The meeting was called to order by mayor pro-tem Huson at about 7:02. Council Members Hunt and Albertson were on vacation. After the agenda was approved, Huson explained why he felt it was important to hire a town administrator right away, given that it appears the vote to change the form of government is on its way to defeat (as of 5 pm today the count was 101 in favor, 132 opposed). Huson felt there that many who voted against a permanent change of government, but still felt a need for some short term help. Stebner thought the vote count was an endorsement from the voters that they do not want anyone hired. Stebner was also concerned about the cost.
After Stebner and Huson both expressed their views a few times, the issue was opened up for public comment. 3 people supported hiring a town administrator, 3 others were undecided but wanted further study to confirm there was enough money to hire someone.
Huson noted that former Mayor Everding left a 2 page list of priorities that would be a good starting point for an administrator. Hunt had left word that she wants to hire someone with experience with grants. Hedrick wants someone with construction and development experience, since Point Ruston is starting soon. The police chief, speaking solely as a member of the town's staff, expressed her hope that someone could be found that could provide positive guidance for the staff.
It was clear that Stebner would not support moving forward on this, so Huson and Hedrick agreed that Huson would write up a job description and get it posted on AWC as soon as possible. Huson noted that along with moving Point Ruston forward, he felt this was the most important issue facing Ruston right now. The meeting ended at about 7:30 pm. (Thank you for taking such good notes, Beth)
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28 comments:
Thank you Karen for your interpretation of my understanding & notes of the events of tonights meeting. I feel it was a positve meeting.
I do appreciate the direct approach Mayor pro-tem Huson is taking in this matter. (who said that? :)
Beth
Hmm, the ole shuvit down our throat approach, again. (You call it the direct approach). From what I saw and heard, the lawyer told our brain trust there would be two little requirements: the funds would have to be identified in the budget and 4 votes in favcr would be required before this could go forward. The majority of voters don't want to spend that kind of money, but I wouldn't worry about what the voters want. Bradley and Hedrick will do their best for you.
Glad to hear it!
Keep up the good work.
Before the change of government vote went against them hiring a permanent Town Administrator at $100,000 a year was a COST SAVING.
Must be saving the money for their favorite lawsuits. Sue, yah we'll sue your socks of it we don't want you in our town.
Anon #2, you forgot one minor thing, They'll have to renovate the upstairs at the school to house the new administrator. I guess they could renovate town hall, but then they would have to renovate the upstairs of the school for court. Yikss, looks like a lot more money.
there needs to be a administrator why? forget about the cost for a moment (just a moment)
first the town hall employees have NO official supervisor outside of the mayor. The court has a supervisor and the police department has a supervisor, but none for town hall employees.
Second, would you rather pay someone $75,000 + to handle ALL the issues arrising, be supervisor to the town employees and cut down on any more chances of the town being robbed in the future by untrustworthy employees?
third, the part-time mayor cannot possibly be everywhere at every moment to handle all situations whereas this full-time administrator is right there.
fourth, there is no excuse to say he (the administrator) does not get paid enough (duh we are making sure of that), but with the part-time mayor they only get $500/month, $6,000/yearly and have a life outside of Ruston that calls him away frequently.
Bottom line with the administrator:
*** supervisor to the town's employees
***manage all the day-to-day functions/lawsuits/construct/etc
*** establish new rules according to town policy of course to prevent any further issues with fraud and other pertinent rules/regulations
*** works full-time and has his life after work hours as other employees
*** someone with public sector/municipality experience
*** at least 8 years of experience with a Bachelors/Masters Degree in Administration
*** supervises all activities of the City departments
*** appoints and removes all staff and
*** implements policy as established by the City Council.
now although the residents believe a part-time mayor can do this, times have changed. its impossible to do all this on $500/monthly $6,000 salary and PART-TIME
IMPOSSIBLE and even if they tried or could when do they get to see their families/friends?
Attendance at the "Special Meeting"
Jim Wingard, Sherri Forsch, Mr. Anderson, Nan Leiter, Shirley, Peter Albertson (Dan's son), Mrs. Fabre, Huson, Hedrick, Stebner, the attorney, Karen Carlyle and myself.
Anonymous #1 please put your name to your feelings and participate in a civil manner. What are your "real" reasons for not wanting an administrator to help us get on track?
I believe if the money was available for a Town Manager then there certainly should be plenty for a part time administrator. The salary sounded like the biggest concern from the public comments. If that obstical was taken care of would you reconsider your position?
Beth
xplygsTown Administrator:
For the inside skinny on the snides and hypocrisy on this issue refer to:
http://rustontruth.blogspot.com/
One minute we cannot do without a TA the next we cannot do with a TA. The world of the cabal is definitely evolving or is it dissolving.
It most certainly is in a defensive attack mode!!!!
Shall we get back on subject, Beth and Windbag? Doesn't matter what the cabal thinks - what matters is what the voters think, and the voters said NO. How plain does the message have to be to get through to your understanding?
Also, will you please learn to spell, Beth, and don't be such a peacock, Windbag - most people avoid going to Ruston Truth because they can get far more interesting garbage by reading the National Inquirer. At least you can spell, will give you that.
Funny how you can have enough money
for a town manager,But no money for
a temp consultant/manager at half the cost.You just trying to sabotage the government? A failed coup attempt?You really that unhappy living in Ruston.Even with mis spelled words you seem to get the message.
Anonymous #9 (and Jim in some ways), just a word of warning. I am very concerned about the increasing mean-spiritedness of our discourse. This blog is becoming just another place for us to lash out at each other. Please stop using your comments here to insult other people, especially if you have to hide behind an anonymous comment to do so.
