Tag: Patricia Jurrens Alcester SD

03/03/2020 A Voice From the Gallery

Mayor Glas said, “well I guess it is time…” and so the regular meeting of the Alcester City Council was half-glas’d into session with Councilman David Larsen, Councilman Dan Haeder, Councilwoman Darla Reppe, Councilwoman Melissa Kay and Councilwoman Linda Talbott in attendance–who knows where Councilman Lance Johnson was, he sure wasn’t a sittin’ in his seat at the council meeting. Small wonder why the council hasn’t a clue of what is happening per comments made later in the meeting.

Pledge was called, Agenda Approved without change, Minutes approved without change and finally public input was called without all the enthusiasm of “oh, dang she is here”. I responded I had public input.

Agenda Item #5 Input- I announced I had, immediately prior to the meeting, delivered to the Mayor’s seat my formal appeal request of Councilman Lance Johnson’s variance and a FOIA (Freedom of Information Request-South Dakota Sunshine) and I also pointed to the 17 page, fine-print, terms and conditions of the BAMBEE contract as well as an article titled, “Making the Best Use of Your City Attorney”.

Finance Officer Patricia Jurrens said she didn’t have the copy of the appeal and the FOIA and I responded they had been placed at the Mayor’s seat. I commented on the fine print of BAMBEE pointing out the yellow highlighter on the document. Specifically mentioning item #3 where BAMBEE explains she cannot give a legal opinion, Oh deer! It was my impression that legal was the whole purpose of hiring BAMBEE. Now folks BAMBEE requires a $500 audit fee right off the bat, then requires a monthly fee, the combined totals account Mayor Glas’ stated was a grand total of $2500.00 to $3000.00 (01:17:55:63) annual fee for HR advice. HR advice which HAS to be run past our city attorney, who the city council previously insinuated is not trained in HR and is costing the city too much in legal fees! H-m-m the two gentlemen who currently hold retainers to represent the city, list their areas of expertise as Real Estate, Probate, Federal Income Tax, Family Law, Municipal Law, Civil litigation and Criminal Defense which seems to cover territory which has prominently figured in our HR problems recently and still has one doozy HR problem still in the hopper. Somehow I think our retained attorneys cannot ‘handle’ this situation without a conflict question.

I also pointed out the article on, “Making the Best Use of your City Attorney” might be a good read if it is true as Councilwoman Melissa Kay pointed out later in the meeting, (01:22:31:30) “…we only have one or two times a month where we are seated in Council, we do not get enough information and we do not know how to deal with it…”  ?

Agenda Item #6 – Executive Session-Contract- and request for Revolving Loan for a local businessman. Council went into Executive session at 6:05 p.m. and came out at 6:17 p.m. with no motion made.

Agenda Item #7 – Legal Updates-

  1. a) Shouse discussion – Now I had to ask what Shouse was, thinking it was a misprint. It was explained a Shouse was a metal house/shed which according to FOPat is just ‘the thing’. Yeah? IN TOWN? Is the illegal garage at 518A Anderson Street now morphing into a metal sh** house? Yet another effort on FOPat’s part to legalize a ‘favor’ for a dirty-handed councilman?
  2. b) Chip Seal – Now we have to amend the chip seal bid to delete the most wondrous, amazing street treatment ‘evah’ and a Fantastic Failure Done our Roads. Given the efficacy of FDR on our streets, we would have had more success papering our streets with laminated BFranklin paper. So now we must pay for City Attorney Tom to apply Anti-Monkey Butt lotion language to FOPat’s and Mayor Tom’s RASH bid contract to FIX our streets! (54:42:43)  Get the Red out of our Budget!  I warned the council in a past complaint the vandalism to the curb at 518B Anderson Street would create water damage to the street and I was told by Mayor Glas the water ran-off just fine.  Check out how he changes his tune (52:55:17)(54:42:43)(55:55.17) about street damage due to cracks in the curb and gutter.

Agenda Item #9 – Nuisance Update –  (13:08:07) Arlene’s Cafe sidewalk drainage solutions. The city sat, wasting council time on discussing this issue and its ‘fix’ solutions. This is private commercial property NOT belonging to the city of Alcester. While there is certainly an issue with water draining down-stream from the city owned bar and city responsibility for the property, the simplest solution is to routinely clear the space between the City owned building and the adjoining Arlene’s Café property of snow BEFORE it gets to the sidewalk. Messing with an apparently sound sidewalk on the east side of Iowa street is unnecessarily costly. The two entities can share the cost of removing the alley snow, leaving each entity responsible for the snow clearance of the sidewalk fronting each property as provided by ordinance.

