy on Department Continuation Planning (Council Member Hjelle)
Planning Commission denies CoPar CUP application
The Maplewood Planning Commission met on April 15 to consider an application from CoPar Companies for its 165 unit Carver Crossing development. This application, submitted on March 31, is an outgrowth of the mediation step of CoPar's lawsuit against the city.
On September 28, 2006 the Maplewood City Council denied the CUP application for CoPar's 191 unit development plan. Written findings in support of the denial were not adopted in accord with Minnesota land use law, leading to the lawsuit. CoPar alleges the City's denial was arbitrary and capricious, and that the denial constitutes a 'taking'.
The League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust appointed John Baker to represent Maplewood in the case. Mr. Baker made a lengthy presentation to the Commission last night. This is sufficiently unusual that Maplewood Voices extracted the audio so that readers could review his presentation.
His key points were
- Unlike a normal application, denial of this application will send the matter directly back to the court.
- There is urgency as approval or denial must occur early in May in order to prepare for a June 2 hearing.
- Sooner or later the land will be developed.
- The judge could approve the 'arbitrary and capricious' claim thereby approving the 191 unit plan.
- The judge could deny the 191 unit plan, but approve the 'takings' claim. Mr. Baker described the worst case scenario here as CoPar's valuation of the takings at 7,900,000 uninsured* dollars.
Since the Planning Commission's decision is not final, but a recommendation to the City Council, the Council will make the final decision in a special meeting scheduled for May 5.
--------------------
* Mr. Ahl made the uninsured clarification later in the discussion.
Back out of the ditch, get on the road
Alex Davy writes in the April 9,2008 Lillie Newspapers And they're off! (Kind of): Maplewood's search for a new city manager begins
Last Monday, during an extended City Council session carried over from March 24, the search for a new Maplewood city manager finally began.
"The moment has come to implement that which has been talked about for months," Mayor Diana Longrie said at the start of the discussion. "It's time to start looking for a permanent city manager."
In her five-page memo introducing the agenda item, Longrie outlined a number of key components that the City Council will have to tackle as the search moves forward. First and foremost, Longrie said, is hiring a manager solely on the basis of experience and qualifications, casting the net as far and wide as possible.
...
The proposal [to do it themselves] was met with skepticism on the part of the rest of the council.
...
Juenemann added an independent arbitrator is crucial. "If you don't go to an outside agent, you can customize (the search process), but you can't depoliticize it."
Documents from the April 7 workshop (updated)
[update at end]
The insurance agency presentation to the city council at the April 7, 2008 workshop was characterized by VeNita Schnebele, the Area President for Arthur J Gallagher, as a "come to Jesus" moment about Maplewood's insurance issues. Her discussion was supported by these letters and reports obtained via a Data Practices request.
Just prior to the 2007 primary election campaign, the League of Minnesota Cites Insurance Trust (LMCIT) was already communicating to the city that the both the loss experience and the lack of communication and cooperation between the League and the city would have premium and coverage implications. The letters, which Mr. Ahl reports were not in the City Managers files when he assumed his current duties, illustrate the communication issues. Here is an excerpt from a June 8, 2007 letter to Mr. Bethel.
[Please click on the image for a more readable view]A chart of 20 years worth of premium and loss data was provided illustrating the significant change in losses during the first year of the Copeland council. Ms. Schnebele updated the printed chart, produced on 3/31/2007, from $690,927 for the 06-07 policy year to $1,099,000 to reflect current reserves for cases recently settled and not yet settled.
[Please click on the image for a more readable view]The hard to read shaded numbers are
690,927 updated in discussion to 1,099,000
10,327
7265
690,927 updated in discussion to 1,099,000
10,327
7265
Rather than dropping Maplewood, Ms. Schnebele is advocating with LMCIT to increase the deductible to $200,000 along with a substantial premium increase. She pointed out that, had that deductible been in place last year, Maplewood's direct settlement payments would have been $475,000 rather than $200,000. Any new deductible would apply to settlements currently being negotiated. She also defended the League as more than fair since they only charged a single deductible last year to cover all three reorganization settlements*, where the normal practice with other carriers would have been to charge separate deductibles, and then drop coverage the following year.
