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THIS FILE CONTAINS FOUR TRANSCRIPTIONS RELATED TO $30,000 IN "DONATION" GIVEN BY SULTAN DEVELOPERS TO THE CITY OF SULTAN, WHICH WERE HIDDEN FROM CITIZENS (AND COUNCIL MEMBERS)
Included are the following Transcriptions:
October 12, 2006 Transcription of Cat-out-of-the-bag disclosure from City of Sultan Interim Finance Director Gordon Hey re Contributions from "Building Industry" to fund Sultan's Comprehensive Plan Revisions to bring that Plan into compliance as mandated by the Growth Management Hearings Board/CTED
Gordon Hey: And then the planning outdate – update -- in-kind we're asking for [unintelligible word] of $20,000 this year and the general fund will contribute another $20,000 next year. But I need to mention to you that we have received $30,000 in contributions, which I've asked Laura to put in the Treasurer's Trust Fund so that we will have money next year available for Shockey. [This refers to Reid Shockey, the consultant hired by the City to perform the GMHB-mandated update of Sultan's recently-completed 2004 Comprehensive Plan, in order to bring that Plan into legal compliance with the GMA "Fallgatter V FDO" on our Growth Management Hearings Board appeals page for specifics.] Mayor Tolson: Okay. All right. We need questions from council on this? Gordon Hey: You have any questions on [unintelligible]? C/M Blair: The $20,000? Gordon Hey: Pardon me? C/M Blair: Could you explain the $20,000 you just mentioned that you want to have available for Shockey? It's donated? Is that what I heard you say? Gordon Hey: Well, yeah. The contract, I think, is for 40 -- $20,000 or $40,000. And it will probably run from 2006, end of 2007. We'd pay the first half, $20,000 this year, from utility funds. We'll pay the $20,000 next year under the funds that we've got in the Treasurer's Trust for that purpose. C/M Blair: [unintelligible] donate [interrupted] – [simultaneous comments] Gordon Hey: These contributions were just made within the last couple of weeks. C/M Boyd: Well if they exist to the Treasurer, why not just pay it? Gordon Hey: Ah. Couple reasons. [pause] I'd have to redo this budget, which is fine. There's no problem. Mayor Tolson: Hm! [short, barking laugh from someone] Gordon Hey: But you know -- well, no, it's a bureaucratic problem. But right now it's easy. It's quick, it's easy. And we'll know that if we run over, if we have any cost overrun on the Reid Shockey thing in 2007, we've got our money available to pay for it. And it will be in your 2007 budget. It'll be earmarked as such. C/M Blair: The only confusion I still have is first you used the word "donation," and now you've used the word "contribution." Where's the money coming from, then? Gordon Hey: Well, they're really the same. C/M Blair: Okay. Sure, but where are these donations and contributions coming from? Gordon Hey: They're coming from, uh, the building industry. C/M Blair: Oh. Okay. Thank you. C/M Seehuus: So it's revenue? Gordon Hey: Pardon me? C/M Seehuus: It's revenue, not contributions or … -- Gordon Hey: Well – C/M Seehuus: When you say "contribution" [or] "donation" I conjure up somebody writing a check to us saying, "Here's a donation – Gordon Hey: They did. C/M Seehuus: -- to help you out -- Gordon Hey: They did. C/M Seehuus : -- you know? Gordon Hey: They did. C/M Blair: Great. [End this excerpt.]
