Catching Up With Council Actions

Reading council meeting minutes may not be the most thrilling, but it's a good indication of what's happening around town. Here are a few highlights and links to the minutes if you want to read for yourself:

• Lynn Syler was appointed to fill the council seat vacated by Bruce Judd. The council discussed the process of filling that vacancy at the May 3rd meeting, but Holland Cohen was the only applicant at that time. The council decided at the next meeting (May 20th) to appoint Ms. Syler without interviewing or contacting both candidates;  citing the fact that Syler frequently attends council meetings.
• The fire pumper truck failed in late May. Repair costs were too high, so the council approved the emergency purchase of a 'new' used rig for $76,500. Chief Torbet managed to find a truck in good working condition that fits in Ruston's small engine bay at Town Hall. 
• Garbage rates increased - up to $30 for a 35-gallon can (from $25 per month).
• Ruston has created its own Emergency Management Organization, with the expertize of Firefighter Eric Cunningham.
• Rental space is officially available via professional listing agents with Neil Walter Company.
• The green space along Winnifred Street is in the process of becoming an official park.

Meeting Minutes:
May 3, 2014
May 20, 2014
June 3, 2014
June 17, 2014

Council Meeting Notes: Feb. 21, 2012

The meeting began just a few minutes after 7 pm. Councilmember Hedrick arrived late. The agenda was approved as presented 3-0. The minutes were approved with a change requested by Councilmember Hunt that the discussion about the new councilmember planned for this meeting not be referred to as “would select” but “would interview”. Councilmember Hardin asked that the minutes go back to using the last name of the person rather than using “he” or “she” to avoid any confusion.

Staff Reports

Fire: Among other things, Chief Torbet said there were 5 medical aid calls last month and the CPR training will continue. He invited all the council members to get CPR certified.

Police: Chief Kunkel thanked Kevin Moser for installing security cameras in their office. He said the agreement with Metro Parks had been approved and they will start limited patrols March 1^st in Point Defiance Park. He also listed general stats for the department and other details.

Public Comment

Loren Cohen of Point Ruston gave an update on the grand opening event planned for Ruston Way on April 21^st.

Dick Shores protested Ordinance 1358 regarding further restrictions on parking recreational vehicles on Ruston streets.

Kevin Moser offered more suggestions on how to make the school a viable building so the town could maintain ownership.

Edie Talllman agreed with Mr. Moser with a few added questions.

Beth Torbet gave an update on the business district and talked about how glad she will be when Ruston Way opens up because of the detrimental impact the closure has had on their business.

