Mayor Glas called the May 1, 2017, regular Alcester City Council meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. The May meeting is usually a transitional event where the old council finishes up old business of approving minutes, approve warrants, adjourn the old council. THE new council meeting is opened with any incoming council members seated by the administration of the oath of office, election of President and Vice-President of the Alcester City Council and THEN the meeting agenda is approved.

After the Pledge Allegiance was recited, the council went about its business by approving the agenda (OOPS!), approving the April 3, 2017, minutes, approving the warrants and then adjourning the old council meeting at 6:00 p.m.

Mayor Glas called the New Alcester City Council meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. Oaths of Office were administered to Dan Haeder (2 year term) and Julia Sundstrom-Lyle (1 year term) by Alcester City Attorney Chuck Haugland.

The council then elected Councilman Dan Haeder as President of the Alcester City Council with Councilman David Larsen as Vice President of the Alcester City Council.

Legal updates on the Ives bankruptcy and the malt beverage license renewals. The group authorized Mayor Glas to execute alcohol purchase agreements with fees set by ordinance.

Outside legal counsel item. According to FO Pat Jurrens, WE (FO Jurrens and Code Enforcement Officer Jeff Fillingsness) felt Tom Frieberg of Beresford was a better candidate to handle the state plumbing code violation of Village West Apartments and because FO Pat Jurrens (Note: Alcester has no city administrator just a city bookkeeper) felt, “…he (Tom Frieberg) and Code Enforcement Officer Jeff Fillingsness work well together…” No Duh! Since Jeff Fillingsness is the code enforcement officer for Beresford, who works with Beresford City Attorney Tom Frieberg with Beresford Code language, violations and citations. After Councilman Dave Larsen asked the question,

“why not Alcester City Attorney Chuck?”,

Alcester City Attorney Chuck answered he was concerned over possible conflict of interest and he had no objection to this one-time outside legal consultation, the council voted to allow this one-time outside legal consult with Tom Frieberg.

Another ‘WE’ request for outside legal consult with Tom Frieberg for a condemnation case on 306 Iowa Street. Here there was no conflict of interest, so why does FO Jurrens want to outsource our legal city business to another town?

PUBLIC INPUT Angela Hansel appeared to ask for some sort of variance/easement on her property at 211 SD 11. One has to wonder why Ms. Hansel was directed to public input rather than a line item on the agenda. It appears there is some sort of concrete encroachment into the city alley and the property owner wants an easement to add more building to the encroachment. The council discussed precedent, survey lines and the Mayor? Well, the mayor just wanted to give advice about the necessity of re-bar when a new slab of concrete is added to an existing slab of concrete. Really? Really? Set-backs, dedicated alleys and utilities right-of-ways are in place for a reason but Mayor Glas is only concerned about the technique of adding one slab of concrete to another. The city should never-ever hand out encroaching easements of a city owned alley. FIND THE SURVEY MARKERS, cure the adverse encroachment without abandoning property! THINK! Don’t make the same mistake as the East Clark street fiasco, that evidently the city did not OWN the property (i.e. fairground road) that the city built up to accommodate FCS Elevator without checking property ownership to the tune of:

• Gravel- $1212.30,
• Dirt Work-$7563.30,
• Rock-$4044.53 and
• Misc,-$1075.19 ===================Total $13,895.32
  • per the October 2015, page 6 of the City of Alcester, Financial Statement and Independent Auditor’s Report For the Two Years Ended December 31, 2015.

In public input I presented the Alcester City Council with the March 3, 2014, vote establishing a municipal website at $1375.00 to build the Alcester municipal website and $450 annual administration fee. Councilwoman Kama Johnson made the motion, Councilman Mike Burke seconded the motion with council members David Larsen, Mark Dykstra, Kama Johnson, Mike Burke, Pat Jurrens (this was while Councilwoman Pat Jurrens was still seated as councilperson) and Steve Johannsen voted yes to establish the Alcester City Municipal Website. I also gave the council a copy of the South Dakota Municipal League Website Development program which offers a discount for website development.