Agenda Item 8 – At this point 6:30 p.m. the time for scheduled bid (17:41:90) opening for the auditorium property.  Mr. Scott Hansen representative of Alkota Cleaning Systems was present (26:40:00) for the opening. Mayor Glas opened the lone bid received, which offered $120, 000.00 for the building/and property and which was well below the appraised price on the auditorium of $260,000.00. And so the great debate/discussion began over a bid contract which the council failed to read and understand their own terms and conditions for bidding. When the council put our auditorium up for bid, they lacked the foresight to make alternate plans for holding city council meetings, they lacked the foresight what to do if the bid is substantially lower than appraisal, and what is the lowest bid we are willing to take for our building. Judging from the discussion,

“Our council Hindsight is 20/20 and our Council foresight is legally blind.” (Inspired by the quote of Benjamin Graham)

How many people would put their homes up for sale without a clue where they were going to live after promising an immediate possession sale?

Questions were asked of Tom Walsh who was also present (29:26:77) with regard to the Golf Course Community Building. The council opined they cannot possibly make a decision to accept the Alkota Bid until they KNOW IF AND WHEN the proposed Community Building Dream Gaffe project is consummated. Mr. Walsh gave an update from the architects of the golf course project.  In a past meeting when FOPat was ‘splaining’ the project to the council she commented that, “…the architects projected the cost of the community building high…” It appears that COOP Architects project costs missed the boat ’cause the reported bid info shared on March 2, 2020, meeting was “the bids came in SIGNIFICANTLY HIGH-something nearer to $1 Million+ over. FOPat commented they, “…just couldn’t figure out where the costs came from…” (00:00:00) Dear Sweet Auntie Em, this is our finance officer who cannot figure out expenses? Folks the items involved in this bid HAVE to be commercial grade not Sh**House grade or Residential grade. More discussion to take place at the March 16, 2020, special meeting set for 6:00 p.m.

Agenda Item #9 – Nuisance(continued) – Council touched on 204 Ofstad, 208 West Fourth, Dog License Compliance. City Attorney Tom Frieberg to clean up Dog Licensing ordinance language to compel our Police Department to act as dog catchers. Councilman Dan Haeder made an analogy concerning dogs-at-large, citing a tragic car/truck crash on I-29. The crash cause summary per news reports was a northbound tractor-trailer with a pup trailer abruptly braked to avoid two dogs crossing the interstate. A Mazda following the tractor-trailer rear-ending the pup trailer. The operator who was wearing seat belt was pronounced dead-on-scene with no injury to the tractor-trailer driver.

Councilman Haeder’s analogy (40:53:57) using the crash, inferred dog owners were culpable because the dogs were running-at-large. Errors in that analogy include such circumstances as:  1- Dogs could have been deer. 2- what exactly was the Mazda driver doing, what was the speed of the Mazda (posted limit 80 mph), how close was the Mazda following the tractor-trailer, were there contributing road conditions, 3- There is no ordinance dogs in Alcester must be caged, just that they are controlled, their vaccinations are current, they are spayed/neutered and have a city license which proves the appropriate documentations has been provided to the city, the only apparent concern for at-large-dogs relates to menacing behaviors, 4- As I understand motor vehicle liability relating to rear-end collisions, is the failure to have one’s vehicle under control is a cause for citation for failure to have control. Tragically it was the failure to have the vehicle under control which ultimately caused the death. There is no justification for licensing dogs in this analogy and no justification for attributing a tragic death to a pet owner.

Perhaps instead of licensing cats and dogs, owners of domestic pets voluntarily register their pets with the city without license or cost and we avoid the Mayor Glas’ and the city council’s castration of our city police department into dog catchers which distracts our police department from their very real job of enforcing the drug laws, domestic abuse laws, embezzlement laws, false 911 reporting and liquor violations. Anybody on meth or over-reaching political authority is far more menacing than Fluffy or Lassie any day of the week!

7:03 p.m. Alcester City Attorney Tom Frieberg left the meeting.

Agenda Item #15– Executive Session called at 7:03 p.m. for interview of two candidates for Utilities person. Out of Executive session at 7:52 p.m. with no decision voted upon or action taken.

Agenda Item #11 – Streets- Most important issue was the city asking for advice from Engineer McLaury. Now I personally have a problem with this because Mr. McLaury in all his engineering prowess during the SRTS issue caused the illegal vacation of alley behind to two residential properties from 4th street to 6th street, the earthen dam design caused AND CONTINUES TO CAUSE flooding of the property at 301-4th street along the east side of the alleyway, required a significant change order which ultimately cost the taxpayers of Alcester an project over-run of $20,000.00 ’cause he could not seem to figure out the ADA restrictions and requirements while maintaining his bid quote. Now FOPat wants to reward him with another shot at our tax coffers?

Agenda Item #18 – Finance Office

a) Warrants

b) HR Services – California BAMBEE (01:17:03) Ask to see the copy of the terms and conditions of BAMBEE I provided to the city.  The council has presented BAMBEE, yet none of the council seems to have read or investigated this subject adequately to make AN INFORMED DECISION.

*PLEASE NOTE Finance Officer Jurrens cannot seem to get a simple agenda done properly. She cannot seem to go from 18 (a) to 18 (b) to 18 (e) without screwing up and leaving out 18(c) and 18 (d). Now folks I make proofing errors, but I do not get paid $46K to get a simple agenda correct!