Jim, I appreciate your concern about the direction of our elected leaders are taking us - and the fact you are honest enough to put your name to your comments. I'd ask you to join me in trying to create a more open dialoge that I think we can achieve by addressing our concerns at people's actions, not them personally.
There are several commenters that I ask to exercise the same caution. The increased conversation is good, but I think we need to tone down the name calling and personal attacks - even against elected officials. I think even more people will participate if we can focus on what we disagree about, not who.
Thanks for your help!
You keep misspelling dialogue.
You reap what you sow, Karen. I don't recall you having an issue with the "discourse" a few months ago when the attack du jour was Nazi caricatures and comments about council members being creeps and scumbags. You're more than willing to stoke these kind of fires when they suit your purposes but when they become attacks on your friends and opinions, suddenly there's a problem with the dialogue. If this is a race to the bottom in terms of the level of discourse in this town, you're holding the checkered flag.
#13 Go to your corner until you can play right. Quit picking on Karen...
What's good for the goose is good for the gander, Karen.
You yourself set the negative tone of this blog when you started it off last year with slamming people and opinions you didn't like. Don't you remember some of the ugly labels you put on people? And you called this anger of yours 'political free speech', 'community conversation', 'civil dialoge' (sic),'addressing concerns'.
Honey, you've opened your Pandora's box and released the foul smell that fills the air all around. All the plagues and sorrows known to humanity are what you've allowed people to post and saturate your blog: insanity, greed, lies, etc. - they are the norm, now.
The sap you throw in between the poison (memories, recollections of sweeter, and simpler times in Ruston) winds up just taking space. People leave 0 to few comments by that material, have you noticed?
The reality is that you have successfully achieved opening huge wounds in two different factions.
This is your legacy in the healing of Ruston: it will never happen because you have aggravated, not helped to solve our problems.
Gees.Even the momories and recollection section stirs up hatred.Does anybody like anybody?
See what I mean?
Anonymous, I don't think anybody does like anybody from what they usually say on this blog.
Once again, the Nazi reference does not come from me – nor was any such picture posted on this blog. I think that's at least the 25th time I've said that...
We seem to be touching on the divisions that have been present long before we started talking on this blog. The meanest, most negative comments come from mystery commenters who won’t own up to their own words. That says volumes about the nature of this debate.
Spin it how you want, but Ruston’s challenges are much deeper and were here long before this blog took off. If you are truly concerned about the division, start by putting your name to your comments so we can talk openly about our differences.
Anon #6 You must remember. We have had several mayors serve without complaints of their income. Now I do remember a mayor who asks for extra help, but oh no, (according to you) he did nothing....(not to say we would let him) Than again we had Everding. WHO JUST KEEPS QUITING.. (Big accomplishment) However Transue did last a lot longer dealing with you guys and got a lot more done than Everding. Let your actions and behavior speak for them self.
Oh and by the way, this blog has many people speaking and anyone can log on. Unlike RC. Not with just 4 writers pushing their views as if they were a fact and limiting their readers and not permitting their comments.
Now that is sound judgment. Duh... I think that is 70 %. We are the majority according to the RC.
You at least get a voice here. More than you gave us.
BE HAPPY, KEEP SMILING.....
We always reap what we sow.
DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY......
Nice site Karen.
ODE TO THE CABAL
If I were a cabal,
The world would be dark and small.
And Ruston mine to control,
Stifle all efforts to grow.
We will tolerate no imposition,
Rid ourselves of the populace.
Unfettered by neighbors and stores,
We'll be free to settle old scores.
The residents refused to roll over,
Decided to reject the do over.
"We are moving forward in step,
Get a life and get over it imept."
copyright 8-27-2008
In order to be part of the cabal James Wingard - you would need to live in Ruston.
You keep referencing WE but you don't live here and don't vote here so quit referencing WE.
Would also appreciate you taking Karen's message and quit with the naming calling (Cabal).
Note from William Shakespeare to Ms Karen Pickett, who says 'for the 25th time' that the Nazi reference never came from her and that a swastika picture was never posted on her blog: The lady protesteth too much.
Guess all those people who took offense were just imagining that they read the Nazi reference and saw the photo of Bradley Huson with a swaskika on his shirt.
Swastika, swastika, swastika, swastika, swastika, swastika
nazi, nazi, nazi, nazi, nazi
nazi, nazi, nazi, nazi, nazi
The Nazi hat and ss armband on the picture of Bradley was not done by Karen. The doer of that dastardly deed identified himself in that post.
While I was certainly PO'd at Bradley at the time, the whole Nazi association was and is disconcerting for me.
While Jim W does not live in Ruston anymore, he does own property here. He has an interest in anything that has an effect on the taxes and value of that property.
I for one will endevour to be a tad less provocative in the future.
Craig
If you know so much about the whole Nazi thing. then you would know all your friends saw this picture on www.rustontruth.blogspot.com
NOT ON THIS BLOG.
Check it out. Do you think Karen just lied to you, so you could carry on with this BS.
BS, huh? Ruston Truth is run by the same person as Ruston Home and both are promoted on the other, but yet somehow no one is responsible for the content of Ruston Truth? Nazi references aside, it seems the only difference between the two blogs is that Ruston Home engages in a more muted form of character assassination. You can call someone a scumbag on Ruston Home, you just can't do it using the "F" word in front of it. Now that's civil discourse!
Ok, so the "People" said NO by a slim margin for a town administrator and yet it will happen anyways?
You know, I have no idea what you guys are even talking about anymore. I'm gonna go back and watch Crank Yankers reruns. At least they can accomplish a mission.
Oh, and I'm all about National-Socialism. And I totally love Kim Jong Il. I think Ruston needs a self-appointed Kim Jong Il. Maybe Windbag?
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