I also presented an FOIA for information on the Incidental Account which allows for discretionary funds for the Mayor and Finance Office which requires two officers signatures (not a council vote) to access the funds. Also included in this FOIA was my request for the current council voted funds limit available to those two positions. Finally I included a Black’s Law Dictionary definition of malfeasance, misfeasance and nonfeasance so the mayor and council understood how those terms could be applied to the failure to set up the website, the continued failure to set up the Alcester City Municipal website and how failure to fulfill their municipal obligations is defined legally.

Councilman Dan Haeder brought up a complaint he received regarding Snap chat, lewd (my term, cause the comment made indicated no clothing was removed) behavior and the local liquor establishment. The situation was handed off the Police chief who remarked, “…she refused to speak to me…” Uh-huh.

FO Jurrens announced a Planning and Zoning Ordinance meeting on May 22, 2017, with Patrick who apparently is a neophyte in handling Planning and Zoning. Wonderful. It appears the Planning and Zoning document is a 95 page wonder. I certainly hope this Ordinance is actually read and ramifications are understood better that the IPMC was. A lot of rules and regulations which are too numerous to enforce without costing the city a fortune and what rules and regulations are enforced uniformly thus causing court time but that seems to be okay ’cause Code Enforcement Officer Fillingsness knows and works really well with Beresford City Attorney Tom Frieberg.

Last item up was executive session for personnel SDCL 1-25-2-1:

SDCL 1-25-2 (1) Discussing the qualifications, competence, performance, character or fitness of any public officer or employee or prospective public officer or employee.

council went into executive session at 7:58 p.m. with Finance Officer Pat Jurrens and Asst. Finance Officer Wanda Halverson in the closed session.

  I would like to note this closed session discussion is limited to ONE officer or employee and their perceived qualification, competence, performance, character or fitness. Not discussions on scheduling, not overtime in a department or how a department head is handling scheduling or what the Finance Office may hear through the window between the Finance office and the police department. As bookkeepers, neither of these two women are qualified to make judgments other than the competence, performance, character, and fitness of the finance office and IF, they are offering testimony on a fellow employee or officer they must be interviewed separately due to confidentiality. If notes are taken, one of the council should be taking notes in the executive session and preferably by the President or Vice-President of the council! ANY conversations dealing with anything other than one employee (at-a-time) or city official is breach and violation of the Open meeting law.

Council was called back in session at 8:21 p.m. and Mayor Glas called for adjournment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PART ONE

The March 2, 2017, regular Alcester City Council meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Mayor Tom Glas, with council members Mark Dykstra, Julia Sundstrom, Audri Carlson, Lance Johnson, Dan Haeder and Alcester city attorney Charles Haugland present with Councilman David Larsen not present.

The meeting agenda was approved with the exclusion of item #8-Kevin Pies Sidewalk/Parking Lot by the council. The minutes of the February 6th, 2017, meeting were approved as published and presumably written.

Public Input was called. Vickie Larsen (me) responded on two issues.

     #1  the Peter and Vickie Larsen letter to Alcester City concerning their water bill and    the failure to mail the January 2017 and the February 2017 water bills to Peter and Vickie   Larsen.

February 10, 2017, letter to the city:

 

 

February 16, 2017, response by city to the Larsens:

Note the argument:

                   “…the city does all it can to make the best use of its resources. One of the ways we save on postage expense is to hand deliver as many monthly bills and checks as possible. It is not our policy to mail our bills with a large credit balance…”

Note: Observe the cost saving measures applied to the February 16, 2017, official city finance office letter. Evidently it is too expensive to waste a Alcester City letter head on a tax paying city resident notifying them of FO official business and policy! The Alcester FO is in the habit of adding announcements to the water bill.  So if I do not get a bill because the FO is too cheap to mail it, I will not have access to any important announcements the FO or the AFO may affix to the bill. In addition, paying the AFO (what does she make an hour?) to trot up and down main street Alcester hand-delivering water bills to save $.34 cents a card on my water bill when she already trudges 2.5 blocks to mail water bills to the whole town is utterly Incredulous!