Ms. Schnebele's recommendation was for the city to work at improving communication and cooperation with the League and demonstrate that commitment to them. In her recent meeting with them, LMCIT officials were still concerned about communication and cooperation issues, citing comments made to the press after the Le decision. Ms. Longrie's commentary in today's Pioneer Press, coming on the day of the LMCIT Board meeting, might not put their concerns to rest.
Please see our editorial Opinions that matter for further information.
[Update 4/8 4:00 PM]
A specific request Ms. Schnebele made was for council members to write to the LMCIT Board expressing their commitment. Mr. Nephew has done so.
------------------------------
* this may account for some of the confusion over total settlement costs involved in the Banick case.
Another Copeland Council chicken coming home to roost (updated)
Mr. Hjelle (Pioneer Press interview in recent financial mess article):
"I took a huge leap of faith. I thought, you know, what the hell harm can he [Copeland] do?" [emphasis added]
Mr. Copeland (speaking of the Banick settlement in the September 2007 City News) [pdf]:
... it was LMCIT that paid the settlement, the City of Maplewood did not pay one dime of taxpayer money to settle this litigation.
... and the City was reimbursed by the Insurance Carrier for any payments the City made....
Judge Gearin (from the decision in the Sherrie Le case) [pdf]:
LMCIT (From the agenda for the upcoming April 7 council manager workshop) [pdf]:
D. New Business
a. Presentation by League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT) regarding concerns with City of Maplewood Liability Insurance
Coverage
E. Old Business
[emphasis added]
[update 4/4 10:30AM]
From the packet for the Monday workshop:
This preliminary indications are that LMCIT will be considering the levels and extent of ourcoverage. Attached is a letter from June 22, 2007 that identifies the exposure concerns and rate adjustment of 13.5% to $189,952. As we understand, the LMCIT Board will be considering a number of options for continuation of Maplewood’s coverage. Preliminary information indicates that an additional surcharge of 15% may be applied. This is an increase of approximately $28,500 which will be applied for the majority of 2008. Additional indications are that LMCIT may be considering increase the deductible liability limits for employment litigation from the current level of $50,000 per occurrence to $200,000 per occurrence. While this is an expenditure that is not immediately a cost item, we have typically budgeted for a portion or percentage of the liability exposure. [emphasis added]
Behind closed doors
Mr. Nephew comments on Mr. Davy's latest article, "Goal setting session pushed back".
...
Nephew said he still hopes the rescheduled goal-setting meeting will be productive. "There is tremendous opportunity for this council to find common ground, especially where the environment is concerned," he said.
"I hope we can work through these issues constructively when we finally do have this meeting - I'm just a little more pessimistic after what's happened."
Pioneer Press: Editorial calls for State Auditor to review Maplewood finances (2nd update)
Pioneer Press Thu, 27 Mar 2008
Matchmaking, a comeback, an easy answer and more ...
[update 3/28 11:30AM]MAPLEWOOD, MEET AUDITOR
Minnesota's state auditor is charged with overseeing more than $20 billion spent each year by local governments. The city of Maplewood is one such local government, and it spends in the neighborhood of $39 million per year for such things as streets and parks and fire protection and police.
We would like the current state auditor, Rebecca Otto, and the Maplewood city government to get to know each other.
A story in the Pioneer Press this week by reporters Tad Vezner and Elizabeth Mohr raised important questions about the management of public funds by Maplewood city officials. The piece focused on the now-departed city manager, Greg Copeland, and reported that budgetary record-keeping is a mess. This may be a question of bad paperwork. It may be worse. We need to know.
In addition to the budget issues, Copeland presided over a large turnover followed by a series of lawsuits. The departure of the finance director and two other veteran employees meant day-to-day finance work "did not get completed in a timely manner,'' the acting city manager, Chuck Ahl, told reporters.
Auditor Otto's numbers-crunchers can figure out if the taxpayers' money is being handled honestly and appropriately, and if the city is being administered in an open and honest manner.
Whatever she finds will anger someone. This is a politically polarized city that once asked a respected ethics expert to come in and help them get along, and then trashed him when he suggested they could be a little nicer to each other.
Apparently Mr. Hjelle is of like mind.