Business

1. Ordinance 1345 – Zoning Violation Procedures (2^nd Reading): The ordinance was passed 3-0 with some minor edits.
2. Ordinance 1354 – Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Moratorium (1^st Reading): The town attorney encouraged the council not adopt this ordinance because the legislature had clarified state law to confirm dispensaries would stay illegal, so no action was needed at the local level.
3. Ordinance 1355 – Collective Gardens Interim Zoning Standards (1^st Reading): This is a way to control growing medical marijuana near sensitive populations like schools and daycares. It was decided not to require a permit since that implied permission under recent court rulings.
4. Ordinance 1358 – Recreational Vehicle and Trailer Parking (1^st Reading): Kunkel explained this ordinance had been presented by the police department to address some specific problem areas where they have difficulty enforcing the current code. There was lengthy discussion with Hunt noting this was similar to covenants and restrictions used in gated communities, which she felt were needed in Ruston. Hardin was concerned that any ordinance be uniformly applied at all times, not just when there was problem or complaint.  
5. Ordinance 1359 – Impound (1^st Reading): Kunkel stated this brought Ruston code in line with state law. Hunt and Hardin had questions that were addressed by the chief.
6. Ordinance 1360 – Adopting Model Traffic Control (1^st Reading): The last time Ruston adopted traffic codes was 1977. This ‘cleans up’ the books and brings the town up to date.
7. Ordinance 1361 – Parking of Unlicensed Vehicles (1^st Reading): This brings Ruston’s fees current with the state.
8. Council Member – Discussion/Appointment: The mayor noted that no council members had submitted any questions for the single applicant for the vacant council seat, so he assumed they were all satisfied with the application as submitted (which the town refused to make public). Councilmember Hedrick moved to appoint Bruce Judd as councilmember until the next regular election. Hunt seconded and the motion passed 4-0. Judd was sworn in and took his seat.
9. School Building – Discussion/Al Olson: Mr. Olson said the mayor had requested that he come to give a brief report on his team’s finding about the future of the school building. He outlined the qualifications of his team and then reiterated his team’s views that the building should be sold and the money be used to hire his team for strategic planning to handle the town’s projected growth as well as improvements to the current town hall.  He noted his team did their research and prepared their report without any payment or contract and it resulted with a valid purchase offer from the team. After about 10 minutes, the mayor suggested the discussion be moved to a study session so they could have more time. It was agreed to meet at 6 pm before the next meeting on March 5^th so Mr. Olson could continue his presentation. Hedrick promised more study sessions at a later date to take public comment (which is not allowed at a normal study session).
10. Budget Discussion – Salary Review: Ruston employees have voted to de-certify their union. The mayor said how glad he was that the town does not have to go thru collective bargaining. The mayor requested a 3% salary increase for 2012. Hedrick confirmed a budget amendment would be presented for approval.

Claims and Payroll: approved 5-0

Mayor’s Time

Hopkins thanked Hedrick for agreeing to give the speech for the town at the Ruston Way ribbon cutting. He welcomed Judd to the council. He encouraged the rest of the council to take the tour of Point Ruston. He is working on the plans for the landscaping in the new roundabout located in Ruston at the bottom of N. 51^st, including getting pricing for his ideas. He has the town planner working on securing a separate zip code for Ruston to ensure all sales tax comes to the town that is due. He will try to keep the meetings to one hour to limit consultant costs (because they attend the meetings). He expressed his appreciation about hearing from the public about the school building.

Council Time

Hedrick welcomed Judd and noted the willow tree damaged in the ice storm at Winnifred and Pearl had finally been fully removed. He also noted his new baby girl.

Hunt welcomed Judd and asked the council pull out the council rules and start following them again. She said she had nothing to do with her partner Al Olson and his bid for the school building. She wasn’t sure she even agreed with him.

Hardin congratulated Hedrick on his new daughter and welcomed Judd to the council. He welcomed input from the public on the school. He will check with a friend who works for Tacoma about getting a used garbage truck.

Kristovich welcomed Judd and Hedrick.

Judd had no comment.

The meeting adjourned at 8:37 pm.

A Little About Ruston's New Councilmember

I invited our newest councilmember to share some background so we could get to know him better. Bruce Judd was appointed at the last council meeting and will serve for two years until the next regular election. When I spoke to him after the meeting, he mentioned he had been an attorney but had a stroke, which impacts his ability to speak. Here are more details he shared in an email: 

I am finished University of Washington Law School  in 1979.  I had a stroke in August, 2005.  I had aphasia.  My aphasia are global aphasia and pure word deafness (I can hear but not understand some words).  My aphasia are:  1. inability to comprehend language;  2. inability to speak spontaneously;  3. inability to form words;  4.  inability to name objects;  5 .  poor enunciation;  6.   excessive creation and use of personal neologisms;  7.   persistent repetition of phrases;  8.  agrammatism (inability to speak in a grammatically correct fashion);  8.  incomplete sentences;  9.  inability to write; 10.   limited verbal output;  and 11.   difficulty in naming.  My aphasia are not like memory impairments, attention disorders or perceptual problems. 

Welcome to our newest town leader!

Ruston Council Are Employees?

Town officials offered the following response to my request for the application materials submitted for the current council vacancy. Because the council is paid $30 per month the town can claim this is an employment process, withhold all information and hold their discussion in executive session (as was done at the last meeting).