*e) District meeting – Vermillion March 19, 2020. Now you have heard about HR BAMBEE and how according to Councilwoman Melissa Kay, “…we just do not have the information, the experience or the know how about HR…” District meeting is where you can get this information, SDML to whom you pay a membership dues is another source of information, Alcester City Attorney to whom you pay a retainer for HR information and council-folks it is part of what you were elected/appointed to do.  Readers check out the video (01:39:58:63) and (01:41:23:00) see how many council members attend the district meeting. Oh do not FOPat it where you sign up and only show up for a hour.

You want to have information, demand your finance officer get it to you in time for you to read up on the subject matter BEFORE council meeting. IF your finance officer cannot get the job done or get the information to you in a timely manner-FIRE HER BUTT! In addition do not accept her ‘translation’ as accurate, it is YOUR responsibility to verify all information. I email information from time to time to the you, or lay it at your place at the council table. I put it in front of you so when I reference it,  you can pick it up and read it at brain level. I do not place this information on your chairs so you must absorb the information through your emergency exit!

Agenda Item #18 (?) Alleged payment for a Website- HOORAY Now payments made to the city, the golf course, the pool and etc. can be made to the city via the Official Website.

WE DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE THE CITY OFFICES AT THE GOLF COURSE COMMUNITY BUILDING ‘CAUSE ALL PAYMENTS CAN BE MADE THROUGH THE OFFICIAL ALCESTER WEBSITE PAYMENT PORTAL. WE CAN ACCESS AGENDAS, MINUTES, FORMS AND ALL OFFICIAL NOTIFICATIONS THROUGH OUR OFFICIAL WEBSITE     YAY!

Agenda Item #18 (f)   Updates and reminders-One item not under the updates and reminder is the 2019 Election Issue, according to my source the complaints have been investigated and the reports are sitting in line on the prosecutor’s desk for execution.

Agenda Item #23 Executive Session

8:50 p.m. In Executive Session for Personnel

9:23 p.m. Out Executive Session for Personnel

NO ACTION TAKEN

Agenda Item #6 (?)

9:25 p.m. In Executive Session for Contracts

9:35 p.m. Out Executive Session for Contracts

NO ACTION TAKEN

Agenda Item #24 -Adjourn

Adjourned at 9:35 p.m.

02/26/2020 A Voice From the Gallery

  • Folks you ever wonder why FO Pat is foaming-at-the-mouth for a office with a view?

She and Mayor Glas put her old digs up for auction and she ain’t got nowhere to go!

  • Now ya’all gotta know it ain’t ’cause she is qualified for an office with a view.

Nah, she sure ain’t no book-keeper.  Nope she’d rather keep a set of spare books just to keep track of her off-hours.   Let me define those off hours to ya’all;  off-hours are what she takes when she s’posed to be a workin’, lockin’ the  residents out of the finance office on Tuesday afternoons and against city ordinance, those kind of hours among other things.

  • Ya’all gotta know it ain’t ’cause she is a holdin’ a torch in the air on a little island spoutin ‘give me your tired, your poor…” shoot she don’t even want your garbage.

Boy howdy accordin’ to the local newspaper ol’ FOPat and Mayor Magoo sure did pour some gasoline on that there torch with their musical chair garbage pick-up.  Evidently Mayor Magoo and FOPat never heard ’bout an essay on Civil Disobedience by Thoreau.  Mr. Thoreau described civil disobedience (breach of law) as one’s moral duty if the alternative legal obedience causes harm to others.  Mr. Thoreau an educator refused to pay a poll tax which would expand slavery into the southwest and for his non-payment he was arrested and spent a night in jail.

Now ladies and gents, you can have a say but you have to do it in numbers, lots of numbers.  If you live on the side of the street which will host the garbage-can-soiree, come to the March 2, 2020, city council meeting and JUST SAY NO.  If you have to tote your garbage can across the street onto your neighbors property, come to the March 2, 2020, city council meeting and JUST SAY NO.  IF we get at least 50-100 property owners to show up to tell FOPat, Mayor Glas and the council, NO!  NOT JUST NO, BUT HECK NO! we will make our point, we ain’t takin’ this garbage!  Check out this weeks “Alcester Union-Hudsonite Newspaper”, front page article, see where Mayor Glas wants to send the garbage-can-picket-line.

But if they ignore us, then we take a page out of Henry David Thoreau’s Essay and PUT AN CIVIL DISOBEDIENT EXCLAMATION POINT ON THE GARBAGE!  We need to breach their legal britches with a not-so-civil boot!  We ARE the people, we will take back our Voice with a resounding NO WE AIN’T GONNA TAKE THIS GARBAGE!

 

 

02/12/2020 A Voice From the Gallery

A forward here to explain the nature of the video.  This was a come and go affair not a seated gallery who posed questions to the architect.  This affair was set to run from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.  In actual fact the gallery roams at will and around 5:00 p.m. all activity ceased but the architect Kyle, Gary McKellips, Pat Jurrens and myself remained until 5:30 p.m. to allow for any late comers.  For brevity of boredom, I have edited out the final half hour of no movement beyond just the videographer and three presenters.

