2011-02-28 Reg - Laserfiche WebLink

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Manager had invited everyone on Council to come speak with him beforehand. Every member of Council except Mr. Price and Mr. Crow had spoken with the City Manager beforehand. She said the reason for the lay-offs was not only budget but also redundancy in positions. Ms. Ricci said the City Manager has an open door policy and would welcome any questions. She said Council does not handle employees. Ms. Ricci wanted to remind everyone that Mr. Crow and Mr. Price have been invited to speak with others on the Council but they have not done so. She said the Council should be looking toward the future, serving more people, not focusing on the past, not focusing on individuals, and should be focusing on big issues. She said there were so many people who spoke about Ms. Ricci and she has never spoken with them before and invited them to visit with her on Friday afternoon at City Hall or call her to arrange a different time. Ms. Ricci said as far as the scaring thing, she stated that she sent an email to Council only in an attempt to address an issue among Council so there would not be these “kinds of silliness,” and someone decided not to speak about it among Council but rather publish or disseminate that email. She said she is not afraid of Mr. Price per say but afraid of an unknown person who doesn’t know Mr. Price or me but where he could hit some trigger and they react with violence. Ms. Ricci would like wants to eliminate any inciting behavior and focus on facts and issues and not on emotions and inciting behavior. Mr. Crow reminded the City Manager that he had seventeen questions unanswered from the budget study session. He stated that he has never turned down a meeting from the City Manager or a member of Councilmember. He said he does not reply to the myriad of emails he gets especially at 2 a.m. but he stands ready to meet anytime. If Mr. Walker wants to come see him or any other member of Council wants, they can come to see him. He does not believe there has been a closed door on his part. Mr. Crow said we may share a different meaning on what is minuscule, as he did not think Mr. & Mrs. Burns consider the Wilson buyout; Ms. Nickerson would not consider her appointment to the Economic Development Sales Tax Board; nor Mr. Price consider tonight’s actions, as minuscule. Mr. Crow said when an email goes to all of Council, it is a public meeting. Mr. Crow said he was concerned at the last Council meeting that the budget resolution would be boot-strapped. And it was, as it eliminated more employees. He said as far as the Economic Sales Tax Board, he still has forty-two questions still unanswered, but yet in the Mayor’s interview she stated “that the City Attorney gave us an opinion and I took the action that I thought was necessary.” He said he continues to believe that the majority of actions taken by this Council are very dangerous and disenfranchising to a number of people here and in the community. Mr. Crow said he joined this week with Glickert and Ricci in calling for an investigation as to who leaked the confidential letter of reprimand to Councilmember Price and hoped that Councilmembers Ricci and Glickert will stand by their concern that this matter was leaked inappropriately to the public. We have a right to know who on this Council or who in our employment leaked this matter to the press. Mr. Crow asked where the City is on Kingsland Walk. He said he would like to celebrate with everyone the Black History month. Mr. Price quoted Reverend Lance, “Do the right thing in the right way for the right reason” and has lived by that. Mr. Price asked the Chair to ask for consensus of the Council on whether to go with the first option to use the million dollars for the Wilson buyout because the drop-dead date for the second grant was today. Mayor Welsch stated that it was not appropriate to move on that this evening. The Council should hear from the City Manager and the Community Development department before making any decisions. 19