Month: June 2019

06/22/2019 A Voice From the Gallery

ENTER South Dakota’s version of Boss Tweed (Mayor Tom Glas) and of course let us not forget Tammany FO Jurrens!

CAN WE TALK? 

We have it all Collusion, Payroll scam artistes, and an epic eruption of corruption in Alcester City Hall!  Where taxpayers pay  Tammany FO Pat Jurrens $38.00 per hour OVERTIME to pull weeds on Tuesday mornings, then lock the city office doors at 12:00 noon until 5:00 pm Tuesdays so she can catch up on her BOOKKEEPING duties or what-ever-it-is she does holed up in her office?  Where Tammany FO Pat compiles a secret diary dating back to 2014 of her Comp Time HOURS (11/2) against city policy and ILLEGAL.  HOURS detailing where Tammany FO Pat painted-by-numbered city hall walls ’cause she didn’t like the color? WHO GAVE HER PERMISSION for that Over Time? Mayor Glas. There are NO RECORDS of this according to Alcester City Attorney Sam Nelson.

IF THERE ARE NO RECORDS, PERMISSION WAS NOT GIVEN!

Let’s review.  Just in the most recent meeting:

Just getting the meeting right–Tammany FO Jurrens ya got it wrong, Again! you FAILED to post the agenda according to statute for OPEN MEETING requirements on Tuesday, June 18, what were you doing behind your locked door, it sure wasn’t getting ready for YOUR special meeting on the 19th.  I was there, where were you,  at the ‘sistren’?  

Once Boss Glas got the delayed meeting open,  Mayor Magoo called for a motion to go into Executive Session for the purpose of SDCL 1-25-2-1.

WRONG!!! 

You’d think a guy with a name like Glas would be transparent in all things, EVIDENTLY not Mayor Magoo!  Now as you can read below SDCL 1-25-2-1 is NOT LEGAL purposed : 

1-25-2. Executive or closed meetings–Purposes–Authorization–Violation as misdemeanor. Executive or closed meetings may be held for the sole purposes of:
(1) Discussing the qualifications, competence, performance, character or fitness of any public officer or employee or prospective public officer or employee. The term “employee” does not include any independent contractor;

The correct citation should have been 1-25-3 or 1-25-4.  Legal was the whole purpose of the meeting, right?  

When you tried to violate my request for FOIA of Absentee Ballot Application records you cited SDCL 12-20-31

12-20-31.   Destruction of ballots and pollbooks–Period for which held–Pending recount or contest. The officer in charge of an election may destroy voted ballots and pollbooks from a nonfederal election sixty days following the election at which such ballots were voted. .

Tammany FO ya got it wrong AGAIN!  You stated Alcester City Attorney Sam had spoken to the SD Secretary of State office which gave you the right to refuse my FOIA.  I had already spoken to the SD Secretary of State office who assured me I could access those records but since I had not spoken to ACA Sam’s alleged source I contacted the same source, this is what she emailed me.

If our office was the keeper of absentee ballot applications and we received a request for copies or viewing, we would provide the absentee ballot applications.  SDCL 12-19-2 specifically states what records are not open to inspection, which implies that all other records under the chapter would be open to public inspection.  Also, the information provided on an absentee ballot application is the same type of information provided on a voter registration application which is also open to inspection per SDCL 12-4-9.  There is no applicable exemption to prevent this record (an absentee ballot application) from being considered a public record under SDCL chapter 1-27, so SDCL 1-27-1 would apply and the record should be available for inspection by the public during your normal business hours.

Sadly the council  relies solely upon Tammany FO’s self professed ‘expertise’.  Are we keepin’ score yet?  You fail miserably to provide council members with OBJECTIVE AND FACTUAL information they need to make intelligent, fair decisions YET THEY ALLOW YOU TO GET AWAY WITH KEEPING THEM IN THE DARK and not terminating your butt!