I contacted one of the applicants, Michael Schonecker, and he gave permission to post his resume (below). Mr. Schonecker submitted his application late and will not be considered unless the council decides not to appoint the only other applicant, Bruce Judd.

I was only able to locate one Judd family in Ruston. I have sent a letter to them asking that, if Mr. Judd is the Bruce announced at the last meeting, to please submit his application material for public review here. I'll post anything I receive from Mr. Judd.

The council announced at their last meeting that they will read Mr. Judd's written responses to a list of questions they will prepare for him. The reading will occur during the meeting on February 21st. The council has a total of 3 months to fill the vacancy.

Council Meeting Notes Preview

I don't have my notes prepared yet, but a couple of issues were discussed that I felt were important:

• School: It was announced that Point Ruston has approved the conditions proposed by the town to extend their lease in the building for two more years. The monthly amount will be gradually increased to match what the town feels they need to break-even. The agreement is for two years, but the town can cancel it at the one year mark. The mayor indicted that means the potential sale of the school will not happen for at least a year.
• Council Vacancy: After an executive session to discuss personnel matters, the mayor announced that only one person had applied for the vacancy on time, Bruce Judd. A second application was received the next day from Michael Schoenecker. The council will have Mr. Judd answer questions in writing, which will be read at the next meeting. They will then decide if he will be appointed. If they choose not to appoint him, new applications will be invited - at which time Mr. Schoenecker can reapply. On a side note, the town will not release any information about the applicants other than the verbal announcement of their names at the meeting last night.

Ruston Denies Records Request

Citing RCW 42.56.250, Ruston officials have denied a public records request from the Ruston Home blog for the names and application materials received for the current council vacancy. The town council invited residents to submit resumes and apply for the open seat by January 31, 2012. The vacancy was created when Dorothy Bailey could not serve after being elected last fall.

The RCW referenced outlines exemptions from public disclosure for certain public employee records. The mayor stated that if the applications ever become public, they will be provided. At the last council meeting, the council said they would interview applicants at the first regular meeting in February.

One More Day!

You have one more day to get your application and resume delivered to town hall if you want the privilege of serving as councilmember to the good folks of Ruston. The council will appoint a town resident to fill the vacancy created by Dorothy Bailey's resignation. That person will hold that office until the next regular election in 2013. The council has invited anyone interested to submit applications through the end of January, at which time they will interview applicants before making their decision.

There is no word yet if anyone has tossed their hat in the ring. Bryan Ficiala had mounted a last minute write-in campaign against Ms. Bailey. Several council members encouraged out-going councilmember Bradley Huson to consider sticking around two more years. The deadline for applicants is tomorrow at 5 pm. Drop your paperwork off at Town Hall (5117 N. Shirley) if you are interested.

Council Meeting: November 27, 2011

The meeting for November 27, 2011 began at 7:02 pm with town planner Rob White calling the meeting to order. The mayor arrived within a few minutes. Councilmember Hedrik was absent. Resolution 496 was added to the agenda and the agenda approved 4-0. There were no minutes presented. Chief Torbet gave the fire department report for October. Sergeant Lawless gave the police department report. Jerry Morissette provided an update on the sewer project and the council authorized continuing the work as long as the dry weather allows.

Public Comment
Beth Torbet thanked the sewer contractor for supporting her business by coming in Don’s Market for lunch. The business is suffering with the Ruston Way road closure. She mentioned the upcoming tree lighting event.

