On July 19, 2017, I made an official (Item A) request to Mayor Tom Glas to be placed on the August 7, 2017, agenda for the purpose of discussing practices, polices and personnel above and beyond public input. It was appropriate to direct this request to Mayor Glas because it is his responsibility to create an agenda for all meetings of the city council, it is not the decision of a finance officer whose scope of municipal bookkeeping/finance compliance duty only allows for her typing the agenda NOT setting the agenda. I waited for a response.
Finally on Tuesday, August 1, 2017, I received an email from the Alcester City FO (Item B). I responded to the email and sent via USPS a letter of explanation to Mayor Glas, members of the city council and the Alcester Municipal Attorney. (Item C)
On Wednesday, August 1, 2017, 8:29 a.m. I received another email from Alcester FO Jurrens setting a date and time of August 3, 2017, at 4:00 p.m. to meet with the purpose of discussing my request for agenda placement. (Item D)
Noting the ‘we’, I responded at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, August 3, 2017, I wanted to meet with just Mayor Glas alone and if Mayor Glas was not comfortable with meeting me alone, I would concede to meet him with a council person present. I received NO response to this clarification of meeting terms. (Item E)
I presented myself at 4:00 p.m. at the city offices ready and willing to meet with Mayor Glas to discuss my appearance on the meeting agenda. Upon my entry into the building, Mayor Glas scurried out of the finance office with a fist full of papers with Alcester FO Jurrens tailgating him every step of the way. As Mayor Glas approached me, he announced Alcester FO Jurrens would be attending the meeting because he did not feel safe meeting me alone and shuffling through the papers he clutched in his hand he pointed to a document, proceeding to parrot “a” version of the duties of a finance officer. I want to note here, I researched those “duties” two years ago and was well aware of privileges Mayor Glas could and could not endow his finance officer. I told Mayor Glas we were done. I explained my meeting may have the possibility of discussing sensitive issues, it was inappropriate to have the city bookkeeper present and I would not meet with the city bookkeeper present. As usual, finance officer Jurrens interrupted the conversation between Mayor Glas and myself to offer her opinion which was not relevant and well beyond her scope of job description. At that point Mayor Glas refused me the meeting scheduled because, “…Pat has the right to know if your issue relates to her…to face her accuser…” to which I replied the finance officer did not have the right to know if my issue related to her. Mayor Glas refused to meet with me, he refused me agenda time so I left the building with Alcester FO Jurrens calling after me, “…it was all my choice to refuse the meeting…” to which I responded that it was not my choice. On August 3, 2017, at 5:35 p.m. finance officer Jurrens sent an email continuation of her aggressive, irrelevant opinion. I wonder did she get over-time pay for that gem of an email?
Mayor Glas had no intention of meeting with me without finance officer Jurrens. As they say in union-speak, Mayor Glas showed no “good faith”. He had no intention of meeting with me on August 3, 2017, which became evident when Mayor Glas showed me the crib notes on the duties of a finance officer from finance officer Pat. Move over Shari Lewis and Lamb chop!
Item A
Vickie A. Larsen
Alcester, SD 57001
July 19, 2017
Alcester City
P.O. Box 318
Alcester, SD 57001
re: Agenda placement
Dear Mayor Glas:
I request agenda line item placement on the August 7th, 2017, regular meeting of the Alcester City Council for the purpose of discussing practices, policies and personnel above and beyond public input.
I am,
sincerely yours,
Vickie A. Larsen
Item B
Alcester Finance Officer <alcestercityfo@alliancecom.net> .
To
Vickie A Larsen
Today at 2:36 PM , August 1, 2017
Vickie,
Mayor Tom asked me to respond to your letter dated July 19th regarding agenda line placement.
In this letter – you stated your wish for agenda line placement to discuss practices, policies and personnel. Regarding your request for line agenda placement for Policy & Practices – you may speak on these issues during public input for an allotted time of five minutes.
Regarding your request to discuss personnel during open session – this has been denied. If you wish to discuss personnel – you may send a letter to the Alderman & Mayor detailing your concerns about personnel issues and if the Council deems necessary – these issues will be addressed in Executive Session. Another option available to you – Alderman Dave Larsen would be willing to meet with you individually where you may discuss your concerns on the subject of personnel.
Thank you.