Thursday June 20, 2019, MAYOR MAGOO called for a motion to allow him to sign a settlement document.  Listen/watch the video, the so-called motion FAILED to state the dollar amount of tax dollars and the so-called motion FAILED to state to whom the settlement was to be made.  The motion FAILED two key components of a motion.  What are you trying to hide Mayor Magoo and Tammany FO Pat?  All this so-called motion did was to ALLOW Mayor Magoo to sign A settlement document.  For all WE THE PEOPLE know,  Mayor Magoo is signing a document to pay Tammany FO Pat to adjust the Time Clock Free records to keep from being sued for double, yea triple damages for willful scamming an employee out of many thousands of dollars.

https://theconversation.com/cheating-workers-out-of-wages-is-easier-than-ever-96758

Mayor Glas and his faithless cohorts have on several occasions reneged on valid votes of employment. Bait and Switch! Most recently it was our home town lawyer who gave the city of Alcester a break on his fee and was ‘shat upon’ by Mayor Glas and Tammany FO Jurrens.  The council voted to accept Mr. Haugland’s retainer agreement with a $5 bump each year (starting at $110 per hour), Agenda item #8, in the regular January 8, 2018.  There was NO DISCUSSION before the vote! The ink on the motion was not even dry when Mayor Magoo Glas and Tammany FO decided they wanted to change terms and conditions they skipped hand-in-hand to Mr. Haugland’s office telling him THEY CHANGED THEIR MINDS (the two of them?), they wanted a Beresford lawyer and one who wouldn’t talk to Vickie Larsen.  In the February 5, 2019, meeting Agenda Item #6, a blind-sided council made a motion to terminate the 2018 ($110 per hour) Retainer Agreement with Chuck Haugland, no discussion, vote four (4) ayes and (2) nays Councilwoman Darla Reppe and Councilwoman Melissa Kay abstained.  Agenda item #7  Councilman Dan Haeder made the motion to Retain Beresford Attorney Tom Frieberg at $150/hour and Sam Nelson at $125/hour of Frieberg, Nelson and Ask, LLP of Beresford, SD.  No discussion, vote was taken with four (4) ayes and two nays Councilwoman Darla Reppe and Councilwoman Melissa Kay abstaining.

SHAME ON MAYOR TOM GLAS, FO PAT JURRENS AND THE COUNCIL!

Prior to this Glas and FO CHEAT in 2018, the council extended an offer of employment to Chris Doty as acting Police Chief at a salary of 43,500.00 (40 hour week) and in six months to be named Police Chief with a raise of $45000.00 on February 16, 2016, via letter from FO Pat with a projected start date of April 1st, 2016.  This was truly April Fools on Mr. Doty.  In a Special Meeting City Council Meeting February 15, 2016, a motion was made by Councilman David Larsen, seconded by Councilman Mark Dykstra (take note here that Mark Dykstra seconded the Motion, no discussion and an unanimous aye vote.  Care to guess what happened next?  Yup you got it.  After the April 1, 2016, start, two JACK-BOOTED THUGS-Mayor Glas and Councilman Dykstra went goose-stepping down the street to let Police Chief Doty know he was NOW expected to work 45 hours a week but would only be paid for 40 hours.  FO Pat would keep those records on a legal pad in her desk drawer——Oh wait, NO FO Pat didn’t keep any OT or Comp Time diaries for Chief Doty, FO Pat only kept “LOCKED DRAWER RECORDS” on employees ‘genuinely’ deserving of OT or Comp-Time and of course herself and Wanda.  Chris Doty was deliberately singled out!

Folks do you know what happens when a deliberate tort (an injury physical or financial) happens?  The injured employee can ask for double or triple damages and more often than not win.  Mr. Doty’s salary shortage was about $29K plus or minus.  Now Mr. Doty was deliberately harmed by the Jack Booted Bullies Mayor Glas and Councilman Dykstra and continued to be harmed by Tammany FO Jurresn and a silent council!  Do the math!  Double = $58000.00  Triple = $87000.00  NO WONDER Mayor Magoo and Tammany FO Pat wanted to hide the settlement figure!  Now folks they didn’t offer Mr. Doty $58K nor did they offer Mr. Doty $87K settlement, care to guess what these cheats did offer?  First offer was 41.66% of FO Pat’s settlement!  $2K  Mr. Doty  hometown son was out risking his life while FO Pat was lounging on her bouncy ball chair, flicking through Pinterest, plagiarizing work product of the former city attorney, violating Disney copyrights, and making-up numbers and creative math diaries.

At the end of the June 20,  2018, meeting when I told the council their motion was not valid and would not stand and after Mayor Magoo told me to shut up, Councilman Dan Haeder said, “…it is over…done deal…”  No Mr Councilman, a vote on a vague, meaningless motion is null and void.  Councilwoman Melissa Kay was participating via teleconference, so a couple of councilpersons asked Councilwoman Kay who they knew to be a first year (?) USD Law Student, her opinion.  Which is worse, asking a first year law student for legal advice or the first year law student giving a legal opinion?