 

                   “…We did have the January water bill prepared and available for Vickie Larsen when she attended the January City Council meeting. We noticed Vickie had left it on her chair in the conference room…”

Note: Folks, As I entered the council meeting room, I saw a square of white paper left on a chair next to where I sit for the meeting. There was no writing on the square of white paper to indicate what it was, to whom it was intended or that it was anything but scrap paper left over from a fund-raising ‘function’ Mayor Glas indulges the FO staff to run out of the city office. If it was indeed my water bill, the FO staff left my personal information in a public arena where anyone could pick it up and have access to all my personal information (address, account number, amount of water, my water rates, my account balance) printed out for them on the card. One has to wonder at the advisability of putting all that information on a postcard. H-m-m-m?

#2 Notification of consideration of the annexation of the properties along the west side of SD Hwy 11 from the south city limits to the Alcester Steakhouse.

Note:  This notification did rate official letterhead but apparently a date cost extra.  I own property along the line of proposed annexation.

I said No to annexation!  Mayor Glas responded I was the only one to say, No.  Upon which Alcester City Councilman Dan Haeder responded he had an annexation affected person voice their objection to annexation and Alcester City Attorney Charles Haugland reported he also had an annexation affected person object to city annexation.  I commented on the ill-conceived, illogical and flat-out attempt of annexation by Mayor Tom Glas.

Note the ‘benefits’ touted by Mayor Glas and his crony nuisance hunter:

• Fire protection-hydrants would be installed along Hwy 11.
  • Response:  The distance from the Alcester Volunteer Fire Department and closest fire hydrant is approximately three blocks from the farthest point of the proposed annexation.  Any new fire hydrants would have to be drilled under the rails of the railroad and drilled under the protected water way.
• Lower insurance premiums due to fire hydrants closer to your property.
  • Response:  Again, the Alcester Volunteer Fire Department and city water fire hydrant is approximately three blocks from the farthest point of the proposed annexation and well within requirements for lower fire protection fees.
• Eligibility to run/sit on city council.
  • Response:  Three of the entitles subject to annexation are businesses with no living premises on site, therefore are NOT eligible to hold any office in the city of Alcester.
• Can vote in city elections.
  • Response:  Two of the business owners live within the city limits and can already vote and hold office, unless they are black-listed by the FO.
• Free use of the city dump and dumpsters.
  • Response:  The city dump is restricted to green waste only and rubble.  All properties within the proposed annexation have burn pits and can compost their garbage.
• Home Owners will abide by the Property Maintenance Code.
  • Response:  This one is a real charmer.  Mayor Tom Glas and Alcester FO want to annex our property so we can play Captain, May I with them.  The IPMC (the International Property Maintenance Code) which the city adopted apparently in its entirety-–(most cities have abandoned global adoption because it is too expensive for a small town to enforce) via its Paid Enforcement Officer can ticket us for weeds and grass over 6 inches, condemn our lawn ornaments as nuisances and fine us, they can condemn our trees if they cast a shadow lower than 14 feet from the street, they can ticket our siding if the color doesn’t match the city hall color scheme, they can ticket our window cause they have shades not curtains, they can fine our garbage can because it is not blue or tilts the wrong direction and so on and so on.  Shoot, you even are privileged to pay for the code enforcement officer who lives in a neighboring town, they don’t ever hire local.
• Real estate tax dollars will be used to enhance amenities, roads and etc. throughout Alcester.
  • Rebuttal:  Our property taxes WILL go up, we will pay 6.5% sales tax instead of the 4.5% we pay now on everything we buy and have shipped in.  Most entities on the annexation route already have rural water so the city does not have to drill water lines under the railroad tracks and under the protected waterway.  The sewer, however, requires at least one lift station with a projected price tag of $435K plus costs of easements, etc. plus the city already has another lift station on-line for the North annexation.  H-m-m, $435,000.00 + $435,000.00= O-o-o-h MY that is some bill!  The city will be on the hook for new culverts on South Street, hard surface for South Street and curb and gutter for the north side of South Street which runs about two blocks.  The city will be responsible for the care and periodic dredging of the protected waterway to protect against flooding.  As for amenities?  Alcester Steakhouse has a liquor license from Union County which is an asset of considerable worth because this liquor license can be moved.  However if annexed, the liquor license currently held by Alcester Steakhouse would be forfeit but they would have a grand-fathered liquor license as long as the current owner remained owner.  City liquor licenses are OWNED by the city, cannot be moved and the city is limited to three liquor licenses.  If annexed in the Alcester Steakhouse would have to purchase their liquor through the city at a mark-up they do not have now.  Definite profit killer.  The businesses along the annexation route would be subject to the IPMC, so if we produced noise, bad smells and airborne particulate like FCS we could be cited and fined as a violation of the IPMC.  A-n-n-d some of us would be forced to pay another shot of property tax to maintain the derelict, money pit and profit pirate the Alcester City owned bar.  Why would other bar owner-operators willingly pay property taxes to keep the city owned bar off the tax rolls, make upgrades for the lessee, reduce the lease rate allowing the lessee run competition to them?

