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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (May 24, 2011)
from the editor may24 2011 from the editor: 3 An Open Letter to Councilors Burch, Hudson, and Nicks First of all I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Sergeant Mike Connor and Officer Shawn Carnahan for their continued dedication and service to our community, especially during the last two months while Officer Mike Kay has been on paid administrative leave. Your efforts are appreciated and noticed, at least by most of us in the community. I would also like to thank Bill Haack for his outstanding service to the people of Vernonia. You have adopted this community as your second home, have worked tirelessly to help us move forward, and Bill, you should know that your efforts are appreciated, no matter what the actions have been by a handful of individuals over the last few weeks. On May 19, 2011 the Police Policy Committee of the Oregon Department of Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) met in Salem and voted unanimously to revoke the certification of Vernonia Police Sergeant Mike Kay for life. Now the Vernonia City Council will have a chance on June 13, 2011 to hear Mike Kay’s side of this story at a Due Process Hearing and make a decision about his future employment in Vernonia--keep him while he goes through a process of additional hearings and appeals, further distracting the work of the city, or move on now and get back to business. I have a number of things I would like to address to Councilors Burch, Hudson and Nicks. Your actions and statements over the last five months continue to perplex and confound me. Instead of focusing on work that needed to be done--setting goals together as a Council and holding workshops about the Wastewater Project, you have chosen to get bogged down in an unnecessary search for a new City Administrator. Instead of developing a plan for managing the flood buyout properties, and finding a solution to the flood mitigation and National Flood Insurance issue, you’ve spent your time organizing a transition to a temporary City Administrator. Instead of holding discussions about how to manage the City’s response to the State DPSST investigation into untruthfulness by Police Officer Mike Kay, you have tried to ignore and hide the fact that an investigation is even occurring. And now, you, the City Council will be the decision makers on Mike Kay and his continued relationship with the City of Vernonia. This decision, in your hands, Councilors Burch, Hudson, and Nicks, is very disconcerting. Will you let us down yet again, or will you finally come to your senses and do the right thing? If I appear to be passionate, and somewhat angry about what is happening right now in our City, that’s because I am. This City belongs to all of us, not just to you and your friends. I can no longer sit back and just watch the three of you make knee-jerk, short-sighted and naive decisions and statements that embarrass all of us, and damage the future of this city. Councilor Burch, you have repeatedly stated that you stand for transparency in City government, yet you accused me of wrongdoing during the May 2, 2011 City Council meeting and in a letter that you wrote to The Independent, because I made public information available to the citizens of this community concerning that DPSST investigation into Officer Kay. The citizens had a right to know just what the accusations were against a police officer in their community, someone they are expected to trust, respect and look up to. That is real transparency, not what you are doing-- trying to cover up the facts about an investigation. I would like to expand on just a few examples of the confused decision making the three of you have exhibited over the last few months. These are just a few examples, there are many more. Councilor Burch, in explaining your reasons for terminating Mr. Haack, you sited his poor communication—that you ask for information and don’t receive it. Councilor Burch—communication goes two ways. You have to listen when someone answers your questions. Apparently you have a problem listening, because in that May 2 meeting during a discussion about engineering work for Vernonia Lake, you asked Mr. Haack again, for what I believe may be the third and maybe fourth time in a public meeting, when we would be hiring a Project Manager for this project. And once again Mr. Haack explained to you, like he has each previous time you have asked, that we are waiting for approval from CDBG to spend their grant money to hire that project manager. I think it is you that has the communication problem, Councilor Burch, along with Councilors Hudson and Nicks, not Mr. Haack. All In Pub & Eatery Home of the 2 1/4 lb. “All In Burger” Catherine & Strawberry Roan Terry’s Gym TRAIN LIKE A CHAMPION! LIVE MUSIC Saturday June 4 Councilor Hudson, you also voted on May 2 to terminate Mr. Haack’s contract without any idea or plan on how to replace him. One solution that you presented at the May 6, 2011 Special Council Meeting was to appoint a citizen to temporarily fill his position—you mentioned Mayor Josette Mitchell, City Recorder Joanne Glass, Jim Tierney, or Dan Brown—all people who have clearly been supporters of Mr. Haack and have encouraged Council to retain him as the permanent City Administrator. Yet Councilor Hudson, you would presume to ask one of those people to come in and clean up the mess that you created with your rash decision? In fact, you three Councilors--Burch, Hudson and Nicks--all ended up voting to appoint Mayor Mitchell to fill the spot, against her wishes—she voted against it! Your decision to fire Mr. Haack showed a lack of forethought and planning, as well as common sense. Councilor Nicks, you stated on May 2 that the reason you were in favor of terminating Mr. Haack’s contract was because of poor communication. You stated, and I quote, “ I’ve made an effort—I’ve called in an outside party. I’m trying to do everything that I can.” Previously you had requested and received permission from the rest of Council to consult with Jim Johnson and get help with the perceived communication problems that Council and staff were having. You and Councilors Hudson and Burch did meet with Mr. Johnson to discuss these problems, on April 28. But you fired Mr. Haack before Mr. Johnson even had a chance to meet with the rest of the Council and Mr. Haack to hear their side of what was happening. How can you honestly sit up there and tell the people of this community that you are doing “... everything you can?” That’s right, you can’t. But you did. At this point, it’s hard for any of us to trust or take seriously anything the three of you say. I believe the people have lost faith and trust in your ability to lead this community. Councilor Hudson is already being recalled; Councilors Burch and Nicks, you will be next on July 2. You were elected to represent the people of this community, not a handful of your friends and family. You have failed to listen to your committee members, staff and the citizens who are filling the Council Chambers to capacity • Specialty hamburgers • Draft beer & mixed drinks • Pool tables & satelite TV • Special live music events • Free Wifi alternative/country/rock Sun - Thurs 11 AM - Midnight • 733 Bridge St, Vernonia “STILL BIKER FRIENDLY” Fri - Sat 11 AM - 2:30 AM • 503-429-9999 Publisher and Managing Editor Scott Laird 503-367-0098 scott@vernoniasvoice.com Contributors Chip Bubl Dr. Carol McIntyre Sonia Spackman Miles Wickstrom Don Webb Photography Christie Davis Scott Laird Justin Stevens Want to advertise? Contact: ads@vernoniasvoice.com Have an article? Contact: news@vernoniasvoice.com One year subscriptions (24 issues) $35 PO Box 55 Vernonia, OR 97064 503-367-0098 www.VernoniasVoice.com at each meeting. I would echo Mayor Mitchell’s sentiments from the May 2 meeting –Where is this contingency you claim you represent? I don’t see or hear them at these meetings, they aren’t writing letters to the newspapers, they aren’t calling City Hall. It is honorable for a person to stand by and help a friend in need. But what you are doing is anything but honorable—using your position as a City Councilor to protect your friend, Mike Kay, and run a good man, Bill Haack, out of town. I would like to respectfully request that all three of you resign your position as City Councilors, effective immediately, before you bring any more shame and disgrace on the hard working people of this community, who have fought and struggled over the last few years to rebuild their lives and our town. Who have received the attention and visits from not one, but two Governors of this state because of their efforts. Step down now, before you waste any more of the taxpayers money on personnel searches and recall elections. Please, step down, before you create any more chaos and bring further dishonor on the good name of our city. Scott Laird Editor and Publisher INBA World Champion Collin Moeller works out at Terry’s Gym - You can too! 503-901-1705 16720 Noakes Rd. Vernonia Vernonia’s Voice is published twice each month on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday. Look for our next issue on June 14th.