WHO COULD BE  IN BIGGER TROUBLE?

Of course there is the Alcester Councilman who stole, trashed and vandalized campaign signs of Mike Bucholz (Mayor Magoo’s opponent).  Yup that little rooster walked right into the grocery store, ripped down Mr. Bucholz campaign poster and unrooted campaign signs.  Union County Jerry Miller received the complaint on Councilman Lance Johnson, Mr. Miller interviewed, Councilman Johnson, Finance Officer Pat Jurrens for her part in campaigning on the job as Finance Officer.  We are waiting for the charges!  If Councilman Johnson vandalizes election posters and yard signs, what else is he capable of doing?  Illegally grinding curbs?

And the pies-de-resistance, was the announcement by Tammany FO Jurrens that she and her aid-de-cramp Geoffy caused to be sent out ‘demand letters’ from ACA Sam out to at least two of our fellow residents to open their homes to city inspection.  Now Tammany FO Jurrens refrained from using names at THIS particular meeting.  One of the greetings-from-the-city recipients contacted FO Jurrens to let her know they were working on FO Pat’s issue (FO Pat made fun of any efforts those folks would make) the other recipient declined and much more politely than I would have.  While the city MAY have authority over the exterior of the property, Mayor Magoo and Tammany FO Pat HAVE NO AUTHORITY over the interior of our homes.  If Mayor Magoo and Tammany FO Pat get away with this, WHO will be their next target?  You, Me, your family or my family?

Alcester City Councilmembers get off your duffs, rein in Mayor Glas, Finance Officer Pat and Councilman Lance or We the People will exercise OUR power!

 

 

 

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06/20/2019 A Voice From the Gallery

The Alcester City Council met in a special meeting with Mayor Tom Glas, Alcester City Councilwoman Darla Reppe, Alcester City Councilman Dan Haeder, Alcester City Councilwoman Linda Talbott, Alcester City Councilman David Larsen and Alcester City Councilwoman Melissa Kay via telephone.  Oh yeah and Alcester FO Pat Jurrens.  Oh Alcester City Attorney Sam Nelson, I’ll bet you are glad you missed this meeting!

For a short meeting, the meeting was jammed packed with excitement, raised voices, and tempers raising faster than tornadic winds in the summertime.

After Mayor Tom half glas’d the meeting to order, followed up with the Pledge of Allegiance and flowed into the agenda approval.  It is to be noted here that Alcester FO Jurrens dropped the FO-ball of posting the agenda.  So the planned meeting for June 19th, 2019, had to be re-scheduled for June 20, 2019, ’cause bookkeeper FO Pat cannot determine 24 hours prior to the meeting.  H-m-m-m her grasp of the execution of her job is tenuous on a fair day.  One has to wonder what in Hades was she doin’ on Tuesday afternoon when the city office is ‘closed’ so the girls can catch up on their work…that she couldn’t get the agenda posted on time or was it perhaps deliberate so people wouldn’t find out how shabbily Mayor Glas and FO Pat treated our home-town son Chris.

Once the agenda was approved, Mayor Glas shaped-shifted his way into Executive Session for discussion based upon personnel 1-25-2-1:

 

1-25-2.   Executive or closed meetings–Purposes–Authorization–Violation as misdemeanor. Executive or closed meetings may be held for the sole purposes of:
             (1)      Discussing the qualifications, competence, performance, character or fitness of any public officer or employee or prospective public officer or employee. The term “employee” does not include any independent contractor;

 

The council went into Executive Session at 6:03 pm. and came out at 6:08 pm and BOY HOWDY that was record time!

Straight out of Executive Session Mayor Glas called for the motion to allow him to sign a settlement agreement and release.  As you can hear on the video, the motion was cobbled, vague and improper.  The motion involved payment of a settlement with TAXPAYER DOLLARS.  The motion DID NOT STATE THE AMOUNT OF PAYMENT AND DID NOT STATE TO WHOM THE PAYMENT WAS TO BE MADE.  Shoot for all we know Mayor Glas could be paying Pat yet another $4800.00 for services.

Unlike the $4800 payment to FO Pat for comp time to which she was not entitled by Alcester Personnel Manual or FLSA and was not approved.  Since when do we pay administration $38.00 OT or Comp time to paint floors or pull weeds in the Auditorium yard?  Do we not have minimum wage employees for that?

