APRIL 30, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A19
TIES: ‘Procedures ... were
swept under the rug’
Continued from page A1
Canyon; direct payments to both Gates a 3-3 vote over the remaining two candi-
and Detroit to replace revenue losses; dates, more discussion was held and Todd
paying for contracted financial analysis Smith became the unanimous choice.
The vote to appoint Todd Smith was
for both cities and other contracted sup-
port; as well as paying for staff support to unanimous, but his appointment became
meet on-going city needs and assist with an issue of scotched-earth debate during
recovery efforts,” Kelley said. “A retired an April 6 meeting.
city manager was hired to assist the City
At the April meeting, Trett said
of Gates and the county had been seeking he had conferred with the city’s attor-
a second person with a similar skill set to ney, Bill Monahan about the appoint-
ment and found there had been a
assist the City of Detroit.”
Eppley will sup-
port wildfire recov-
ery efforts in the
Santiam
Canyon
including providing
direct support to the
City of Detroit. The
job opening was not
made public, Kelley
said. Applicants with
prior experience were
sought through
professional asso-
ciations and gov-
ernment partners.
Kelley said the
City councilor, DETROIT
hiring body knew
of Eppley firing a
gun in his Keizer
office.
“The commissioners were not directly procedural error. Monahan, an employee
involved in the hiring of temporary wild- of the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of
fire recovery staff for the cities of Gates Governments, is being paid by the city
and Detroit; however, the appointments for his work consulting with the Detroit
were discussed with the commissioners council.
and the mayors of each city,” Kelley said.
“The vote passed unanimously, but it
Detroit's ties to Keizer officials’, coun- was a procedural error and does not rise
cilors’ and regional leaders’ began unfold- to the level of having to undo things,” Trett
ing publicly in February. Todd Smith, the said.
husband of Elizabeth Smith, a Keizer city
Councilor Michele Tesdal said there
councilor and president of the body, was was a lack of evidence regarding Todd
appointed to the Detroit City Council in Smith’s primary residency – at least six
the wake of a vacancy.
months plus one day – as required by the
Detroit’s City Council requires five city charter.
members to be primary residents of
A heated rebuttal from a different
Detroit, which the council has interpreted council prompted Councilor Tim Luke to
as six months plus one day. Two council interject.
members may be non-primary residents.
“Procedures were not followed, they
Three applicants applied for the vacancy, were swept under the rug,” said Councilor
the residency of two applicants, includ- Tim Luke. “I’m sick of being accused of
ing Todd Smith were called into question. divisiveness when we are trying to bring
Todd Smith provided bills from Consumer people together. The thing that does not
Power, Inc., as proof of residency from bring them together is the good old boy
January 2020 until the canyon fires in system.”
September. After disqualifying one can-
After moving on to other issues,
didate based failing to meet residency Monahan made a presentation to the
requirements, the council deadlocked on council on another matter. Immediately
We are taking
longer to
discuss cluster
mailboxes.
— MICHELE TESDAL
after the presentation, Todd Smith made a
motion to hire Day Law as a city attorney
on a pro temp basis. Keizer-based Day Law
is owned by Ross Day, a Keizer city coun-
cilor serving alongside Elizabeth Smith.
Trett appeared blindsided by the
motion and asked, “Day Law?” After some
discussion, Trett and others said they
would like more time to research the topic
and look at how it would work. Day was
also in attendance at the meeting and was
soon making his case as a parliamentarian
who could help clean up the city’s opera-
tions. A parliamentarian advises govern-
ing bodies on interpretation of rules and
procedures.
“This is what I do for a living,” Day told
the council. “I believe my firm can help
the city be in compliance with records
retention laws, public meeting records and
management issues. I have substantial
concerns about your public records reten-
tion.” Day said he would be volunteering
his services.
Councilors Todd Smith and Eric Page
wanted an immediate vote on retaining
Day, but the motion failed and the matter
was tabled. Despite vigorous opposition
by Detroit councilors Tim Luke and Tesdal,
the decision to retain Day was approved in
a 5-2 vote on April 13.
“We are taking longer to discuss cluster
mailboxes than this particular decision,”
Tesdal said.
Throughout the remainder of the meet-
ing, Day could be heard audibly sighing
and groaning during council discussions.
Sometimes he would interject with advice,
sometimes not.
During the same meeting, Tesdal read a
letter into the record from Elizabeth Smith
alleging Tesdal sidestepped rules and was
not acting “in a fair and transparent man-
ner” in filling out paperwork for a grant
without council approval and talking with
others about upcoming tourism goals.
Before reading the letter, Tesdal stated
Elizabeth Smith's role as a Keizer city
councilor and the president of the council,
which was not part of the letter.
Todd Smith accused Tesdal of “slan-
der” for using Elizabeth Smith’s titles in
Keizer when those were not part of the let-
ter itself. Slander is a false oral statement
about a person with intention to defame
and damage their reputation.
Later in the April 13 meeting, members
of the city council approved to continue
meeting in the Keizer Civic Center for the
foreseeable future. Keizer officials offered
free use of the space to the Detroit council
but there are possible venues much closer
to Detroit.
Tesdal said a three-bay garage owned
by the Idanha Fire District – and only 6
miles away – would serve the city’s resi-
dents better.
Other councilors said the district did
not want the council to use their facilities
and that the meetings could not be broad-
cast from the facility, but that was refuted
by the district’s assistant chief, Damon
Faust.
“The three-bay in Idanha is viable and,
with notice, can be set up to accommodate
and meet needs. Could make connectivity
work,” said Faust in a chat associated with
the meeting.
Despite the numerous ties to Keizer offi-
cials, Marion County’s legal counsel, Jane
Vetto, said there was no conflict in hiring
Eppley to assist with wildfire recovery.
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