Patricia Jurrens City of Alcester PO Box 318 Alcester SD 57001 City Hall: 605-934-2851 Email: alcestercityfo@alliancecom.net Virus-free. http://www.avast.com
Item C
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Vickie A. Larsen Alcester, SD 57001-0137 August 1, 2017 re: Request for Agenda Placement Dear Alcester Mayor Tom Glas: On July 19, 2017, I requested agenda line item placement on the August 7th, 2017, regular meeting of the Alcester City Council for the purpose of discussing practices, policies and personnel above and beyond public input. Today, August 1, 2017, at 2:36 P.M. I received an email from the finance officer stating she was acting upon your request. In this email Alcester City Finance Officer Jurrens allowed I could speak during public input for an allotted time of five minutes on the subjects policy and practices. In addition Alcester City Finance Officer Jurrens stated my request to discuss personnel issues, I should send a letter to the, “Alderman and Mayor detailing your concerns about personnel issues…these issues will be addressed in Executive Session…” Sir, I did not mention any specific employee nor was I asked about any specific employee in my letter of request. Since I have no idea which specific “Alderman” Finance Officer Jurrens had in mind when she suggested I send a letter the “Alderman” or that I should contact Alcester City Councilman David Larsen was willing to meet with me but who is the representative for Ward II not Ward III. The suggestions put forth by Alcester City Finance Officer Jurrens in her email are unacceptable. Perhaps Mr. Mayor, you and I should sit down and discuss my request prior to the publication of the agenda for the August 7th, 2017, regular meeting of the Alcester City Council. In fact Mr. Mayor, I would like to meet with you and discuss my request for agenda time at the August 7th, 2017, regular meeting of the Alcester City Council. It would be a good opportunity to be certain I am indeed speaking with the Mayor. I am, sincerely yours Vickie A. Larsen |
Item D
Item D2 To Alcester Finance Office
Subsequent email exchange
To:
Alcester Finance Officer
Aug 3 at 4:53 PM
It is unfortunate Mayor Glas has failed to meet with me. I requested time on the agenda in a form much like a motion for going into executive session and confused him. He has his Pat send a email that, “we will meet with you on Thursday, August 3, 2017, at 4:00 p.m. at the city offices. I replied that I would happily meet with JUST Mayor Glas alone because there was a possibility of introducing sensitive nature and IF he was uncomfortable meeting with me alone I would concede to meet him and an Alcester City Councilman. I arrived at the appointed time and was met with Mayor Glas with the Alcester City Finance Officer (bookkeeper), I told him Finance Officer Jurrens was not an elected city official and therefore I would not meet with her present because some information could be sensitive. Mayor Glas responded she had a right to know if my issue related to her to which I replied, “NO she did not” so he refused me the meeting and he refused me agenda time.
Vickie A. Larsen
Aug 3 at 5:35 PM
Vickie,
Mayor Tom was here to meet with you. Mayor Tom tried to meet with you. Several options were given to accommodate you.
You were the one who got angry and stated you would not meet with Mayor Tom and myself. You were the one who left the building without conducting the meeting.
It is unfortunate that you felt the need to leave without expressing your concerns. Do not say that Mayor Tom refused you the meeting. Those were all your decisions.
Pat
Patricia Jurrens
City of Alcester
PO Box 318
Alcester SD 57001
City Hall: 605-934-2851
Email: alcestercityfo@alliancecom.net
To
Aug 3 at 6:28 PM
No Finance Officer Jurrens, Mayor GLAS did not try to meet with me. He had no intention of meeting with me because he insisted you, a non-elected city employee take part to as he stated “to protect him and take notes”. He knew in advance there was a possibility of discussion sensitive issues yet he included you, the city bookkeeper who is NOT a duly elected Alcester City Councilperson. You gave that up, remember when you took Mike Kezar’s job? Alcester does NOT have a city administrator, either. You both assumed I wished to speak to him about you, at that time. That became evident when Mayor GLAS made the statement that you (Pat) had a right be present (I have to guess a sort-of-face your accuser I imagine). Keep in mind that facing one’s accuser is only relevant in court, not the investigation otherwise there could be witness intimidation.
Mrs. Jurrens your opinions are not pertinent to this matter, as I told you when you repeatedly tried to inject your opinions into the town-hall-conversation I trying to conduct with Mayor Glas regarding my inclusion on the Alcester City Agenda. I left be the building because the Mayor insisted you be present, a presence I believed to be an over-stepping extraneous intrusion into my meeting with Mayor Glas, Mayor Glas failed to meet the modest criteria I had previously set for discussing my request to be placed on the August 7, 2017, regular meeting of the Alcester City Council Agenda, Mayor Glas totally wasted my time just so you and he could play juvenile games such as Captain, May I? Angry you bet I was! Not only was that can of milk dropped but was kicked over and the bucket was kicked clean out of the barn. I saw any mitigating solution to Mayor Glas and I successfully meeting was slopping down the barn floor like the milk out of that dropped bucket and flowing all the way out of the barn. I had NO choice but to leave before Mayor Glas ordered, the by now present, Alcester Chief of Police Doty to arrest me.
Vickie A. Larsen
A Voice from the Gallery 