Business
1. Ordinance 1346 – Amending the Town’s Noise Ordinance (1st reading): The town attorney felt this would clean up the town’s ordinance and make it enforceable. The town planner said the required SEPA review had been completed. Councilmember Hunt wanted the RCW’s listed in ordinances provided with each draft from now on, but the mayor felt that would involve too much attorney time and drive up costs. Councilmember Huson was concerned that this allowed repeat violations. Huson moved to set a public hearing on the issue, which passed 4-0

2. Ordinance 1340 – Adopting Standards for Street Excavation Permits (2nd reading): This was a public hearing that had been advertised in the paper, although Huson wanted to withdraw the issue from discussion since his previous questions had not been addressed yet. The planner outlined again the reasons for this proposal. Huson confirmed the mayor enforces the permit requirements. Hunt was concerned that residents would not know they needed a permit to dig in their front yards if it was within 15 feet of the right of way. Advertising would be needed to inform people. The planner said other jurisdictions enforce this because of concerns that digging close to a sidewalk or other structure could undermine it – although there are already provisions to require owners to repair any damage they might cause. Councilmember Hardin wanted to know if this proposal had been tested in the courts yet. He was concerned about a future mayor using it arbitrarily or inconsistently.

Public comment reflected the same concerns. The issue was tabled until the next meeting when the town attorney could be present to answer more questions.

3. Ordinance 1344 – 2012 Budget and Public Hearing: The mayor reminded everyone that the budget is available on the town web site and noted the $306,000 projected deficit for the coming year. The only public comment was from Beth Torbet, who felt the fire department ran a very lean operation.

The Fire Chief Torbet outlined his budget, noting the increased cost for vaccinations for fire fighters is required by Labor and Industries. Sergeant Lawless answered council questions on the police budget. Huson did not like the proposed pay increases, preferring a 15% paycut instead. He thought since Tacoma is laying off officers there would be plenty of choices if Ruston officers quit. Councilmember Kristovich said she had not studied the budget in detail yet. Hardin expressed appreciation for all the department does, but did not feel the town could increase pay or medical benefits right now. The budget included new medical coverage for officer families (who have not been covered to date). Hunt had not read the budget in detail yet, but was concerned how the new law regarding liquor sales would impact Ruston. Huson stated he wanted to see a 15% reduction in the overall police budget.

The mayor then outlined the overall budget, calling it very bleak. Councilmember Hedrick had sent word that he is checking to ensure that sales tax on the Point Ruston project gets paid to Ruston. The mayor was hopeful that having the Commencement project back up and running would generate some tax not reflected in the current forecast. He felt the utility funds were doing well but the general fund was hurting. He would talk to council members outside the meeting about ways to charge more of the cost for services to the utility funds.

Hunt was concerned about the cost of keeping the school building open. The mayor noted that there was only $26,000 in rent for the year and a $50,000 transfer into that account would be needed to keep it afloat. He is open to all ideas from shuttering the building to selling it. Hunt will explore appraisal options. She wanted to see the building in private ownership so it could be on the tax rolls. Hedrick sent word that he would rather see the building shuttered than continue to operate at a loss.

Huson felt the town needed to decide if it was going to maintain services or outsource them before making decisions on real estate. He reiterated his belief that the town structure needed to change and be managed by a professional, not a part time mayor. Mayor Hopkins would be gone after this term and the town will probably get another idiot instead. There is a highly intelligent council and mayor right now and that won’t happen again. The town needs to change is structure now to protect from the usual types of leaders running the show.

The mayor noted that the town garbage truck is ageing, as is the town maintenance staff. He wants to look again at outsourcing that service, as well as possibly the local court. He said it is difficult to continue to wait for the Point Ruston development while still providing services.

4. Resolution 496 – Property Tax Levy for 2012: The levy included a 1% increase over the base amount as allowed by state law – passed 4-0.

Claims and Payroll
Approved 4-0

Mayor’s Time
Hopkins noted the town attorney’s analysis on how to handle the council vacancy.

Council Time
Huson had no comments.
Hunt had no comments.
Hardin felt it was premature for the council to comment on how they would handle the upcoming vacancy, but that any discussion should be in a public meeting. The mayor said he would receive a formal resignation letter from Dorothy Bailey once the election was certified.
Kristovich had no comments.

The meeting adjourned at 9:05 pm.