“…We can sit on the patio/veranda at the golf course and watch the Alcester-Hudson football game…”

Now ain’t that speschal. Say isn’t there an admissions fee to games to help fund the athletic programs in the school?

I attended the pre-bid informational session with local and not-so-local contractors, electrical trades, plumbing trades, landscaping trades and of course construction trades at 2:00 p.m. in the school library. COOP Architecture was present and running the session, Alcester City Employees present were city bookkeeper Patricia Jurrens, Dale Pearson and Lonnie Johnson. Also in attendance were the funding entourage of Gary McKellips and Tom Walsh. Those attending were asked to sign in and were presented with an agenda at that time. Most already had quasi-blueprints and mechanical drawings.

There was a question-answer period in which several of the group asking for clarification on the two separate but con-joined buildings (i.e. the ‘shed’ and the ‘community event’ structure.

Later at 4:00 p.m, I attended the ‘Ask the Architect’ session in the city council room sans chairs. I planned on video-taping the session laboring under the assumption it was to be an informational meeting addressing community questions concerning the structure, financial concerns and a general opinion the city offices and council chambers should remain downtown Alcester within a gallery seating type venue.  O-O-P-S!

Sadly and disappointingly this session was anything but informational. Sure there were architectural renditions of a vision but it came very evident that,

“common sense is a flower that doesn’t grow in the gardens at 308 Iowa or 410 Hidin’ in the bushes Drive”

Anyone watching the amendments to the design, the two rooms originally labeled office and conference room with a static grand total of 883 square feet of space has to think WOW! Approximately 440 square feet of space per each room where current city office rooms run slightly less, square footage-wise. However the current finance office would benefit greatly if they removed the chest deep freezer from the room.

AND SHORT-SIGHTEDLY

There is NO provision in the community center for a REAL however ad-libbed council chamber.

JUST A CHANGE IN LABELS NOT DESIGN OR DIMENSIONS.

SAMPLE COUNCIL CHAMBER

FINANCE OFFICE AND COUNCIL CHAMBERS NEED TO STAY DOWNTOWN!

 

02/01/2020 A Voice From the Gallery

Agenda 02/03/2020

 

COMING UP:

January 6, 2020,AGENDA ITEM #18 (e)-Motion to Approve CDBG Loan to City $32,640.66 (police car). 0% Interest, 4 year Payback per schedule. No action taken on CDBG Loan to City as Sam Nelson needs more information.

January 27, 2020,Special Meeting Agenda carried no provision for City Attorney Sam Nelson’s report on the $32, 640.66 proposed CDBG Loan to pay for the Police Car. H-m-m?

February 3, 2020, Agenda Item #8-Legal Updates-Sam Nelson-NO CBDG?

*Generally I do not like to use Wikipedia as a source because it can be edited by anyone. I will in this case include a quote from Wikipedia as it relates to Allocation of Funds,

“…communities must meet certain requirements…First, ‘not less than 70 percent of CDBG funds must be used for activities that benefit low- and moderate-income persons.’ Secondly, funds MUST be spend on eligible activities, which are broadly defined as including ‘community development activities directed toward neighborhood revitalization, economic development, and improved community facilities and services.’…Such activities may include ‘Acquisition of real property, Relocation and demolitions, Rehabilitation of residential and non-residential structures, Construction of public facilities and improvements’ and more…Third governments must follow a plan of project selection that includes citizen participation, especially by citizens who live in ‘areas’ in which the grantee proposes to use CBDG funds” *(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_Development_Block_Grant.)

State Allocations and Contacts State CDBG allocations by state are listed at: http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/budget/. The best contact people are the HUD Field Office Directors, whose contact information can be found at: http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/about/staff/fodirectors/.

 

CONCLUSION:

NO CBDG FUNDING OF EQUIPMENT DESCRIBED AS POLICE CRUISER AND PER THE ALCESTER ORDINANCE FOR SECOND PENNY SALES TAX–ASSETS ONLY– NOT POLICE CRUISERS THOSE MUST COME OUT OF GENERAL FUNDS. NO PAY DAY LOANS ALLOWED FO PAT!  Wow, I did not realise Beacom had a program in PayDay Loans!

February 3, 2020, Agenda Item #14-PROPERTY PURCHASE 01.01.13.1040 QUAM & BERGLAND RENTALS, $15,000, 2ND PENNY-Class NADC and NADC2 valuation 2019 $16,260 Purchase price to be taken from 2nd penny sales tax. It is to be noted here, upon city purchase the property ceases to accrue tax dollars benefiting the residents of Alcester.

February 3, 2020, Agenda Item #15(b)-Golf Cart trade-in/purchase to come out of 2nd penny sales tax. Questionable 2nd penny assignment per ordinance restriction language.

February 3, 2020, Agenda Item #15 (c)-Golf Top Dressing Mower Purchase to come out of 2nd penny sales tax. Questionable 2nd penny assignment per ordinance restriction language.