WHY is Mayor Glas trying so hard to hide a chicken feed settlement $2K or $3K to our police officer and pay Pat $4800 for imaginary time spent working her ‘widdle’ fingers to the bone painting, plucking and gold-bricking?  Oh and by the way FO Pat was the one who gave Randy Roo permission to vandalize, demolish the curb and gutter at 518 Anderson Street.  FO Pat did not have the authority, no wonder she wouldn’t answer my FOIA asking for the variance approval!  Man, she is really over-reaching her bookkeeping duties.

The council voted four (4) ayes to one (1) nay to settlement.  Ayes; Melissa Kay, Linda Talbott, Dan Haeder, and Darla Reppe. Nay; David Larsen

After the speed-0-light adjournment, Mayor Glas ordered me to shut down my camera, I told him NO and you can all watch what happened next.  Let him know what you think-Mayor Glas can be reached at

934-2188

Head’s up Alcester City Attorney Sam, the Fat Lady is warming up her vocal chords!  I can assure you it is not over yet!

06/11/2019 A Voice From the Gallery

Mayor Glas proclaims we have air in our water, no problem!  Really?  Mayor Glas with the ‘profess-tional, cee-ment mind with the minor IQ” where is that thar air (if it is air) coming from?  Did you have it tested? Where is the air coming from, could it be a broken line that is sucking air or methane from the soil and into the water?  Oh by the way Mayor you don’t like me getting involved or helping a fellow resident, Do your darned job!  Investigate the issue, not your own bellybutton!

Folks Mayor Glas, FO Pat and the council handed over $4800 in my opinion in an illegal, violation of the existing, in-force Alcester Personnel Manual.

Policy #3:  Employee Classifications Appointive Official:  An individual who holds a position in the municipality as specified by SDCL 9-14-1 (repealed)

Policy#5 Hours of Work

5-3.1 City Finance Office  Monday through Friday, the finance offices will be open from9:00 to 12:00pm  The finance office will re-open at 1:00 pm and remain open until 5:00 pm.  The finance officer will start the work day at 8:00am and will open the city office for public business at 9:00am.

5.5 Flex time -The governing body (council) reserves the right to authorize flexible work hours within the 40 hour work week in situations where it is appropriate or necessary.  Employees must still adhere to the standard 40 hours work week unless flex time or overtime has been approved by the mayor. The mayor authorized flex time is subject to review and final authorization will be from the city council at the next city council meeting.

5.6  Overtime Eligibility – Employees may be required to work overtime when determined necessary by their supervisor or the governing board.  Overtime is defined as time that is worked in excess of the first 40 hours within the standard work week and does not include hours paid but not worked such as holidays, vacation pay days or sick days.  The mayor shall have the option of selecting compensatory time off or overtime pay and the finance officer shall be advised of the decision prior to the performs of any such work.

All overtime must be authorized by the mayor prior to the working of such hours except in emergency situations.  Overtime is to be authorized only if the work cannot be otherwise done during normal work hours.  Insofar as possible, the opportunity to work overtime shall be distributed as equally as practicable by the municipality among the employees in each department.  Accrual of overtime without prior authorization may result in disciplinary procedures.

Overtime compensation for all overtime eligible employees shall be at the rate of one and one-half of the employees regular hourly rate.  As stated above, time paid for but not worked(holidays, etc) does not count toward hours worked for the purpose of calculating overtime hours.

5.7 Comp time – Authorized comp-time shall be administer within the same guidelines and be accrued at time and one half.  Comp-time must be used within 30 days from the time in which it was accrued.

The maximum amount of comp-time that may be accrued is 16 hours.

5.8 Exemptions to Overtime – The following employees are exempt from the overtime standards as mentioned in the above sections:

1) Appointive officers (if determined to be FLSA Exempt)

2) Police and fire personnel (if less than 5 within the dept)

3) Swimming pool personnel (if operated less than7 months)

5.10  Time Sheets or cards – Each employees time sheet is a record of their regular hours worked, overtime worked and vacation or sick leave used for the purpose of calculating and issuing pay checks.  Every employee must sign their time sheet to verify that all entries are accurate,  Intentional falsification of time sheets may result in disciplinary action.

5.11 Time Clocks – Time clocks are used by the municipality for recording work time for all employees specified by the governing board.  Each employee required to use a time clock must punch in and out promptly and have the finance officer initial changes necessary to correct time records.