Council Vacancy Process

According to Mike Rooney, manager of Pierce County Elections, here is how the election for Dorothy Bailey will proceed:

• Since Ms. Bailey moved out after the withdrawal period, it was too late to formally withdraw from the election.
• The county will presumably certify the election with her as the winner since she leads in the votes by a wide margin.
• If Ms. Bailey cannot take the oath of office, the council seat becomes vacant.
• The town council can use whatever process they choose to fill the vacancy, but they will be the ones to appoint someone to fill the vacancy.
• The appointment will last until the next regular Ruston election in 2013 - so the appointment will be for two years, not the full 4 year term that Ms. Bailey was elected to.

I have contacted town officials to see what process they plan on using to fill the vacancy. They have run the gamut from appointing people with no public discussion to inviting anyone who is interested to apply in recent years.

Newly Elected Council Member No Longer In Ruston

Dorothy Bailey, who was elected to the Ruston Town Council on Tuesday no longer lives in Ruston. It appears the council will have to appoint someone to fill the 4 year term in January. Ms. Bailey responded to my email asking if she was still a resident this morning (below), announcing that she has moved out of state.

Ruston has seen many different seasons, from intense political battles to quiet ignorance. In my time here, this is the norm; where it is a struggle to find someone willing and able to give their time to serve. The political quiet does come with some cost...      Karen
______________________
It is accurate. I'm now living in Chicago. I found out we were moving after it was too late to remove my name from the ballot so I will be contacting the mayor to officially resign from my new position. I regret putting the town in this position, but I tried everything I could to get my name off the ballot an wasn't able to do so.

Dorothy

Ruston Names New Mayor

After open interviews and public input last night, the Ruston town council appointed Bruce Hopkins to serve as mayor until the end of 2009. Mr. Hopkins and his wife have frequently attended council meetings to express his concern about activities at the Unicorn Tavern, which is located across the street from their home. He has not held elected office in Ruston.

The general theme was to put our differences behind us and move forward. Hopefully a new face in the mayor's seat will help that process.

Karen

Choosing A New Mayor

The council will be meeting early tonight at 6 pm to discuss what process they want to use to select the next mayor. The final applicants for the position were Council Members Bradley Huson and Wayne Stebner, Kim Wheeler, Bryan Ficiala and Bruce Hopkins. The issue is also on the agenda for the meeting, so a vote may be taken tonight. The public is welcome to attend at 6 pm to hear the council's deliberations on the issue.

Each applicant was given a series of questions to answer:

1. Citizens of Ruston and the Town Council would like to know why you have an interest in serving as Mayor? What qualifications do you have that makes you the best choice for Mayor.
2. Please outline your agenda for the next year including a description of how you’d address issues and what your potential solutions to issues may be?
3. Ruston has significant needs that have to be addressed in the near future; specifically sewers and street lights. How would you address the issue of public Infrastructure and how would you finance infrastructure investments?
4. What is your plan to make certain Ruston remains a viable and financially sustainable community?
5. Given the volatile nature of Ruston politics, how do you plan to interface with the Town Council ? With Citizens? To make certain everyone is a part of, or contributing to a solution?
6. A recent study (commonly referred to as the Marcotte Report) of the Town’s long-term financial health observed that the Town, maintaining current service levels and current new development schedules, may realize a sustainable revenue sources by the year 2014. What do you think the strategy is to keep the Town sustainable until that time? What if the 2014 timeline is delayed?