February 3, 2020, Agenda Item #18 (e)-Motion to approve Loan to City, from Revolving Loan Fund (?), $32, 640.66, 0% interest, 4 year payback per schedule.

SO FOR US NOT-SO-ASTUTE RESIDENTS, ‘Lay Persons’ and ‘snoopy, busy-body neighbors’…Tell us what is the difference between the CBDG and a Revolving Loan Fund.  Just a name change?  Semantics Sam?  ACA Sam, is your judgment of a ‘well constructed letter for a lay person’ based upon Class ‘A’ legal advice, English degree, South Dakota Municipal League Lobbyist, seat in the SD Bar or participant/advisor to the city council in canvass of the 2019 mayoral votes meeting where Alcester City Finance Officer Patricia Jurrens handed over the keys to the ballot box and the council was allowed to handle the election ballots?”  Sam just because an argument does not ‘jump-out’ at you like a 400 lb. gorilla, it does not mean a small soft warning growl in the dark of a room does not mean there are no paws, no claws and no jaws waiting, on the ready to defend to the end! The FAT LADY is STILL not singing, do-re-mi-oorah!

 

Please readers, attend this meeting.

It is important.

Public Input is AGENDA ITEM #7, TELL THE COUNCIL WHAT YOU THINK. IT IS YOUR RIGHT, YOUR VOTE, YOUR TAXES!

 

01/27/2020 A Voice From the Gallery

The January 27, 2020, special meeting of the Alcester City Council was called to order at 6:00 p.m. with Mayor Glas, Councilman David Larsen, Councilman Dan Haeder*, Councilwoman Darla Reppe, Councilwoman Melissa Kay, Councilwoman Linda Talbott and Councilman Lance Johnson present. Absent was Alcester City Attorney Sam Nelson.

The council along with the gallery recited the Pledge of Allegiance and with that the meeting began.

First order of business after the call-to-order and the pledge was approval of the agenda. Mayor Glas called for a motion to approve the agenda (03:48:80). Glas mentioned an ‘error’ and the two fives would become 5A and 5B, so Councilman Johnson moved to accept the agenda without adding the change in the agenda, a second came from Councilman David Larsen with no correction to the agenda, and with no discussion the council voted unanimously to accept the agenda.

Agenda Item #4 – Public Input. I responded I had public input and with my announcement, Mayor Glas commented(04:27.80), “…Let’s try to hold it down to a couple minutes…” to which I responded…”…well it will take what it takes…”(04:31:87),” and I proceeded with my comments. There was no other public input.

Agenda Item #5 – (A) Approve Architect Agreement, CO-OP Architecture (AIA B101). FO Pat did an introductory quasi summary, most of which related to the 500+ pages of just one of the agreements. FO Pat noted there was a tele-conference between CO-OP Architecture, Tom Freiberg, Sam Nelson, Mayor Glas and FO-Pat to discuss the contract.

Agenda Item #5– (B) Community Center Plans and Specifications. This item was re-listed by Mayor Glas as Agenda Item 5B but it was not approved as such, there was no motion on Agenda Item 5B, there was no second on Agenda Item 5B, there was no discussion on Agenda Item 5B and no separate vote on Agenda Item 5B. So as I see it, Community Center Plans and Specifications renamed by Mayor Glas as Agenda Item 5B and approved as such by the council in their approval of agenda was not dealt with at all.

Agenda Item #6 – Community Center Advertising. Councilwoman Melissa Kay moved to approve this agenda item, Councilman Lance Johnson seconded the motions and under discussion Councilman David Larsen made some observations and remarks. (20:31:60)

During this discussion Councilman David Larsen wanted to make it clear that he was in favor of the project but with strong strings attached. In these remarks Councilman Larsen insisted that the finance office and the council chamber existence were non-negotiable in his opinion.  No mention of the police department.  So what are they to do, run around like a taco truck type mobile office to maintain law and order?   Councilman Larsen states that,

“the finance office needs a better place…the office is cramped…small and should be across from the council chamber because of all the hauling of stuff the finance office staff has to do for council meeting… and in the five months of summer operation the city could save $120 per week by having the finance office accept those few (2-4) greens fees that may come in the morning hours (8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.) …”

In addition the city council chamber needs to be more sound proof… we have 3 million votes for the community building and while a vote of citizens is okay it would be a waste of time and money… astute citizens…”