Mayor Glas, you and the FO sure failed to think this one out!

(to be continued)

12/28/2016 A Voice from the Gallery Part Two

I was appalled at the treatment handed out to Alcester City Attorney Chuck Haugland in the December 28, 2016, meeting by Mayor Glas and Finance Officer Pat Jurrens in the public forum. I watched and I heard. I have been on the receiving end of the Mayor and FO but I have not given my professional time at a reduced rate to the city of Alcester only to be kicked in the gut by an over-reaching finance officer and a Mayor who doesn’t have a clue!

Assistant Finance Officer Wanda Halverson hand-delivered a notice of tree violation on the 09/07/2016 me.

On October 3, 2016, I sent a written FOIA request:

 

I received a letter of denial date October 4, 2016, but carrying a postmark of October 11, 2016.    

I rebutted the denial on October 17,2016

•    
• 
•  I receive no answer from the city. November meeting, I remind the Mayor and FO Jurrens of my FOIA and I was told two lawyers were consulted. My take, first contact was with Beresford City Attorney Tom Freiberg working with Compliance Officer Geoff Fillingsness and then as an after-thought the FO Jurrens spoke with Alcester City Attorney Chuck Haugland.

On November 22, 2016, I contacted the SD Office of Hearing Examiners for review of my FOIA request.    

 

•     

November 29, 2016, I received notice the SD Office of Hearing Examiners had contacted the City offices.

On December 7, 2016, the City acquiesces to my request.

My response to city.

On December 13, 2016, I examined and finally obtained copies of the documents I requested. 

I received the information I requested and found at least two addresses conspicuously absent.  Cherry picking seems to be the term best applied.  As you can see in the denial letter, Mayor Glas invited me to drive around and take pictures.  I had already done that but took a second look two months later.  It must be who ya’ll know or who ya’ll work with. Just sayin’

Take a good look at the hoop jumping and time expended in showing me my place!

 

 

PART ONE

     Mayor Tom Glas called the December 28, 2016 special Alcester City Council meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited, followed by Approval of Agenda, the first item on the agenda. And…

“…with the rocket’s red glare, the bombs burst in the air…”

Retainer agreement (Independent contractor for legal services) discussion agenda item! Ya’ know the discussion BEFORE the motion.   Yup tha’d be the one!

History of Events

• May 2014 May Rick Johnson appoints Finance Officer Mike Kezar only to September 2015 at a wage of $38K with Councilwoman Pat Jurrens voting to approve the limited appointment. Mayor Rick Johnson declares advertisements be placed for Alcester City Finance Officer position.

• June 2, 2014, Mayor Rick Johnson declares executive session to discuss Finance Officer position. Upon exit from executive session Mayor Johnson and the Alcester City Council offer Councilwoman Pat Jurrens the position of Finance Officer at a training salary of $40K per year.

• July 7, 2014, Pat Jurrens resigns Councilwoman position to start training under Finance Officer Mike Kezar. Ironic, Ms. Jurrens is making a training salary of $40K per year to be trained by a decade’s veteran Finance Officer making $38K per year.

• September 3, 2014, Pat Jurrens assumes Finance Officer duties.

• November 5, 2014, Finance Officer Pat Jurrens asks the council for permission for FO Pat Jurrens and Asst.FO Wanda Halverson to attend an Election Class Workshop. Council voted unanimously to send the FO’s to Election Class workshop.

