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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 20, 2011)
The INDEPENDENT, July 20, 2011 Page 5 Recall efforts underway, Burch and Nicks respond in interview From page 1 out using the funds verifica- tions process. (Editor’s Note: Ordinance 854 on city adminis- trator’s duties and responsibili- ties gives the interim city ad- ministrator the authority to initi- ate investigations and run all city business. Only hiring and firing of personnel is excluded.) 2. What is the consider- able money Haack cost the city? Burch – $75,000 for attorney fees under the Vernonia Police Department budget line items for professional fees. 3. What facts did Sharon Bernal not verify? Burch – She said Mike Kay and I are friends and I made the motion to cancel Bill Haack’s contract because it was about a friend. I’m friendly towards all police, fire, city per- sonnel, etc. but that doesn’t mean they are my personal friends. 4. How do you know Bernal called the press in? Burch – I guess I don’t know, but she was the petitioner on the recall and organized the rally they (the press) showed up at and is the “Big Mouth”. 5. Where did you get the ‘tort claim filed’ information? Burch – I was led to believe that by the city attorneys and Jim Johnson. (Editor’s Note: Jim Johnson denys saying a tort claim had been filed. As of July 18, no tort claims have been filed against the city.) 6. Who has threatened you with a Federal lawsuit? Burch – The city attorneys and Jim Johnson fully expect it to go to the federal level. 7. Can you explain what you mean by dishonesty? Burch – When I repeatedly requested an executive ses- sion, Haack said, “No, there is nothing to discuss,” but in real- ity there was a lot of sensitive information that was needed to make informed decisions. (Edi- tor’s Note: Though Haack de- clined to hold an executive ses- sion in January, he offered to meet individually with new councilors to bring them up to speed on employee issues.) 8. What are you trying to protect the citizens of Ver- nonia from? Burch – Further money be- ing spent on this whole deba- cle? 9. What’s the debacle? Burch – More investigations or possible litigation. 10. How are you protect- ing them? Burch – By participating in the hiring of a qualified city ad- ministrator for Vernonia. 11. How can you say you insist on transparency when you have also said you need to have private meeting out- side council, like during the budget process? Burch – Transparency is not making decisions in secret meetings. So-called “coffee house meetings” are about ed- ucating myself on the process and requesting executive ses- sions, the secret meetings, is to be informed on personnel is- sues. Sharon Bernal’s response to Burch’s justification was, “When she said there has been too much dysfunction, I have not seen much dysfunction ‘til she came into office. It would be nice if Willow would explain why at three meetings [when] I directly asked what her issues were with Bill Haack that the public needed to know and she never answered. When I read her statement now, there is still no specific information. I did not call the news crews. All I have done is what our govern- ment gave every one of us the ability to do – take the steps to recall a public official when we feel they are not serving the community. We are taking the legal, professional and proper steps to do the recall.” Marilyn Nicks justification letter gave the following rea- sons for not resigning, “I haven’t seen the signatures or their validity. Does eight per- cent of the population consti- tute ‘the community as a whole’. Reasonable people don’t yell, create chaos, disrupt public meetings, and slander public officials. I have seen in- appropriate city administrator behavior such as refusing Council directives, withholding documents and vital informa- tion from Council, deliberate deception, and putting the city at risk. In good conscience I couldn’t just hire the Interim City Administrator, in spite of uninformed public opinion “The Interim wouldn’t com- mit to the position when asked, therefore I voted for the League of Oregon Cities process. I made many efforts to improve communication. The Interim City Administrator canceled my appointments and withdrew from mediation I initiated with a neutral source. “I support the Senior Center, Food Bank, Health Clinic, school project, economic de- velopment and livability. “I don’t support out of control spending, unsustainable proj- ects and backroom deals. “I deplore the hype and hys- teria that’s brought division and made city business difficult. “At great personal cost and no personal profit, I made deci- sions that were intended to pro- mote the best interests of Ver- nonia as well as protecting its citizens and the integrity of their government. “Vote NO!” 1. a. What council direc- tive did Haack refuse? b. what documents were with- held? c. What vital informa- tion? Nicks – a. Haack refused when we asked for an execu- tive session to be brought up to speed on an employee issue. b. The Brown/Caldwell summa- ry on the waste water treatment project. c. A couple of things; waste water project and em- ployee issue stuff. (Editor’s Note: Though Haack declined to hold an executive session in January, he did offer to meet in- dividually with new councilors to bring them up to speed on employee issues.) 2. What is the public unin- formed about, regarding the city administrator hiring? Nicks – The amount of effort I made to improve communica- tions with Haack. I made ap- pointments with him but it took him three months to sit down with me. 3. What does “Interim wouldn’t commit to position when asked” mean? Nicks – I specifically asked Haack if he was interested in the city administrator job and he would not commit. This was before the League of Oregon Cities was brought in. 4. How many appoint- ments with you did Haack cancel and why? Nicks – It was several, but I only have documentation of one because not all my re- quests were done via email. 5. a. Had you entered into a mediation agreement and was a meeting scheduled? b. Had Haack agreed to medi- ate? c. If so, when did he withdraw? Nicks – a. and c. At council meeting, Haack was going to contact several mediators and set it up and Bill and I and a cit- izen were to determine the scope of the mediation. Haack emailed me that Jim Johnson would contact me directly then he withdrew. b. By inference in the above, he agreed to medi- ate. (Editor’s Note: Jim John- son said he interviewed Haack, City Recorder Joann Glass and all five council members on communications, and prepared a memo sent to council in May on steps to resolve those is- sues. This was in place of me- diation.) 6. What out-of-control spending do you mean when you say you don’t support it? Nicks – $10 million for a waste water treatment mem- brane system and increased project manager costs and the level of spending from the sew- er fund is not sustainable over the next two years. (Editor’s Note: These are not decisions made by Haack, but rather changes that would need to be approved by the council) 7. What back room deals? Nicks – I want to be sure to keep what’s happening with city business in the open and with collaboration of citizens. Bernal’s response to Nicks justification, “I’ve talked about the citizens not being informed right up to July 12 when the justifications were turned in and there is still no explanation, just open-ended statements. There is a false statement here when Nicks said Haack with- drew from mediation – I went See Recall on page 20