It is absolutely forbidden to punch another employees time card.  Such action may result in disciplinary action.

Policy# 6 Compensation

6.3 Time Sheets Each employee is responsible to ensure that his/her time sheets are correct ad submitted on time.  Signed vacation and sick leave slips must accompany all time sheets (see appendix one).  Any misrepresentation of time worked or falsification of any time sheet may result in disciplinary action.

Policy# 7 Leave of Absence

Policy #8 Separation from Municipal Service

8.4 Exit Interviews It is a policy of the municipality  of Alcester, for the appropriate authority to conduct an exit interview prior to an employee’s separation from municipal employment.  The exit interview is conducted for several purposes, including 1) to resolve all outstanding matters between the municipality and the employee, 2) to advise the employee of the affect their separation will have upon all benefits and what benefits they have coming upon separation, 3) to aid the municipality in gathering information to help improve the municipality’s working environment and other employment relationships.

8.5 Misconduct Defined The following is a partial listing of employee misconduct that may result in disciplinary action up to and including immediate discharge.  This list is not intended to completely list all employee misconduct that may result in the above, but rather is provided as a guideline by which employees can judge actions that will not be tolerated by the municipality:

  1. Incompetent, inefficient, unreliable, unwilling or incapable of fulfilling his/her job duties as assigned.
  2. Inadequate performance of duties.
  3. Neglect of duty.
  4. Conviction of a felony or misdemeanor offense which might adversely reflect on or create doubt about the moral character, credibility or reliability of the employee.
  5. Theft or misappropriation of municipal property.
  6. Insubordination.
  7. Failure to observe drug and alcohol policies of the municipality.
  8. Failure to observe harassment policies of the municipality.
  9. Knowing or willful violation of municipal ordinance.
  10. Unauthorized absences.
  11. Habitual tardiness.
  12. Abuse of sick leave.
  13. Sleeping/loafing during work hours.
  14. Disclosure of confidential information.
  15. Offensive or inconsiderate conduct, or use of abusive language in public, or toward the public, municipal officials or fellow employees while on duty.
  16. Personal acceptance or appropriation of any fee, gift, tip or other gratuity or remuneration received solely for the performance of official duties in connection with municipal employment.
  17. Knowing, intentional, or repeated falsification of any application for employment or any municipal record, report or time sheet.
  18. Willful alteration, destruction or waste of municipal property, facilities, equipment or  records.
  19. Serious or repeated disorderly conduct or horseplay.
  20. Threatening, intimidating, coercing or interfering with supervisors or other employees.
  21. Deliberate attempts to injure another employee or fighting on municipal property while on the job.
  22. Unauthorized possession of fire arms, explosives or any dangerous weapons while performing municipal work.
  23. Recklessness resulting in a serious accident while on duty, whether on or off municipal property.

Policy #9 Disciplinary Action and Grievance Procedure

Policy #10 Drug and Alcohol Abuse Policy

Policy #11 Americans with Disabilities Act

 

Policy #12 Appointive Officials

12.1  Definition An Appointive Official is an individual who holds a position in a municipality in SDCL 9-14-1 (see  policy 12.2)

12.2 Appointive Officials to be Appointed

12.2.1  Second and Third Class Municipalities – The appointive officers in second and third class municipalities are the finance officer (auditor, treasurer) and other such officers as provided by municipal ordinance.

12.4  Applicable policies to municipal officials

The following sections of this manual shall apply to municipal officials:

  • Policy #1 all sub-sections,
  • Policy #2 all sub-sections,
  • Policy#3 all sub-sections,
  • Policy #4 not applicable,
  • Policy #5 Applicable if such officials are covered by FLSA,
  • Policy #6 all sub-sections,
  • Policy #7 all sub-sections,
  • Policy#8 not applicable,
  • Policy #9 not applicable,
  • Policy #10 all sub-sections,
  • Policy #11 all sub-sections.

Folks this is the policy manual which is in effect now, and was in effect at the start of FO Pats Comp Time Grab in 2014.

Ask the question at what rate of illegal compensation was FO Pat offered?  The time and one half rate at the time of her falsification of time in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018?  Or was it at the 2019 raise rate?  From 2014 who authorized FO Pat’s raises, Finance Officer Pat Jurrens, Mayor Glas or the council who authorized the budget without asking questions?

insert

If you are in doubt, check out 2019-01 Ordinance change Read it Well.  Policy 8.5 misconduct.  Still in favor of the settlement of $4800 pay out? 