• November 7, 2016, Executive session 1-25-2-4 Contract Negotiations.

• December 5, 2016, Executive session 1-25-2-4 Contract Negotiations.

 

 Duties of the municipal finance officer (generic)

»Supervise the accounting system of all departments and offices of the municipality-no city manage. Finance officer draws and countersigns warrants, bonds, or other forms of indebtedness, all contracts, and keeps records of amounts and to who they are issued.

»Keeps the official seal of the municipality, all papers, records, must record all proceedings of the governing body.

»Keeps all official documents and destroys only those which the record retention board deems no longer of value.

»Keeps accurate records of all moneys received by the municipality or owed to the municipality (especially includes special assessments & utilities).

»Finance Officer aids the governing board with budget preparation.

»Finance Officer must report to the county auditor and the state an annual report of the financial statements and each department must turn in an inventory to be on file with the finance officer.

»Finance Officer must act a clerk to the local equalization board.

»The Finance Officer is the chief officer of all local elections (including handling all petitions for nomination, initiative or referendum).

Now to the ‘discussion’ in open session. Alcester City Attorney Chuck Haugland was finally invited to the party! You see folks for the past months City Attorney Haugland was told his presence was not needed at the council meeting or he was only needed for 30 minutes even though the printed agenda indicated lawsuit discussions or contract negotiations. The consequence of this action by Mayor Glas and/or FO Pat Jurrens was that Alcester City Attorney Haugland was kept in the dark about actions and discussions of the Alcester City Council and then blamed for slow response when the feces-hit-the- fan legal-wise.

At the beginning of the ‘discussion’ I noticed City Attorney Haugland and members of the council were holding what appeared to be a type-written, 4-5 page document. Yeah, it appears this document was a listing complied by FO Pat Jurrens and Mayor Glas of their perception of errors and omissions attributable to the city attorney.

Under the current legal services agreement Attorney Haugland stated his fees since 1975+ were based upon usage with small incremental raises to the current rate of $105 per hour. Attorney Haugland went on the address a partial list of sins (before Councilmember Audri Carlson called for executive session) that FO Jurrens and Mayor Glas compiled:

• His obligations during tax season, January 01 through May .

Mr. Haugland’s Answer: The City of Alcester is a client just as the tax clients, the City of  Alcester has no pre-emptive status over the other clients of Mr. Haugland which is spelled out in the services agreement.

• Emergency services, the definition of an emergency service i.e. the Ives Bankruptcy lawsuit as it related to city condemnation of the Broad Street property and 911 dispatch lawsuit.

Mr. Haugland’s Answer: Both of these items were ongoing actions and dependent upon timing of procedural process, outside of the control of City Attorney Haugland.

• 45 minute warning before legal advice from City Attorney Haugland was expected to give legal opinion.

Mr. Haugland’s Answer: 45 minutes to hear about an issue, get the details of parties involved, a recitation of actions city employees have taken concerning the issue, researching legal precedent on the issue is inappropriate and far from reasonable.

• FO Pat Jurrens question on getting recycling on the ballot, delayed paperwork for election, and oath for election workers 2016.

Mr. Haugland’s Answer: The paperwork was delivered but called into question FO Jurrens’ apparent amending legal documents drawn and provided by the City Attorney, noting that FO Jurrens was the bookkeeper not an attorney! FO Jurren’s amendment of a legal document was practicing law and “over-stepping” her position! FO Jurrens contacting Beresford Attorney Tom Frieberg for legal advice about Loren Fischer,garbage collection provider for Alcester without contacting Alcester City Attorney Haugland. FO Jurrens fired back, “she was just talking to Mr. Frieberg about Loren Fischer’s divorce, contempt order and its impact on Alcester.”

• Billing for Legal advice to change an error in an oath of office for Councilman Dan Haeder.

Mr. Haugland’s Answer: FO Jurrens failed to fully inform City Attorney Haugland of a new player on the council on her request for a pre-emptive oath for Mr. Dan Haeder not Mr. Andy Haeder (who was once a Alcester City Councilman).