Argument

  • the finance office needs a better place, the finance office is cramped, the finance office is small.  Vickie’s Answer:  Find a building downtown that has more space. Present finance office is around 180 square feet give or take. Clean out the superfluous junk out of the finance office. Take one desk out of the finance office.
  • the finance office should be across from the council chamber.  Vickie’s Answer:  The Finance office does not have to be across from the council chamber, if all that heavy lifting of a bunch of stuff for council meetings, get the finance officer a grocery cart.
  • if the finance office received the green fees, the city could save $120 per week by the finance office accept 2 to 4 greens fees.  Vickie’s Answer:  Dump the second Finance officer in favor of a golf course employee who can take greens fees, read meters, do mailings and pick up the mail. You will save more like $15,000 per year.
  • the council chamber needs to be more sound proof.  Vickie’s Answer:  Yeah, it does! According to the technical article of February 1, 2016, titled, “6 City Council Chambers Design Mistake to Avoid… council chambers revolve around communication…Audio, Video and Technology should be considered early during the design process…Failure to consider these items now will result in problems down the road…Acoustics…Just like any other gathering place or presentation space, speech intelligibility is critical in a City Council Chamber…contemplate camera angles…(Base 4 Tech, LLC dba Vibe Design Group) (vibedesigngroup.net/6-city-council-chambers-design-mistakes-to-avoid/).”  So tell me where is the gallery supposed to sit in the COOP Chamber room? Going by the supposition the existing finance office/council chambers (measures approximately 325 sq.ft. for council chamber and 200 sq.ft finance office for total of 525 sq. ft.) and the projected COOP finance office/council chamber (appears as 883 sq.ft. which if divided equally between the two rooms will allot the finance office 441.5 sq.ft and the council chamber 441.5 sq. ft.)  

In Councilman David Larsen’s remarks he says, (20:56:45), ” we have 3 million votes for the community center…a vote of the citizens is okay but an astute citizen…would be a waste of time and money…”

Stepping back to a question posed by Councilwoman Melissa Kay about what happens if we do not raise the shortfall money for the community project, can we get a loan. Finance Officer Pat Jurrens answered no because we (the city) already have a loan for $500,000 for the community center project. Listen to the video. In addition and so the citizens are aware, it is my understanding there are strings to those 3 million votes to the effect if the matching moneys are not coughed up the deal is dead. So that is imaginary votes or money?

Now going back to that part of the statement “…we have 3 million votes…”.  Please tell me that you do not mean 3 million dollars translate into 3 million votes and they hold more weight than our 830 some votes as a tax-paying citizens. Evidently I am not one of those “astute citizens”.  I in my world 3 million dollar/votes, do not dictate how to spend our tax dollars nor burden our children with a debt the city cannot pay but in my world a  finance officer we cannot trust according to indictments would be summarily dismissed.

Motion on Agenda Item #6 was made by City Councilman David Larsen, seconded by Councilwoman Darla Reppe, no further discussion with a unanimous vote of aye.

Agenda Item #7- Approve Architect Agreement COOP Architecture-Councilwoman Melissa Kay made the motion to approve the agreement with the second coming from Councilwoman Linda Talbott, no discussion and a unanimous vote of aye.

Agenda Item #8– Executive session-was not needed. Amazing!

Agenda Item #9 – Adjourn-Councilman David Larsen moved to adjourn, second came from Councilman Lance Johnson, no discussion and a unanimous vote of aye the January 27, 2020, meeting was adjourned at 6:24 p.m.

* Alcester City Councilman Dan Haeder purchased a home on the east side of Park Street which places him in Ward III. According to statute he cannot represent Ward II IF his place of residence has changed, that he would have to resign his seat. I asked him about this back in late December and he said that he had discussed it with the council. I am left to wonder about the delay in residency.

01/26/2020 A Voice From the Gallery

Please find below, the agenda for Monday night’s special meeting, 6:00 p.m.  Just click on where is says 01-27-2020 Agenda.

01-27-2020

Please note Items #5 Architect Agreement, #5 Community Center Plans & Specs, #6 Community Center Advertising,  and #7 Approve Architect Agreement.  How sloppy can you get?  Another Half-Glas’d job!

Come on, with all those finance office shut down hours on Tuesdays just so the bookkeeper can get to her work done.  Maybe if she did not have so many court dates for personnel indictments and violations, the good citizens of Alcester would get value for their tax dollars.

If you do not want the city offices in the community building, if you do not what FO Pat in an over watch position of the police department, the golf course, your wedding celebrations, your family reunions, parties, if you do not want FO Pat deciding what you pay in taxes, if you do not want FO Pat deciding what tractor repair shop is going to be located off your bedroom window and if you do not want FO Pat deciding in which burial plot you will located, attend this meeting, make your feelings heard and shut FO Pat down.  We cannot TRUST FO Pat!     ATTEND THIS MEETING!

By the way, we STILL do not have a website.  The council has voted two or is it three times now and we STILL do not have a website!  WHY NOT?  Is it too far over FO Pat’s Gigabyte capacity to understand how to do it?  I know of at least two times the council approved two different entities to set up websites. WHY isn’t Pat doing what the council told her to do?  WHAT is FO PAT trying to hide?  Is it her inability to handle computer programs (I thought ol’ Mr. Monson ‘tutored’ her in programing) or is it perhaps her intent to keep the citizens ignorant of what she IS doing or NOT doing?  Remember it is the job of Mayor Glas to OVERSEE Finance Officer Jurren’s performance.  Oh that’s right Mayor Glas cannot tell whether his navel is an innie, an outie or an orange!