I am grateful to see that so many finally stepped forward willing to serve. We may well have a new mayor by the end of the evening.... Karen

Council Meeting Agenda: November 17, 2008

Here are the business items on the agenda for Monday's council meeting:

1) Rural Metro Ambulance Services (Council Member Stebner)
2) Jeff Wherrett - Update on Town's Webpage
3) Master Licencing Presentation
4) Ordinance 1272 - Supplemental Budget for Engineering Services (second reading - so a vote will be taken)
5) Resolution 435 - Engineering Services (no second reading is required for resolutions - so a vote can be taken at this meeting)
6) Resolution 436 - Pierce County Fire District Interlocal Agreement for HazMat Services (discussed at the last meeting)
7) Resolution 437 - Infectious Waste Agreement, discussion
8) Discussion of mayor appointment

Under Mayor's Time:
December Schedule for Budget Meetings

Mayor Applications Due Nov. 12th

The council decided to set November 12th as the deadline for mayor applications and will hold a public interview process at its meeting on November 17th. Mayor Pro-tem Huson will remain as mayor until November 18th.

Here's how the debate unfolded at the meeting last night:

Council Member Albertson made a motion to appoint Council Member Stebner as mayor. He gave his reasons, followed by a long pause waiting for someone to second his motion. Council Member Hedrick then stated he wanted an open, public process. He has been "blindsided" by three appointments that he had not been allowed to participate in. This time there should be a firm end date for applications; and questions and answers should be exchanged with the candidates. Council members decided to email potential questions to him that he will provide to applicants.

Council Member Hunt noted she had heard secondhand about someone that might be interested in the position today. Since no notice had been given that a decision would be made at the meeting tonight, she wanted to extend the application time.

Albertson wanted to know who this person was, but Hunt refused to name them since she had not talked to them personally. Alberston said they had all heard the rumors and wanted things to be open and honest for once. Council Member Stebner said we should quit playing games and needed to move forward on this issue immediately.

At this point Hunt seconded the motion to appoint Stebner so that discussion could continue. Alberston stated this was all a put up job. After more discussion (which included Albertson stating the mystery person was in the room and Huson was looking at them) the vote to appoint Stebner was defeated 2-3 (Albertson and Stebner voting yes).

Hunt then made a motion to have the town clerk run a second announcement with a November 12th deadline. Stebner asked if she meant November 2008 or 2009. Stebner asked again who this potential applicant was. Hunt replied it was none of his business.

Albertson didn't think there was anyone in town who did not know about the mayor vacancy. Huson joked that maybe people loved him so much (as mayor) no one wanted to apply. He then announced he was considering applying for the mayoral appointment himself. Stebner wanted him to take the appointment immediately. Instead, the motion to follow the application process was approved 3-2 (Albertson and Stebner voting no).

Letter to State Auditor

I'm sending the following letter to the state auditor. I have not heard anything officially about the March 13th letter. ~ Karen
___________________________________________________
June 13, 2008

Washington State Auditor
Pierce County Office
949 Market Street, Suite 560
Tacoma, WA 98402-3706

Dear Sirs,

I am writing to express my concern again about how the majority of current council members in Ruston are making their appointments to vacant elected offices. On March 13, 2008 I provided documentation regarding the appointment of Dan Albertson (who was appointed less than 15 minutes after the vacancy was announced) and Jane Hunt to the council (letter enclosed). In both these appointments, there was no public deliberation before the appointments.

Ruston’s mayor resigned his position on June 2, 2008 and the council held a special meeting on June 4th to appoint a new mayor, once again without holding any deliberations in public.

I recognize the council’s right to make this appointment. I realize they may not even need to take applications, allow public input or appoint from their own ranks. But I ask that you confirm those are indeed legal facts. I also acknowledge that following the rules would not have changed the outcome of these appointments. But I feel strongly that Ruston’s citizens deserve to at least observe what is being done on their behalf even if they cannot provide input.

The primary basis of my continued complaint is that the council is making their decisions on these appointments (and most town issues) outside of any public meeting. In this case, the appointee was at the special meeting, although he had not attended any meetings for at least 4 months. It appeared the town clerk had his oath of office already printed prior to the meeting. The motion to appoint him was made 3 minutes after the meeting began. There were only two short comments by council members stating why they supported the motion and the vote occurred about 4.5 minutes into the meeting.