Gee I wonder who placed this jewel in front of the council? 

 

06/08/2019 A Voice From the Gallery

Yup, give the Finance Officer Jurrens time and a half ($4800 unsubstantiated need and hours) for pickin’ weeds, painting walls, scopin’ out the thrift stores for atrium furnishing, and etc.

We have folks who have cloudy water in the down town area.  This isn’t the first complaint!  The first complaint was dealt with eyes rolled up and a suggestion about mental health.  Really?

Now I was called, I went to the site of cloudy water complaint-the same site ol’ Mayor Tom witnessed and admitted to the cloudy water and told the homeowner to go to the store for water.  I SAW the water coming out of the cold water tap (it was milky white), I took a sample of that water and I talked to neighbors.  It was my understanding Mayor Tom couldn’t care less or be bothered to check in to the situation.

I did some research.  https://plumbingtoday.biz/blog/why-is-my-faucet-water-cloudy Below is what I found:

I called Mayor Glas at about 3:30 p.m. asked him about telling the homeowner to go to the store.  I asked the Mayor if he was going to have the water tested?  He said after some hemming and hawing, Monday.  I asked Mayor Glas if the city was going to pay for the water.  Oh folks that didn’t go over so well.  In fact Mayor Glas hung up on me.  SO JUST EXACTLY WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE FOR WATER CONTAMINANTS?  WHO DO WE CALL?  h-m-m-m Mayor Glas?  Do we have pipe breakage, do we have raw sewage seeping into our water lines on the west side of town or do we have both?

Folks if you have cloudy water let the Mayor Glas know, call 605-934-2188 it is his JOB! Send an email to alcestercityfo.com  Tell him if he can’t get the water tested until Monday, open up city hall and dispense water to the taxpayers who are already paying for water, DRINKABLE WATER!

 

06/03/2019 A Voice From the Gallery

At 6:00 p.m. Mayor Tom Glas called the regular Alcester City Council meeting to order with Councilman David Larsen, Councilman Dan Haeder, Councilwoman Darla Reppe, Councilwoman Linda Talbott, Councilwoman Melissa Kay, Councilman Lance Johnson and Alcester City Attorney Sam Nelson present.  The group began business with approval of the night’s meeting agenda and the approval of the May meetings.

Agenda Item #5 Marc Macy was called upon to make his presentation for the National Flood Insurance Program.

Agenda Item #6 was called for the first reading of Alcester City Ordinance 2019-02 dealing with conditional uses which would allow placing just a garage on a lot for storage (?).  This was a garage ordinance originally called 2019-01, after my argument there was already a 2019-01 ordinance which I call ‘protect Pat’s Job attempt’, an argument from Pat I was wrong on the numbering and AFTER I proved I was correct,  the amending ordinance was changed to 2019-02.  Ya know all FO Pat had to do was to pull her file on ordinances (which she is required to keep) she could have prevented the confusion of two (2) 2019-01 ordinances, the delay of first reading and of course knowingly calling me wrong.

Agenda Item #7-a presentation made by Amanda Ericson and Carmen Kast for the Fireman Water Fight scheduled for June 15, 2019, during the hours of 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and to ask permission to close off Second Street from Iowa to Dakota.  Permission was granted.

Agenda Item #8– I commented on three items, which were included in my hand-outs to the council.

First was the Ordinance numbering which was dealt with the Agenda item  6.

Second was the failure of the Mayor and FO Pat Jurrens to provide FOIA for access to completed public records absentee ballot application and listing poll book.  FO Pat argued I was wrong and could not access these documents.  I had already provided information from the Secretary of State to back up my claim.  I was refused access and was given a listing of the absentee ballot names and was informed that Alcester City Attorney Sam Nelson had spoken with the South Dakota Secretary of State representative Christine Lehrkamp.

Since I had spoken to a different person in the SD Secretary of State office, I contacted Ms. Lehrkamp, explained the situation and she agreed I should have     access.  I made plans to bring this to the council’s attention during input.  On Monday, June 3, 2019, I contacted Ms. Lehrkamp asking for a written statement I could present to bolster my argument and she provided me with the statement.  Upon my introduction of the FOIA issue, FO Pat objected, I argued the statement in my handout and Alcester City Attorney Sam Nelson stated he read the Ms. Lehrkamp’s statement, I was correct and I was to be given access to the FOIA information.