• Operating agreement for Deem’s. 

Mr. Haugland’s Answer:  FO Jurrens failed to fully inform City Attorney Haugland of an increase in rent for Deem’s operating agreement with the city. Mr. Haugland was told his presence was not needed at the meeting in which the council decided to bump the Deem’s rent by $100 per month so he was not there to hear.

FO Jurrens responded with Mayor Glas nodding like a bobble head in a strong draft, “Mr. Haugland would be welcome at the whole Alcester City Council meeting, OFF-THE-CLOCK! 

At this point Alcester City Councilwoman Audri Carlson moved to go into executive session pursuant to ‘SDCL 1-25-2-4, contract negotiations with employees or employee representatives’ as advised by FO Jurrens. Yeah, SDCL 1-25-2-1 defines the term employee…Employee does not include any independent contractor. Mr. Haugland is not an employee but an independent contractor. So the motion was amended to SDCL 1-25-2-3 and executive session was approved

5:32 p.m. Mayor Glas, Councilmembers Mark Dykstra, Dan Haeder, Lance  Johnson, Julia Sundstrom, Audri Carlson and David Larsen remained with City Attorney  Chuck Haugland. FO Jurrens, Alcester Police Chief Chris Doty and Vickie Larsen were relegated to the hallway.

5:50 p.m. Approximate time Alcester City Attorney exits executive session.

6:05 p.m. FO Jurrens called into executive session.

6:24 p.m. Council declared out-of-session.

With no motion on agenda item 2017 Retainer Agreement was moved to the January 2017 meeting

At the conclusion of business around 7:20 p.m. a call for a motion to adjourn at which point FO Pat Jurrens told Alcester Councilwoman Julia Sundstrom, “she needed to make the motion because she had not made any motions”? Really? Really? Councilwoman Sundstrom made the motion, Councilman Lance Johnson seconded the motion, yes vote X6…Meeting Adjourned.

          Last night’s meeting was such that I feel I must start my account with a span of days and events well before the November 7, 2016, meeting.

     »After the October 3, 2016, meeting was adjourned at the library I approached Mayor Glas to press on the public safety issue involving illegal parking at his place of employment, the Total Stop. Mayor Glas had been informed by Peter Larsen that the Mayor was illegally parking in South Dakota State Right of Way (ROW), Mayor Glas blew Mr. Larsen off. I pointed out in October 2016 Alcester City Council during public input Mayor Glas was illegally parking in the South Dakota ROW at Total Stop and again Mayor Glas blew the public safety issue off. Mayor Glas seems to think he is not subject to the rules and he does not care about the welfare and safety of the residents of Alcester. As I had a spirited discussion on his illegal parking, Finance Officer Pat Jurrens decided to throw her two cents in by verbally attacking former Mayor Peter Larsen by asking, “…why didn’t Pete take action when he was mayor…” to which I responded, “Pat you were on the city council, why did You fail to take action?” Folks the area under the Cenex sign was not painted as a parking spot when Peter Larsen was mayor.

Encroachment photo by SD DOT

     »October 27, 2016, I received a telephone call requesting the address of Mayor Glas, the Finance Officer had been rude and disparaged this resident. The resident wanted to speak with Mayor Glas to present their case about an issue in person without the Finance Officer’s** gut feelings creating bias. I gave the Mayor’s address which is available via internet with no opinion on the Finance Office’s rudeness or disparagement because I had not witnessed it personally. However that was to change!

      » On Friday, November 4, 2016, as is my custom to review and research the items on the agenda before a city council meeting I went to the city finance office around 2:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. in the afternoon to obtain a copy of the November 7, 2016, agenda. I asked for a copy of the agenda and after receiving what my daughter calls the ‘stink-eye’ from Finance Office personnel, I was informed by Finance Officer Pat Jurrens** she had finished the agenda but had not yet printed it. On other occasions when the agenda has not been ready, I have requested a copy be emailed to me and that request has been honored.   So I requested a copy be emailed to me to which Alcester Finance Office Pat Jurrens still in the throes of her “hairy eyeball” responded I could pick up the agenda on Monday. Confused, not recognizing the “Junior-high girls-clique club attitude” I asked the question, “was the meeting moved?” which Alcester Finance Officer Pat Jurrens replied, “…you can pick it up (the agenda) later this afternoon or on Monday. Yup the “hairy eyeball” was in full force and the dance was on!