12/20/2019 A Voice From the Gallery

NO VARIANCE FOR COUNCILMAN JOHNSON

 

LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO OUR TOWN, MAYOR GLAS

LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO OUR TOWN

IT’S THE ONLY THING YOU HAD TO DO RIGHT

AND YOU MANAGED TO GET IT WRONG, GLAS

LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO OUR TOWN

 

LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO OUR FOLKS, MAYOR GLAS

LOOK WHAT YOU DONE TO OUR FOLKS

WELL YOU PICKED OUR POCKETS RIGHT DOWN TO THE LINT

LOOK WHAT YOU TOOK FROM US, GLAS

LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO OUR TOWN

 

WE WANT OUR GOOD TOWN BACK, MAYOR GLAS

WE WANT OUR GOOD TOWN BACK

WELL IF WE HAD OUR GOOD TOWN BACK WE’D

BROOM OL’ RIFF-RAFF GLAS OUT AND

FIX WHAT HE HAS DONE TO OUR TOWN.

 

WE’RE FIGHTING BACK FOR OUR TOWN, MAYOR GLAS

WE’RE FIGHTING BACK FOR OUR TOWN

WELL THE FOLKS WILL STAND UP AND TAKE BACK THEIR TOWN

SOON WE’LL HAVE OUR TOWN BACK GLAS

‘CAUSE WE ALL SEE WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO OUR TOWN.

 

LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO OUR TOWN, MAYOR GLAS

LOOK WHAT FOPAT HAS DONE TO OUR TOWN

YOU BOTH HAVE SHOVED US IN A GARBAGE BAG

AND TOSSED IT TO THE GROUND

LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO OUR TOWN*

 

 

*inspired by the song lyric titled.  “Look What They’ve Done to My Song” by Melanie Safka  “What Have They Done to My Song, Ma Lyrics.” Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2019. Web. 20 Dec. 2019. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/6899041/The+New+Seekers>.

12/09/2019 A Voice From the Gallery

“Government is instituted for the common good:  for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family or class of men”  

John Adams

Mayor Tom Glas called the December 9, 2019, special meeting of the Alcester City Council to order at 5:00 p.m. with Councilwoman Melissa Kay, Councilwoman Darla Reppe, Councilwoman Linda Talbott, Councilman Dan Haeder, and Councilman David Larsen present. Absent were Alcester City Attorney and Alcester City Councilman Lance Johnson. Also attending the special meeting was Gordon Richards from the Alcester Union-Hudsonite and Vickie Larsen.

Mayor Glas called for the approval of the Agenda for the special meeting. With no changes and no discussion the group approved the agenda with a unanimous vote of five (5).

Agenda item #4 was public input. Prior to the meeting I distributed copies of my input on the proposed variance at each council persons seat. I went over the contents of the document which was a rough draft of my opinion on the variance, errors and omissions to the form and content and citations of statute brought forth by attorneys and the infamous variance.

I pointed out to the council, a South Dakota Supreme court decision involving code, covenants and restrictions running with land violation. The high court found in favor of the complainant that the covenants had indeed been violated and went a step further to award the legal costs of enforcing the codes, covenants and restrictions.

I was asked the question when the final draft would becoming, I answered as soon as I had access to Mr. McGill’s opinion. In addition to that opinion, I will certainly take into consideration any argument mounted by the Alcester City Attorney in my answer.

After my presentation, Pat offered up an astounding comment. (00:06:35). Alcester Finance Officer Jurrens argued that Alcester a city of just 800 population did not need a variance form such as the one Union County uses. ‘Cause she knows everybody who comes in for variances and she uses information from Beacon-Schneider site. Uhm folks, the Beacon-Schneider site has a warning notation under the summary specifically a brief tax description. (Note: Not to be used on legal documents) Of course what Pat is passing off as a legal document is nothing more than the equivalent of a page ripped off from a First graders coloring book. Folks would you want the value of your life’s asset/property to be dependent upon the legal and financial judgment of Finance Officer Jurrens? She seems to struggle with those concepts.

So using Finance Officer Jurrens logic if a city of 800 people is too small to bother with legal documents for variances, then we can do an initiated measure, get rid of the Property Maintenance Code and ol’ Geoff Fillingsness. Right?

Agenda item #5– was the Second reading of the 2019-08 Pleasant Hill Cemetery Ordinance. The motion was made and seconded for the second reading of the 2019-08 ordinance. Let’s hope she got this right, who knows what might rise to the surface here.

Agenda item #6 Rumor has it the new police car has hit Iowa. Time to pay for the car. Finance Officer Pat has robbed the CBDG account once again to float her bookkeeping. Mayor Glas repeated the motion only where it the amount was $24, 744.00 to Wegner Auto and $8.00 to Premier Bank Check Fee- Ol’ eagle-eyes lost the dot and read the amount as $800.00 into his regurgitation of the motion.

Agenda item #7 Supplemental Appropriation Ordinance 2019-09- Folks this is the part of Finance Officer duties where the Finance Officer makes a mad scramble to come up with the funds to pay the bills she and Mayor Glas encouraged the council to spend. Normally referred to as Robbing Peter to pay Paul or Pat. Don’t forget that $4880 fee paid out to Pat where no one approved of the OT!