Developers Urge Mayor and Council to approve the tax-supported low-interest Public Trust Fund loan needed for improvements to Sultan's WWTP (Wastewater Treatment Plant)
TRANSCRIPTION EXCERPT of Developers' Statements (from Dec. 6, 2006 Council Meeting)
Mayor Tolson: I do need to inform you that this is a special business meeting and we are not allowed to make any additions to the agenda. At this point in time, though, we would like to receive comments from the public. I have a number who have signed up to speak. We are requesting that you keep your comments to a three-minute maximum to allow time for everyone to speak. And if you have not filled out a form we would ask you to please do so. When your name is called, please come to the podium, state your name and address and speak slowly and clearly. First up this evening is Rusty Drivstuen. Rusty Drivstuen (Owner of Mountainview Chevron in Sultan; also has financial development interests in Sultan and Gold Bar): Yeah, Rusty Drivstuen [pronounced, "driv-struen"], 33902, SR 2, Sultan Washington (business address). I'm just here tonight to speak on the sewer. But, um, I hope you adopt the plan for the loans and get that going. I'm a businessman up there. I built this store up on the four lanes 12 years ago and I just think Sultan's on the verge of a lot of good things happening. The momentum's going. And, um, I talk to a lot of people. I've talked to all of the Jack-in-the-Boxes and the Wendy's, and Sultan has got (unintelligible) on the map with everybody. And I think it's [an] exciting time. I'm pro-growth and I think the city needs to grow for the revenue to fund the departments and the parks, and I just see a lot of wonderful things happening in Sultan. And I would just like to encourage everybody. I know they're tough decisions and, and they're important votes, but I would hope that you guys are being in support of that. Mayor Tolson: Thank you. Neil Latta. Neil Latta** Hi, good evening. My name is Neil Latta with Web Engineering, 149 West Kellogg Road in Bellingham, Washington. First off, this is [from] Craig Sears of the Sultan 144 LLC asked me to introduce this letter, uh, this evening. It's in response--or in support of the funding of the sewer plant, and, uh, he'll back you for that plan of moving forward of expansion of the plant. Mayor Tolson: Is that—was that [unintelligible] to the attorney? City Attorney Thom Graafstra: Do you have a copy so the city clerk can maybe circulate this evening? Neil Latta So in addition to that letter, um, my firm represents a number of development groups, uh, that are contributing to this area, Skyridge…Mr. Anderson, who are in attendance tonight, represent a sizeable stakeholder in the community. Their commitment to the sewer plan is, in terms of potential developer contributions related to the development moving toward preliminary plat approval and providing funding at some point to aid and contribute to the capital funding of the plant. So I'm just going to briefly re-introduce (sic) that positive relationship and their strong interest as a stakeholder to contribute and to be a part of the plan. Mayor Tolson: Thank you. Mr. Wayne Fjelstad. Wayne Fjelstad Good evening. I'm Wayne Fjelstad, 13823 – 80th Street SE, Snohomish. I'm the President of the Skyridge Estates, LLC. I am, uh…requesting that the council vote in favor of acceptance of the Public Trust Fund, uh, loan for the design of the wastewater treatment plan upgrade and authorize the mayor to sign it and [unintelligible] view to the future of Sultan. Thank you. Mayor Tolson: All right. Mr. Matt Anderson. Matt Anderson I'm Matt Anderson, 6003 – 29 th Avenue NE, Seattle. As Neil Latta said, I am a stakeholder in the properties that would be affected by the new sewer plant. Uh, I know as council members you have a represent—residency(sic) of, of the people here in Sultan and you have a little concerns (sic) as far as committing yourselves, spending that much money for this plan, and the long-term planning [unintelligible word]. Those of us that are committed to, uh….needing this plan, uh, have, uh, an interest in, in seeing the financial plan go through and contributing a share in advance for the necessary funding. Thank you. Mayor Tolson: All right.
Excerpt from L. Storm (closing public comments at the end of this meeting):
"And as far as the – I've heard this, uh-h-h term, "Development Committee," "Developer Committee"? Just wondering how one might be able to, um, become part of that committee to provide maybe a little bit of measured input as opposed to, um….what looks like what's happening. Thank you."
NOTES ON DEVELOPERS' STATEMENTS OF SUPPORT AND THEIR $30,000 BEHIND-THE-SCENES "DONATION" (Who the players are, the city's possible culpability, and backdoor meetings)
**Neil Latta was the project engineer for Timber Ridge and holds financial interests in that development. His name is also connected to the proposed 200-home development planned for 124th St. SE's dead-end northern side (dubbed by the City, "Skyridge Estates"), on land abutting the east side of the Sultan Water Treatment Plant.
Mr. Latta and other Sultan development proponents Rusty Drivstuen and Tim Albers, participated in at least one private meeting between the City and Snohomish County's Planning Dept. on March 27, 2006 to "sell" Sultan's UGA remand request to the county.