Third was the issue of no visible pool rules. I spoke of the absence of the large pool rules sign, the fact children were going down the slide head-first and a garden hose strung across the pool deck and wound around the slide ladder which creates a clear danger to pool users.  After speaking with city representatives of Beresford and Canton     I was told there should be a life-guard stationed at the ladder of the slide and a life-guard in the pool at the foot of the slide.

One again FO Pat waded in with an argument noting the size of the slide, to which I responded we got the slide from Beresford who had the two life-guard slide rule.

I went to the pool this morning, saw the copy paper sized, laminated farce of a sign attached to the slide and not a large visible sign that parents, children and life-guards can clearly see without walking to within two feet of the slide.

Agenda Item #10– The council spoke to the Mayor’s and FO Pat’s decision to sic a South Dakota Circuit Judge on non-conforming residents.  Oh and yeah,  Mayor Glas asked for what I will call a not-so-secretary security de-tale of one volunteer to walk around town with him to inspect properties.  Councilman Lance Johnson leaped at the change.  Amazing, this is the guy who lives across from 518 Anderson where the curb and gutter vandalism took place and has not been resolved.

Agenda Item#11 Alcester Ambulance came to request the city forgive the water charges for the ambulance building.  The Council voted to not charge the ambulance for water usage.

Item Agenda #16– Finance Office  A couple of notable departures from code and duties.

First was Mayor Glas major faux pas.  This ‘sage of cee-ment and construction” was advised the roof on one of the park shelters needed repair.  Well ol’ sage tom went to Schoeneman to price steel.  Oh not the sine-wave of course.  Well he got pricing on a single sheet unit of steel but not the screws, nails, wood and etc. to cover the roof A-N-D then he did the math times six (6) to cover the whole roof?  Are ya kidding?  Who does that? MAYOR TOM GLAS, that is who!  But it gets better, he is given a verbal opinion of cost, Mayor Glas FAILED to GET-IT-IN-WRITING!  Who does that?  Mayor Tom Glas, that is who!

Next is the Executive Session for personnel, now everyone aside from the council, Alcester City Attorney Sam Nelson and FO Pat Jurrens were ushered out.  So there we were Gordon Richards and myself standing in the atrium of the Auditorium with Wanda Halverson guarding the council door against Vandals, Huns and who know what interlopers.  Folks the council is abusing Executive session.

Now I figured the council was dealing with the recent demand for payment from a former employee, but the reason to go into executive session was personnel which was inappropriate for a lawsuit question.  Occasionally we would hear a word or two erupt into the silence in the atrium, such as “I make a motion!”  Really! Making a motion in executive session, A BIG NO-NO!  Yes folks that did get my attention!  What was it about, wait for it, wait for it.

The Council was declared out of Executive Session at 9:00* and slam, bam, you’re gonna get the dough FO Pat.  Immediately a motion was made to PAY FO PAT JURRENS $4800.00 settlement for her “illegal comp time”  Alcester Voters $4800.00 for comp time (time and a half) for exempt administrative hours, HOURS THAT WERE NOT APPROVED AS TO NECESSITY, ADVANCE WRITTEN APPROVAL, HOURS NOT PROPERLY ACCOUNTED FOR,  AND ETC.

The city offices are closed on Tuesday noon to five with the door closed and the telephone not answered ’cause the ‘girls’ cannot get their work done!  Yeah well yesterday was a Tuesday, what part of weed pulling, flower bed tending is in FO PATS job description?  Who pays $25.00/hour for a finance officer to pull weeds and make pretty-pretty?  What idiot pays FO Pat time-and-a-half for pulling weeds, painting walls, shopping -for-atrium-decor?  Judging from the payroll checks signed by Mayor Tom Glas he is the idiot!  Mayor Glas whose ‘Oversight’ is the “I forgot and made a mistake Oversight” NOT the “I am watching you Oversight” WHO in Hades is “OVERSEEING” Mayor Glas and the Finance Office.

I would recommend that decision be referred and not be paid out.  So I would advise FO Pat not to spend that $4800!  With that gem of governance, the council adjourned at 9:01 p.m.

*Mayor Glas in his rush to get FO Pat her unapproved comp time/over-time, barely allowed those of us waiting in the no-open-meeting-for-us atrium-land to be seated in the council room, much less get the camera rolling to record his shining hour.