Agenda item #8 Committee meeting date for City vacancies. Committee members, Councilwoman Melissa Kay, Councilwoman Linda Talbott and Councilman David Larsen.  Date was set for December 16, 2019, at 4:30 p.m. Will need job descriptions for librarian, solid waste (dump-ground) and Sextant (this one I will leave alone)

No Executive session

Adjourned the meeting at 5:17 pm

 

12/06/2019 A Voice From the Gallery

Ladeees and Gents our favorite Glas flower has a problem with me.  A-w-w-w!  Oh by the way, she plead ‘not guilty’ in court yesterday for those of you who are following the Alcester FOSAGA (Finance Officer Summoned Again Government Action) oh yeah and do not forget to BYOB (Bring Your Owed Bail)!

When ‘we the people’ have a problem with finance officer, she’s gonna have a problem with us specifically but not limited to me .  In my opinion, “When ya ain’t doin’ your job, you ain’t worth the pay!”  FO Pat whined to the council, “I work so hard… “I do my best and I work really hard”…” Well Madam FO, IF that is your best—–yer best ain’t good enough”  Case in point I served this FOIA request arising out of Pat’s statements in the December 2, 2019, city council meeting on Pat this morning (December 6, 2019):

FO Pat produced the ‘variance application’ below in answer to #1 of my Foia Request 12/06/2019 and charged me $.25.  This document is the sum total of the variance request or so FO Jurrens purported it to be.  This must be the truth, otherwise Alcester Finance Officer LIED to me and by deliberate omission of facts produced a false record as a true copy of the variance application and charge me for it.  SO WHICH IS IT?

Yup this is what FO Pat considers a variance application, Who knows what version of the famed firm of Dewey, Cheath’em’ and Howe drew this exemplar up.

Below find a sample of what Union County uses:

I asked several questions about the remainder of the FOIA request, to which Patti Parrot responded, “I don’t have that, I don’t have that”.  I asked the question, “WHY don’t you have it, you should” and Patti Parrot responded, “I don’t have that, I don’t have that”  Yeah I figured that out when you lowered your voice and looked to the left each time you professed, “I don’t know that”  Then when I asked where are those documents you and Lance Johnson were running up and down Anderson begging for signatures, you told you did not have them and that I had to ask Lance Johnson.  Why?  Were you not there on the Alcester City time clock as Finance Officer/notary assisting Councilman Lance Johnson? Or representing yourself as Finance Officer instead of just plain ol’ Pat Jurrens?

First-those of you who signed the mystery document Councilman Lance Johnson and Finance Officer Pat Jurrens were hawking to allow Councilman Lance Johnson to build his combine/body shop sized stand alone garage and regret signing the document.  Take note, because Councilman Lance Johnson along with Finance Officer Pat Jurrens is attempting to change the terms and conditions with a variance.  The document you signed is null and void because you were not advised of the whole truth, you were NOT given a copy of the document for your records and nor were those property owners whose property directly abuts 518 Anderson Street in writing of the Variance Hearing.  Your rights were negated by sloppy and negligent procedure by Alcester Finance Officer Pat Jurrens.  I am not an attorney, but I would urge you get togther as a group and seek an opinion from a lawyer on the validity of the document you signed.

To the property owners on Anderson Street, the Variance Hearing was not held per agenda, there was some discussion (00:50:38) to table the Variance Hearing to the next meeting which is December 9, 2019, but no formal motion was made nor seconded or voted upon.  However, Alcester City Attorney Tom Frieberg announced the council should table the Variance Hearing to the January meeting (00:51:31) to receive confirmation from a document of Mike McGill attorney allegedly prepared for Alcester Councilman Lance Johnson.  NO motion, no second and no vote was taken to table to the January meeting of the city Council either.  THE COUNCIL DID NOT OFFICIALLY ACT UPON MR. FRIEBERGS JANUARY SUGGESTION NOR THE ORIGINAL DECEMBER 9, 2019 DISCUSION.  SO WHICH IS IT MR MAYOR?  

RULES OF ORDER:

1.    Table.  If the Council is not ready to vote – be it a lack of information, a sensitive topic people need more time to process or deliberate, or other urgent matters came up – a member may make a motion to “table” the item.  The motion needs a second. It is NOT debatable/open to discussion. And then it needs a majority to carry the motion.  The important point to remember; however, is that it must be re-addressed at the NEXT official meeting.

2.    Postpone. If the Council is not ready to vote and if there is uncertainty on when it will be ready, then a motion should be made to “postpone until ______ (fill in the blank).”  Herein lies the major difference between tabling and postponing; postponing can be defined, but tabling is at the next meeting. Postponing requires motion, second, it CAN be debated/discussed, and a majority vote to carry.*

*Secondary discussion of Roberts Rules of Order which simple describes motions to table and motions to postpone.  https://sharpermanagement.com/2017/06/board-tip-tabling-agenda-item/

 

A SUGGESTION;  So you may want to add an agenda item to the agenda when you approve the agenda Monday night ladies and gentlemen of the council.  This does meet the requirement of an emergency add-on.