During early 2006 and until the County Council's vote to approve an enlargement by 100 acres of Sultan's UGA (Urban Growth Area, several city-county meetings were held to determine Sultan's ability to adequately finance sewer improvements if its request to expand was approved. The City's and developers' requests were granted when the county council approved Sultan's enlargement of its UGA, including the 60 acres known as Skyridge Estates, a 200-home community long-proposed by these development consortium interests.
In addition to the March 27th meeting, Mr. Latta also attended what was slated to be (but not yet confirmed) to be a small, informal April 13, 2006 meeting between Brown & Caldwell (the City's sewer plant redesign consultant), and the County's Chief Engineering Officer, Randy Sleight (PE, PLS, ASCE). The City caught the county off-guard: Not only did Bill McCarthy and Bill Pearson of Brown & Caldwell show up at this meeting, but a phalanx of developer interests tagged along, among them, Neil Latta, Courtney Flora (an attorney representing the City of Sultan's interests in these matters), Mark Lomack (or "Lonack"), "Land devel. consultants", John Wilson of Berryman & Henigar, , and City of Sultan Public Works Director Connie Dunn.
Wayne Fjelstad, President of Skyridge Estates of Snohomish, is the developer of the Skyridge Estates proposal, but he either did not attend that April 13th City-County meeting, or did not sign in. He did, however, write a letter to the county on Skyridge Estates, LLC as its president (dated April 27th, 2006) which was a plea to the county to approve the City's request to expand its UGA by the 60 acres required for the Skyridge Estates 200-home project to become a reality. In part, Mr. Fjelstad states in that letter, "The City of Sultan has some $4.8 MM in funds set aside for anticipated sewer plan improvements." We attend every council meeting and most of Sultan's workshops and hearings, and believe that Mr. Fjelstad was either terribly misinformed by the City, or either purposefully, or inadvertently, misrepresented Sultan's financial situation to the County.
TRANSCRIPTION: Excerpt - Acceptance of PWTF Loan, 12/6/06 Sultan Council ("Business"**) meeting
Grant Coordinator Donna Murphy gives summary of $1.0 million low-interest (2%) loan details, which includes a 5% match by the City over five years:
Please note that after the project – and in this case the project is not construction of the sewer treatment plant, but the project is the design of this water treatment plant. After the project is complete, the loan can be changed – or converted to a 20-year loan with a ½% interest….
The maximum amount we can request in 2007 is up to $750,000 of the $1.0 million loan. The payment on that is $15,000 and it's due on June 1, 2007. The source of the payment will be derived from new connection fees, and also a percent of the development con—uh—contracts that the city is currently finalizing develop---developer contracts to mitigate the total cost of the wastewater treatment plant. And just for your information, then, the new connection fees, they will be, that is going to be on the agenda for the next council meeting for discussion. And Connie Dunn will be discussing it at the next council meeting. However, she is prepared to give you a statement if you—if you will all—have all…concerned about that. I'll continue, and you then you can later ask questions.
Okay, and if you would please refer, then, to the analysis of how important—how important and imperative it is that this loan be accepted for the future growth of the city and the wastewater treatment plant, it's the limiting factor for the future economic growth of the City of Sultan. Flows [sounds like "angles"] are approaching the capacity of the existing system. The general sewer plan, May of 2006, estimates that the treatment facility will reach 85% capacity about 2009, and 100% capacity about 2012. Since design, permitting and construction will take place at least – will take at least three years – the process of adding capacity will need to start in 2008. The Public Works Trust Fund Loan plan will design this phase.
Your recommendation is to, uh, accept this Trus—public Works Trust Fund loan for the design of the wastewater treatment plant. Are there any questions?