Mr. Nephew has posted an example of Data Practices requests issued by Mr. Hjelle since the finance article. It includes:
I will also advise the city that I will be requesting a forensic audit of the city by an outside body. Any ommissions from this request will be evidenced. I also assume that the City has saved ALL documents in its' possession and will continue to do so. [emphasis added]
[Update 2: 3/28 2:30 PM]
Mr. Hjelle's concern about documents brings to mind the last time we heard about City documents (from the Copeland settlement agreement):
[[keywords:Legal;Officials;Staff;PropertyTax;Maplewood;]]
Mr. Nephew does his homework
In her 2/28/08 Star Tribune article Maplewood ready to get back on track Jean Hopfensperger said
Longrie charged that "the path we're going down" would hurt the citizens of Maplewood, and predicted that recent council actions -- including the approval of several road construction projects -- would ultimately lead to higher property taxes.
In preparation for the council goal setting session scheduled for yesterday that did not happen, Councilperson Nephew examined Ms. Longrie's assertion about road project approvals. According to his spreadsheet, the Copeland council spent 3,992,275.00 general fund dollars on road projects, while the current council anticipates spending $847,577.00, about one fifth as much.
One fifth as much.
Perfect storm*
The City has leased land for over two decades which it has used as a park. Area residents bought homes considering the park to be there for their children to access without crossing nearby busy streets.
The lease has expired.
The landowner plans to redevelop a portion of the land for senior housing, a portion of the housing to be 'affordable', and has requested Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for the project. It has offered to sell the undeveloped portion to the City for a price that would consume most of the available Park Fund, which lacks a fund replenishment source since it depends on fees from the sort of new development that is rapidly drying up. Using the Park Fund for this purchase would affect maintenance and improvements throughout the Maplewood park system already planned via the Capitial Improvement Projects (CIP) process.
An alternative funding mechanism is a bonding referendum. This approach would likely not happen until November, would add to the City's debt which is characterized in the agenda for the upcoming council goal setting session as 'staggering', and would ask all residents to accept increased property taxes for a purchase some would view as only benefiting the residents near the park. The idea of a bonding referendum has also surfaced in the south leg context.
After two recent Parks and Recreation Commission meetings at which this proposal has received significant attention, the council will take it up in the workshop format next Monday (packet pdf). Acting City Manager Ahl's staff report suggests TIF may not be the best idea.
Alex Davy's 3/19/08 Lillie Newspapers article 'Golden lease' arrangement ends: Maplewood hopes to buy church-owned parkland provides a good summary:
Since 1982, Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Maplewood has leased 9.6 acres of park land adjacent to its property to the city for $1 a year. The 25-year lease agreement expired in 2006, and now Gethsemane plans to build a senior housing complex on the western six acres of the park. The parks and recreation commission has been offered the chance to buy the remaining 3.6 acres.
"I'm going to be plain, it was a difficult decision," said the Rev. Richard White, church pastor, at the March 13 commission meeting. "But we felt it was the best decision."
Plans have been in the works for years, White says. "It's an act of synergy. We see this as an opportunity to become an intentional multi-generational church community, together with the church, school and now senior housing."
Gethsemane has partnered with Presbyterian Homes of Minnesota to construct 111 units of independent-living senior housing with heated underground parking and a small, above-ground parking lot.
A heavy burden
The park purchase would likely stretch parks and recreation funds to the limit. According to initial estimates, says Environmental Manager DuWayne Konewko, buying the park will cost the city approximately $800,000. About $200,000 could come from profits from the park access charge fund, while the remainder could come from the roughly $1.7 million fund itself. But much of that money is already committed, which means using the park-access charge fund to buy the park would nearly deplete it.
Money in the fund comes from developers and builders in Maplewood, who are charged a parks fee in order to provide green space when they introduce new construction. But with Maplewood 98 percent developed, Konewko says, that revenue stream is drying up.
...
Working though this situation may test the council's ability to function as a body.
--------------
* Wikipedia: "perfect storm...the simultaneous occurrence of events which, taken individually, would be far less powerful than the result of their chance combination. Such occurrences are rare by their very nature, so that even a slight change in any one event contributing to the perfect storm would lessen its overall impact." The phrase was popularized in the book and movie of the same name.