      » Since Friday November 4, 2016, I have visited with others who have been exposed to the Alcester Finance Office “Stink-eye”.   Golly, maybe there is a shot the residents can get to protect us from the Alcester Finance Office “Stink-eye” and there certainly should be some-sort-of dosage for the “Junior-High Girls-clique club”!

          November 7, 2016, regular city council meeting and so the dance begins! The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Mayor Tom Glas with council members David Larsen, Audri Carlsen, Kama Johnson, Dan Haeder, Mark Dykstra and Lance Johnson. Oh yeah, and Finance Officer Pat Jurrens** seated herself in City Attorney Chuck Haugland spot at the council table. Presumably, the Mayor told Alcester Municipal Attorney Haugland he was not needed for the meeting. This makes three meetings in a row Alcester Municipal Attorney Haugland’s council meeting presence apparently has been summarily dismissed. I find this strange because there was a line item on the agenda which called for executive session for contract negotiations. So did Mayor Glas or Finance Officer Pat Jurrens dig a law degree out of their li’l ol’ cracker jack box?

          Agenda

• Recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance

• Agenda approval

• Approval of John Howard Plat Map (should have happened last meeting)

• Approve minutes of October 3, 2016 meeting with Mayor Glas’ wording of “stolen” top soil changed to “taken” top soil.

• Public Input

     »I presented documents asserting my right to Freedom of Information which include my initial FOIA letter, copy Mayor Glas’ denial letter and my rebuttal letter.

• Curb & Gutter Issue

• Motion to accept Kama Johnson’s resignation as council member from Ward I

      » Vacant Ward I Interviews- Two candidates for the Ward I vacancy were present for interview of which one candidate was the former Alcester Finance Officer and male. Councilman Larsen moved to go into Executive Session for the interviews and consideration, a second was received and the council voted to go into executive session at 6:15 p.m. The gallery and candidates left the room but, Finance Officer Pat Jurrens did not leave.*

*It is noted here Alcester Finance Officer Pat Jurrens immediately prior to her appointment to Finance Officer was a sitting Alcester city Council member. In fact as an Alcester city council member, Pat Jurrens on many occasions disapproved and criticized the previous Finance Officer for being too conservative with his budgets and voted to remove him as Finance Officer. She immediately applied for the position of Alcester City Finance Officer with no finance officer experience or expertise other than “some computer skills”. She was awarded the Alcester Finance Officer position at a substantially greater pay scale than the cast out finance officer, she resigned as council person and parked her behind in the Finance Officers chair before the seat had time to cool, committed egregious errors and continuing to commit “oversights” costing the city money. In addition, in the October meeting Finance Officer Pat Jurrens expressed her opinion the Ward I replacement should be female to keep a balance in the council.

     One by one the two candidates were separately called into the closed sessions to be interviewed. After each of the candidates were sent out of closed session, the council remained in session with Finance Officer Pat Jurrens still in the closed session. The gallery and the two candidates stood visiting in the hallway while they waited. During the wait, I could hear Finance Officer Pat Jurrens speaking at length, not the words just her voice. THE FINANCE OFFICER** HAS NO VOTE NOR SHOULD SHE BE ALLOWED TO VIST HER BIAS ON THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AGAINST THE FORMER MALE FINANCE OFFICER CANDIDATE! **   The young inexperienced female candidate won the appointment.

      » Police Chief – Alcester Police Chief Chris Doty requested a police radar unit and a police camera  unit be declared surplus. He explained he had already made arrangements with Viborg and Faith to sell these units at a nominal price.  Henry Martyn Robert would have been embarrassed at Councilman Mark Dykstra and Councilman Lance Johnson’s firm grasp of Roberts Rules of Order. It took Councilman Mark Dykstra seconds to “machine gun” two motions to surplus the radar unit and cut Alcester Police Chief Chris Doty’s legs out from under him by effectively voiding the nominal price deal and gifting it to the cities of Viborg and Faith. Then began the process of unraveling the chaos due to the lack of correct Roberts Rules procedure. Way to Go!