Council Questions & Discussion:
C/M Derek Boyd: Well, I was curious about the developers and city contract? What is – can I have – Is there some more information out there on that? Mayor Tolson: Where are we at in the finalizing of the relationships for -- the partnership with the developers? PW Dir. Connie Dunn: I don't – Go ahead, Rick. Dir. Ec. Development Rick Cisar: Well, we're still in the negotiating phases. And council will be seeing some contract tonight {???] as coming before you, probably in January. C/M Derek Boyd: Do you see any problems with making these payments? Our first June payment? Dir. Ec. Development Rick Cisar: I, I don’t see any—any problems with the contributions from the developers who have spoken this evening. Mayor Tolson: [barely audible] All right. C/M Kristina Blair: And then…we're dependent within that two-year period…with the assumption it will take you two years to complete that design phase [sounds like, "unable to" or "enable to" eighty-eight-something] in addition to what you were just discussing? To cover these costs? That's the projection here? [pause] Mayor Tolson: Did you hear her? PW Dir. Connie Dunn: I didn't – I missed the part about the 88, or whatever you said about the 88. [pause] You're reading off the…cover sheet. C/M Kristina Blair: At the current connection fee rate, that equates to 88 new customers to secure the additional $800,000 to complete the design. We're—we're—we're bu—we're…getting a loan for a million. We need an additional $800,000 and we're assuming that that's the 88 connections. And that's just to complete the design phase. Okay. And has absolutely nothing to do with the [sounds like, "retraining"] correct? Because that's a separate portion? Mayor Tolson: That's our match. C/M Kristina Blair: Well, no, our match is $50,000. But we have to come up with $800,000.[long pause] If, if…[pause] if the design phase of the project draws out four years, and we're paying $270,000 and $265,000…where is that money going to come from, besides additional new connection fees? A—a—a—additional developer contracts? Is that the idea? PW Dir. Connie Dunn: I did a little analysis. You'll see this at the next council meeting also on the ordinance for raising your sewer rates. Right now we have 168 units, or the infrastructure is in some part of completion; the sewer lines are being put in, the streets are being put in, the water's [unintelligible]. That's 168 units that within the next 18 months should be built and be connected to the sewer. C/M Kristina Blair: And pay the connection fees. PW Dir. Connie Dunn: Okay. If 100% of those came in and paid by the end of January, 2007, which is the ordinance you're passing, that would give us $1,341,144 of connection fees by January 31, 2007. Mayor Tolson: Which is when we anticipate a rate increase – PW Dir. Connie Dunn: Yes. Mayor Tolson: -- [unintelligible, sounds like, "taking it back."]. PW Dir. Connie Dunn: The rate increase, if 50% come in, and by—at $7,983, that gives us $670,572. And the [if the] other 50% come in after February 1st at $9,106, we have $7604 (sic), seven – Mayor Tolson: Seven Hundred – PW Dir. Connie Dunn: -- Seven hundred, sixty-four thousand, nine hundred and four ($764,904), so that gives you $1,435,486, which $1,004,825 of that goes just to debt service, in the 168 units that are—have in—infrastructure being in place, being put in place right now. C/M Derek Boyd: Connie, how many total connections do we have left at the sewer? PW Dir. Connie Dunn: We have none. We have them all out to…. [simultaneous comments] Mayor Tolson: How many have not been hooked up yet? 600? PW Dir. Connie Dunn: About 600. That's a real rough number. Because we've had some infill this last year. Mayor Tolson: And then we're also anticipating, you know, the improvements to the facility for flow, and gaining those, but those are not in that 600, correct? PW Dir. Connie Dunn: Correct. C/M Kristina Blair: And are separate from this [unintelligible; Tolson talks over]. Mayor Tolson: Yes. Yes. C/M Kristina Blair: Yeah. So interim improvements – PW Dir. Connie Dunn: The short-term improvements – Mayor Tolson: Already authorized. Female Yes. C/M Kristina Blair: Thank you. That completes a little more of the puzzle [unintelligible]. Mayor Tolson: Any further questions for staff, or discussion? [extended pause] We need a motion – C/M Derek Boyd: I do have one last question. Are you planning on taking the whole $750,000 the first year? Is that -- ? I—I see it says the most you can take is [$] 750 [,000] the first year. Are you taking the whole 750? PW Dir. Connie Dunn: Yes. C/M Derek Boyd: Okay. So, we know what our numbers are. Mayor Tolson: We need a motion, then. Male C/M So moved. C/M Derek Boyd: Second. Mayor Tolson: Any further discussion? [no verbal response] All in favor, please say aye. [all aye's]. Any opposed? Thank you very much.