I note in MRSC’s discussion of the Open Public Meetings Act that telephone or email polling of votes outside of a public meeting is not allowed (page 7, available at http://www.mrsc.org/Publications/opma08.pdf). Yet this appears to be common practice among the four-member majority of this council. The process this group has used for the last three appointments serves as a stark illustration of what occurs routinely at most meetings.

It is my understanding that my concerns may not warrant a special audit, but that a routine audit is scheduled for Ruston sometime this fall. I hope this continued pattern will expedite your oversight. It may be that your input will remedy the situation and the community can move forward, a process I would like to see begin soon rather than waiting another 6 months. If my concerns are not warranted, please let me know as soon as possible. I am willing to let this issue drop if you determine there has been no violation of either the spirit or letter of the law.

Thank you for listening and for any help you can provide. I have requested a recording of the June 4th meeting and copies of any emails from or between town officials on the issue. The town clerk has said it may the first of July before she can get a response from each of the council members on this request, although I don’t expect to get any email copies from these council members. One of them has informed me on a separate matter that she deletes all emails on her personal email accounts (even if they deal with town business) because she needs to save room on her hard drive. One of the other council members used the same reason last year for not being able to provide emails that were later provided by other agencies.

I will forward any information I can gather to you as soon as I receive them. Please feel free to contact me with any questions at (253) 228-8529 or kpickett22@yahoo.com.

Karen Pickett

In The News

The Tacoma Weekly has an article on Everding's appointment. He has a few details about how events unfolded at the meeting, so take a look.

Ruston Names New Mayor

With no deliberation and only two brief comments, former Council Member Bob Everding was appointed mayor to fulfill Transue's unexpired term until the end of 2009. Everding resigned his council seat in January citing complaints about the former mayor.

Here is a more complete rundown of the meeting:

The clerk called the meeting to order at 7 pm. Council Member Hedrick was appointed mayor pro-tem to run the meeting until the new mayor was appointed, looking a bit surprised. The agenda was approved after removing the legal services contract and adding a rebuttal letter from Council Member Huson and having the scheduled executive session include potential litigation, personnel matters and real estate issues.

Huson read his rebuttal to former Mayor Transue's resignation letter. Huson promised to email a copy of the letter, which I will post. Portions of the sharply critical letter are quoted in the News Tribune article tonight.

Stebner made the motion to appoint Everding as mayor, who was attending the meeting tonight for the first time since resigning last January. Albertson and Hunt gave brief comments about why they supported the motion. Hedrick asked to allow public comment, but was told no by all council members. The motion to appoint Everding passed 5-0.

Huson then discussed his desire to hire a town administrator "now that we have a competent mayor." He would like the council to put out a request for proposals, to be formally acted upon at the next regular council meeting. Hedrick said he was perplexed way there had been an epiphany on the council now the previous mayor had proposed the same thing last fall.

The meeting recessed into executive session at about 7:15 pm and reconvened at about 8 pm. Huson made a motion immediately to adjourn the meeting. Hedrick interrupted him to ask again, since so many people had remained through the executive session, if the council would allow public comment (as they do at the end of regular meetings). He was again told no and the meeting was adjourned.

Tribune Mentions

Jane Hunt's council appointment was on the Tribune's political blog on Monday and a repeat in the local "In Brief" section today.

Hummmmm

I note that Jane Hunt's application for the council vacancy is for Bob Pudlo's Council Seat #1. The current vacancy is for Bob Everding's Council Seat #4. She has applied for the wrong seat. I wonder if that means her application is void?

You'll recall that Bob Pudlo resigned unexpectedly at the Dec. 3, 2007 meeting. Could it be that she was just brushing off an old letter that she had ready for this meeting? If so, how did she hear about his resignation, or any potential for application before the rest of us did?

I've emailed the questions to Jane to see if she has any answers. I'm just wondering....

Council Applications

I did not recieve any response from my request from fellow applicants for their resumes, but a Freedom of Information request yeilded a copy. Here is what was submitted to Town Hall. Just click on the image to make it enlarge.