•  Gary McKellips made a presentation on the north industrial park and Northeast residential addition. Water and sewer issues are still in the wind. It appears the folks with property on the west side of Alcester are destined to wait for upgrades in sewer and street yet again.

      » Finance office- After making Dwight Berglin cool his heels beyond his scheduled time, Mayor Glas finally called Audit Review. OMG Finance Officer** had to slide close to Mayor Glas to page through the Mayor’s copy of the Review to get him on the correct page. It would have been hysterically funny watching Mayor Glas lick his finger, press down and carefully rolling the page over with an utterly vacant look on his face if he wasn’t the sitting Mayor. Again the lack of segregation of duties was the immediate concern of the audit. As Mr. Berglin left the meeting, the question was asked, “…do we need to approve this(meaning the audit review)?…” Finance Officer Pat replied, “no”. Then Finance Officer Jurrens went on to discuss the bill for the audit cost $9500 and she related because of anomalies in the QuickBooks program there was going to be an extra charge of $500 due to extra work Accountant Berglin had to perform and Finance Officer Jurrens** was not advised of the QuickBooks foible. Really this is supposed to be in her scope of duties and alleged expertise! So the city short paid our accounting bill ’cause Pat couldn’t figure QuickBooks out and Mr. Berglin accepted $500 less for his work? Folks Alcester is getting a reputation and it is not a good one!

• Executive session was called to discuss contract negotiations, Finance Officer Pat Jurrens** once again remained in the council room after the gallery was shown the door at 7:56 p.m. As the gallery left, the question was asked contract with whom? The reply was, “we cannot answer that”. My guess…is the council shopping for a new city attorney? It seems the Mayor or Finance Officer got an initial opinion on my FOIA information request and it was not with our city attorney. Again my best guess is since the city is using Geoff Fillingsness of Beresford for Code Enforcement, Code Enforcement Officer Fillingsness used the Beresford City Attorney Tom Frieberg to perfect the legal language contained within the violation notifications and sought Mr. Frieberg’s legal opinion on my argument and then Mayor Glas/Finance Officer Jurrens covering their collective butts by seeking an opinion from Alcester’s Official City Attorney Chuck Haugland. Council exited closed session at 8:16 p.m. with no action taken. However Mayor Glas with his usual shatterpated aplomb attempted to do business before the gallery was back in their seats. At that point the former Finance Officer told the sitting Alcester Finance Officer Pat Jurrens and Mayor Glas they had to formally with a motion accept the 2014/2015 Audit report.

» At 8:25 p.m. the cluster foo-bar was declared adjourned.

** to be addressed at length in another installment.

 

 

It is Union County Fair time. Well Councilman Dykstra, what do you have to say for yourself? When Finance Officer Pay Jurrens and Mayor Glas were handing out committee assignments a couple of months ago, I can see why you tried hard to weasel off the Union County Fair Board by trying to hand that half-life, hot potato off to Councilman David Larsen. So ya’ll didn’t consider Councilman Larsen’s time commitment to the golf course, beyond his regular council duties was enough of a contribution to the city of Alcester or were ya lookin’ for a scapegoat/hot pad to take the heat off you and your ‘work’? By the way, how comfortable is your council seat encased butt now? Peers to me ‘equatorial Hades warm’ with no relief in sight.

By the way Councilman Dykstra, just who is paying the water bill for irrigating the  corn/bean dumping ground?  That is some crop of grass growin’ there.  I presume it is being metered for billing to Farmers Society Cooperative?

 

Mayor Glas loves his rules and ordinances but it appears those rules do not apply to him. Several months ago Mayor Glas was advised he was parking in state right-of-way and blocking the northern line-of-sight for anyone stopped at the First Street-SD Hwy 11 intersection stop sign creating a hazard.

I believe South Dakota DOT came through and checked encroachments onto the SD Hwy 11 right-of-way. While the sign in the picture was grandfathered in, parking under the sign was not! So Mayor Glas is your ‘special parking’ worth someone’s life?