**We have been attending virtually all of the Sultan council meetings since mid-2000 and have never heard this term used previously. But at the start of this particularly meeting, Tolson said: " I do need to inform you that this is a special business meeting and we are not allowed to make any additions to the agenda." Interestingly, per Washington's Open Meetings Act, there is no legal description, designation or basis for such a council meeting: They are either "regular" meetings (which are those held on regular days/times which have been set/fixed by council resolution [or ordinance, not sure which] or "special" meetings (those set for days/times other than regularly-scheduled meetings).
[END OF TRANSCRIPTION] Mayor Tolson, formerly DEAF, DUMB AND MUM RE a $30,000 "donation" from Sultan developers, finally goes public:
Transcription: Excerpts Feb. 8, 2007 Council Meeting
Ron Fejfar My name is Ron Fejfar [pronounced "faver"]. I live at (Address withheld). Good evening, everybody. I'm kind a new at this so I hope you'll cut me some slack. I've never done this before and so I'm going to try to get through this as quickly as possible, but, uh, if you cut me a little bit more time, I'd appreciate it. Is it a normal, everyday occurrence for a town this small to get a cash donation in one lump sum of, say, $30,000 or $40,000? Does that happen all the time? [pause] Shall we start with you? c/m Derek Boyd Well, it's very seldom. Ron Fejfar How about you? c/m Kristina Blair [extended pause] Ron Fejfar Is this a normal, everyday occurrence? c/m Kristina Blair I couldn't comment on other cities. Ron Fejfar No, no. For this town. c/m Kristina Blair For this city? Ron Fejfar Yeah. c/m Kristina Blair During my time on council, uh, as a donation or – no. Ron Fejfar Your [unintelligible]? c/m Jim Flower That was why I moved, uh, the consent agenda item up to action so we could discuss that very issue. Because I – Ron Fejfar I'm just asking the question. I'm not – c/m Jim Flower I'm wondering the same question. Ron Fejfar Okay. And would you say this is a normal occurrence? c/m John Seehuus Not since I've been here. Ron Fejfar How about you, mayor? Mayor Tolson This is a new one. Ron Fejfar How about you, Mr. Graf-Graafstra? Attorney Thom Graafstra I don't have any idea – [two brief simultaneous comment by Graafstra and Fejfar.] c/m Derek Boyd Did he bring a check with [unintelligible] tonight? Ron Fejfar [To Ron Wiediger] How about you? [no verbal response heard.] I'm just trying to get some quick answers so we can move along here. Ron Fejfar Yes or no? c/m Steve Slawson No. Ron Fejfar How about you? c/m Bruce Champeaux No. Ron Fejfar So not including a big donation that came in within the last several months of about $30,000, as I understand it, can anyone here recall when was the last time a lump sum of, say, $30-40 Grand came in at one time in this City? As a donation, contribution, whatever you want to call it? Anybody have any memory of that? c/m Derek Boyd You're talking [unintelligible]? Mayor Tolson I'm gonna – I'm going to have to ask you to proceed a little faster. Ron Fejfar Well, I'm trying to move fast. Mayor Tolson I, I understand. You—you've had your answers, though. Ron Fejfar No, I haven't. I just asked a second question and nobody answered it. c/m Derek Boyd Are you talking grants, when you talk -- ? [simultaneous comments] Mayor Tolson The is---the issue with this, though, is this is public comment. Not question and answer. You come and ask a question, and then the next person comes and ask the question. The council then, when they have their response to public comment, responds back. That's how this format works. Ron Fejfar Okay, so, so at this stage of the game, you can't ask these kinds of questions? Mayor Tolson You don't ask – you come and--and make comments. This is how the for—forum works. You ask a question. The next person comes up and asks the question. Then it comes the councilman's time to respond. That's how the—the for—the format works. Ron Fejfar Is-is there, is there a, is there a forum where citizens can ask questions such as this? Mayor Tolson Where we have a community meeting. Like we had one a week ago Tuesday? Ron Fejfar Okay. Mayor Tolson Um, and, and I…familiar with what you're alluding to. We are going to be addressing that issue. Ron Fejfar And when would that be? Mayor Tolson Uh, that – well, Action Items four and five tonight will be part of it. And, and the – I will even comment toward it in the, uh, response that councilmen have, 'cause I have a chance to comment [unintelligible]. Ron Fejfar Got it. Okay, then one other quick comment. Actually, two. Mr. Graafstra, I agree with Mr. Gibson: You are demeaning and insulting to the citizens of Sultan, and what you're doing [unintelligible] around here, I don't know. If you worked for me, you'd