Notes from March 10 2008 regular council meeting
A lengthy public hearing on a joint project with North St. Paul to improve Beam Avenue east of White Bear Avenue did not result in any significant general public policy about sidewalks, parking, traffic calming, or means of communicating with residents about rights-of-way, snow removal, or how decisions are made about street improvements.
Citizen Services Director Karen Guilfoile was authorized to create a marketing position to deal with producing the City News and the city website, and to generate advertising revenue from these and other venues.
Council rules and procedures were revised to eliminate Ms. Longrie's monthly column in the City News so that each council member has equal time available. Each council member will have two issues in the article-writing schedule, with the remaining two assigned to the mayor. The use of pictures of individual council members in city publications, like the City News and the website, was referred to City Attorney Kantrud. The League of Minnesota Cities advice to not use images in such a way to promote an individual council member or connect projects to individuals is based in part on a repealed MN statute. Mr. Kantrud is also preparing language to extend the use of city facilities for non-official business, such as non-partisan political meetings. Finally, the rules were clarified to acknowledge the City Attorney as the parliamentarian, a resource to each council member on rules of procedure. No action was taken on Mr. Rossbach's suggestion that the rules include a statement acknowledging that in a Plan B city the council only has authority as a body, noting that individual council members, including the mayor, have no individual, discretionary power. Mr. Nephew suggested such a statement would only lead to time spent debating power and authority, rather than exercising the council's powers to accomplish the work of the city.
Substantial time was devoted to Xcel Energy's Conditional Use Permit (CUP) authorizing their wood chipping activities, a periodic need driven by trimming under power lines and other maintenance work.
The south leg moratorium is set to expire this week. Mr. Ahl is confident that the city has sufficient regulatory tools available to maintain the status quo until the comprehensive plan revisions are complete.
Due to ongoing litigation (CoPar), Mr. Nephew withdrew his council presentation requesting information about the possibility of a bonding referendum aimed at purchasing additional open space. Some portion of CoPar's land in south Maplewood could be included in a list of potential land purchase opportunities.
South leg development moratorium
With the end of the south leg moratorium and the CoPar lawsuit looming, Mr. Hjelle has sent an email to a group concerned about development in south Maplewood.
Mr. Rossbach has responded to the email on his website.
Mr. Nephew sent a responding email to the group, which he has now published on his website.
Free speech zones
Lillie Newspapers: 2/27/08: Alex Davy: Public forum or wind tunnel?
...
Pausing a moment to collect himself, Rossbach continued. "We do have the right to put into place rules for their petitioning process," he said. "A simple one is requiring their legal address."
In the face of yet another session that threatened to push past midnight, the discussion was tabled until the next City Council meeting.
After the item appeared on the agenda, the American Civil Liberties Union sent Rossbach a letter detailing appropriate restrictions on public speech, warning that his proposal did not meet free speech standards.
Rossbach has since reconsidered the policy. While his intentions were good, he says, his approach was off. He now proposes moving visitor presentations before the regular council meetings, so that the council can move forward with agenda items more quickly.
Pioneer Press: 2/28/08: Jason Hoppin: City to RNC protesters: Get in line
Demonstrators who want to march on this year's Republican National Convention in St. Paul will have to get in line — literally.
The city police department offered a sketch Wednesday of how it anticipates handling the tens of thousands of people expected to protest the event, which will be Sept. 1-4 at the Xcel Energy Center. Marchers will be restricted to one route, with masses of protesters generally confined to a set area.
"There will be a distance," Assistant Police Chief Matt Bostrom said. "You won't be able to be right up on (the Xcel Center), standing there, interacting with people as they go in the front doors. But you will be close enough that people, if they were at those doors, can hear you."
Neither the route nor the location of the stationary area has been set, Bostrom said. The city is studying four possible march routes for the convention's first day and expects to choose one by May 31.
While demonstrations throughout the city would be subject to normal permit requirements, those in immediate proximity to the Xcel Center would be confined to the protest area.
Known as "free speech zones," those areas have become the norm at national nominating conventions. But they remain controversial. During the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, protesters were kept behind high fences, prompting comparisons to Guantanamo Bay.
Backing out of the ditch (update 4 )
Star Tribune Thu, 28 Feb 2008
Maplewood ready to get back on track
The Maplewood City Council, which meets tonight, continues to move forward with changes that will reverse city policies on everything from management jobs to the city newsletter. The controversy over Maplewood's suspended city manager was put to rest this week, after the Maplewood City Council signed a settlement agreement with Greg Copeland. The council will hold another meeting tonight to complete its first wave of business that the new council majority says will put Maplewood "back on the track to normalcy." ... The council also is expected to take up the need for new guidelines on which city officials write in the city newsletter, how often and on which subjects. "There's been complaints that the newsletter got used for political purposes," said Nephew. "People thought it was unseemly, using taxpayer money for campaigning." Even the use of photographs of council members and the mayor on the city website is on the agenda.
Alex Davy of the Lillie Newspapers (2/27/08) helps describe the ditch in Maplewood settles with Copeland
...
Questions remain
As interim City Manager Chuck Ahl delves into his new role, one thing is becoming clear: Copeland left Maplewood with significant financial questions.
According to Ahl, budget data such as fixed-asset audits from 2008 were nowhere to be found in the City's computer system, and 13 months' worth of bank statements had not been reconciled.
Most troubling of all is the revelation that the Maplewood Community Center - reportedly close to breaking even in October - is actually $600,000 to $750,000 in the hole.
"The City was planning to end 2007 with about $300,000 to start the new year," Ahl says. "Now it looks like we're going to start the year well in the red."
Ahl has made establishing an internal financial plan a top priority, and plans to address the council on the financial state of the City March 10.
In the meantime, City Council members are left wondering how it came to this. "Why the finance department has fallen so far behind at this point is a mystery to everyone," says Council Member Will Rossbach.
[Update 2/28 10:00 AM]
The Star Tribune article discusses Ms. Longrie's reaction to the newsletter agenda item:
She said she hasn't received any complaints from Maplewood residents about problems the council seems to have with the newsletter. That includes her monthly column and City Council member columns deemed to be self-promoting. [emphasis added]
To help refresh memories, here is Maplewood resident and council member Kathy Juenemann talking (small mp3) about a particularly egregious issue of the City News (large pdf) during the November 13, 2006 council meeting. She was sitting about 10 feet from Ms. Longrie at the time.
[Update 2/28 11:20 AM]
More memories: here is a letter to the editor, Lillie Newspapers, September 27, 2007.
It is amazing that an article from the Maplewood Review, about John Banick receiving half million dollars after a settlement, came out Aug. 29 and the Maplewood News city newsletter went to print and was in the homes by Sept. 7th. That's pretty quick writing and printing, and wonder who paid for the "Rush Printing Job"-probably not the Taxpayers!!![Update 2/28 12:20 PM]
...
More memories: here is a letter to the editor, Pioneer Press, October 2007.
The current majority on the Maplewood City Council is scrambling to hang on, according to info in the city newsletter. The council member chosen to write a column happens to be one of the two incumbents who will be on the ballot. Does Will Rossbach also get a chance at a column before Election Day?[Update 2/28 4:30 PM]
Readers weigh in with this:
Once again our Mayor refuses to acknowledge the consequences of her actions. Many of us have expressed our frustration with the way the Mayor, the former City Manager Copeland and Eric Hjelle have used our Newsletter as a tool for their political harrangues. Certainly it was evident during this past City Council election. The citizens of Maplewood pay for the development and the mailing of this newsletter. I said it then and I repeat...it is a misuse of public funds to use the Newsletter for personal and political positioning. Mayor Longrie seems to site Article I of the Bill of Rights only when it is to her advantage. She should reread the Constitution as well as the oath she took when she was sworn in as Mayor.
And this
I as a resident have contacted my representatives on the City Council and expressed my concern about all the money being spent by Maplewood in allowing Mayor Longrie to publicize her personal agenda in the Maplewood News Letter. I have also expressed my concern about non-resident presentations which delay legitimate action by the Council.
As our representatives, any Council member should be able to bring issues to them and they in turn can make an agenda item to address the issue/concern.
It should not be necessary to contact the Mayor on every issue/concern expressed by residents. If that be the case, why don't we just have a mayor? Why do we need other representatives?
Just my two cents worth.
[[keywords: Officials;Maplewood;]]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