be gone. One final thing. A number of citizens that I have talked to seem to be of the opinion that there is some sort of covert effort afoot to get rid of the police department in this town and farm out the job to the county. I don't know whether that's true or not. Um, but—but the opinion seems to me of the people that I've talked to that this is probably the advice of members of this council, and some of the Old Guard/Old Boys of this community have some, some sort of grievance they've had with the police department going back years and years and years [ago]. It's my opinion that this is a very bad, very short-sighted idea. Um, you don't farm out such a critical component as police protection unless you're a dying town with no hopes and no dough and no prospects. You don’t farm out police when you're a growing community and you may double in size in the next ten years, five-ten years, and you've got a complete infrastructure in place with good police officers, a well-known, well-respected police chief. To farm this kind of a job out is, is – [short laugh] – is about as dumb as anything I've ever heard. To even be contemplating it is pretty silly. And I would venture to say that if this council votes to do such a thing, I would not be surprised if you would see a firestorm of political backlash, citizen backlash, citizen activism, the likes of which none of you have ever seen. I think you have opened Pandora's box and I don't think you're going to like what you see in there. That's just my opinion, but I've been wrong before.
Mayor Tolson: [Responding to Ron Fejfar's comments] You brought up the question, Mr. Fejfar, regarding dollars being given to the City. I'll broach the subject. A few months back, uh, the council, we were in the process of hiring, a…[pause]…consultant to help us work through some of our long-standing issue with our comprehensive plan. The decision to go that route had been made. And, yes, there have been some developers say, "Hey, we like this. We would like to…pay the bill." That came to the City, in that [says either "form" or "forum"], I asked for legal counsel on that, uh, in the last couple of weeks for direction. We will be making some determinations in the next few weeks to exactly follow through with it. Is it a normal process? I don't think so. Do they feel that it is going to benefit there? I would imagine so, but I don't believe that, from my perspective on this that we wouldn't have done anything different. Ron Fejfar Really? [unintelligible]. Mayor Tolson: Because we were hiring Reid Shockey anyway. Ron Fejfar That's a little scary. That's a little scary. Mayor Tolson: That's, that's your opinion to hold And you're—you're welcome to that. However, the issue for us is to get the best people in line to help us in line with the Comprehensive Plan. That is our, our—our desire, because we do have issues with that comprehensive plan that….we needed extra help there. So does that help answer that question for you? Ron Fejfar It—it—it raises more questions. Mayor Tolson: Well, that's fine, then. I'm, I'm more than open to talk with you [and] most anybody else, you know, wants to – Ron Fejfar Well, I—I tried to talk with you – [simultaneous comments] Mayor Tolson: No, no, no. I'm talking in another forum, okay? And I'm willing to do that in—in another forum if you'd like to make an appointment. [unintelligible]. Ron Fejfar Well, I think it'd be – probably if we did it in a public forum. MT Well, that's fine as well. So. With that, uh….
[C/M Steve Slawson then asks Mayor Tolson to advise citizens of the next Town Meeting, 6:30 PM, March 15th at Sultan's Middle School Commons. Interestingly, Tolson promised citizens at the end of the January 30th Town meeting that the Mar. 15th meeting would be dedicated specifically to the subject of police, and citizen-police dialogue and communication. HOWEVER, as Tolson did with last year's August town meeting – which was set for the express and exclusive purpose of discussion of police issues (in anticipation of the police levy), but later changed by Mr. Tolson to provide him a forum in which to present financial and budgeting constraints, especially as they relate to the cost of police, Tolson is apparently going to do the very same thing with the March 15th Meeting. In response to C/M Slawson's request, Tolson gave the date, time and place, then said: "We will address some of the questions raised this last meeting, as well as provide the financial information that people were wanting, and some of the misinformation that was out there regarding the cost of the police levy and what it was going to cost, when some people thought it was going to cost them fifty bucks a month on $180,000 home. So we're going to try and help people understand what the actual, uh, tax dollar implications would be on those areas."]
Immediately following that exchange:
Ron Fejfar When can members of the public ask about this $30,000 in an open forum? When can that occur? [long pause] c/m Derek Boyd Well, when can I ask about it? Ron Fejfar There seems to be a big mystery about this [unintelligible] grant, and I—I—I'd just like to – I'd like to bring it out into the open. Wouldn't that be good? Mayor Tolson: We can make it a point of discussion following the, uh…. Actions this evening. Ron Fejfar Hear-hear. Let's do it. c/m Jim Flower: Mr. Mayor, it was my intent to discuss that during Action Item five. Mayor Tolson: All right. That's fine. It's on the docket. c/m Derek Boyd: All right.
Councilmember Jim Flower's Closing comments:
c/m Jim Flower The reason that I brought this discussion forward is that really none of us knew what this was about. It was time to air this, what the $30,000 was about. It was only brought to my attention this week that we had a structure in place for accepting this. Again, to air it, so that when these questions come up, is this "clean" or is this tainted, then the public is involved with that discussion. That procedure has not been followed. And now we have to backtrack and go over several donations that were not given that treatment. My apology for us not following that procedure. I wasn't even aware of it. Ron Fejfar That's—that's scary. Scary. c/m Jim Flower Yes, it is. Mr. Fejfar, let me remind you, as I said earlier, we don't go to – we don't go to, uh, Councilman University for 16 years to find out how to be here for $40 a meeting. We're all business owners or we are – we punch a time clock somewhere. The reason we are here is that we're members of the community just like you, that have sat out there that got P.O.'d enough to finally say, "Okay. I'm going to do it." And get up here and go, "Wow. What is all this stuff? Oh, and I still have to run my business, too?" And so we rely heavily on staff to provide us the information, give us a cover sheet, pat us on the back and say, "Don't worry about it. This will be fine." Sometimes when things come up a little smelly, we are the one to take the heat on it, and we are the one who have to go back and fix that. This is one item that we will definitely have to shine a light on. Because I don't want anybody pointing fingers at me in newspapers saying – RFI couldn't imagine you would. c/m Jim Flower Because there's nothing you can… To me, in a small community, there's nothing more valuable than your word and your reputation. A similar situation happened in Monroe earlier this year by someone that is close to me, and it baffled me why that councilman did not fight for his name when he had the resources to do so. He decided to settle. That one I just cannot understand. Uh, it takes a lifetime to build up a reputation and it takes a rumor to kill it. Unfortunately, that kind of is happening here right now. Should it have been addressed more quickly? Probably. Should it have been addressed in a more formal way? Well, apparently we have a procedure in place to do that, but did not follow it. So we should definitely do that. But I appreciate you coming, and expressing your passion for these issues. And don't be a stranger. If you'd like my card, I'll give it to you after the meeting and we can talk some more. Ron Fejfar Did I do a good job? c/m Jim Flower Yes, you did.
Mayor Tolson Closing Comments
Mayor Tolson There've been a lot of heated emotions this evening. And I can appreciate being out there because I was out there once with a lot of….assumptions on how things happen. It is different on this side. Does it make it right? No. Is it frustrating at times? Oh, absolutely. In, in regards to, uh, the terminology in the newspaper of accepting a bribe, I do believe a bribe needs it has to be for personal gain. Um…I, uh, probably a better term to use is trying to buy influence. Did—did I get upset with the comment? Yeah. Did I seek out legal advice? Yeah. As an elected official, you ain't got nothin' you can do about it. And that's—that's just the reality of it. And—and I wished council to not respond because it wasn't worth responding to. So that's basically the – Ron Fejfar Who gave you that advice? Him [referring to Thom Graafstra]. Mayor Tolson I cannot – I cannot…. You know, you're—you're—you're bordering on, you know, just totally disrespectful, you know. And that's, it is not appreciated. Ron Fejfar I'm [unintelligible] with Mr. Graafstra there. Mayor Tolson No. No, sir, you're not. Ron Fejfar Giving him a compliment? Mayor Tolson No you're not. And so, um… Ron Fejfar This thing gets more bizarre. Mayor Tolson I'm sorry, this – Ron Fejfar It gets more bizarre all the time.
[end of transcription]
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