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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07.03.03 Special Council Packet City of Farmington 325 Oak Street Farmington, MN 55024 Mission Statement Through teamwork and cooperation, the City of Farmington provides quality services that preserve our proud past and foster a promising future. AGENDA SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING July 3,2003 5:00 P.M. CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS Action Taken 1. CALL TO ORDER 5:00 P.M. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ROLL CALL 4. APPROVE AGENDA 5. PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS a) Termination of City Administrator's Contract b) Consider Appointment of Interim City Administrator 6. ADJOURN In this day and age of civilization and democracy, I feel like I'm caught in an old - and bad - cowboy movie. In these modern times, we know that what is legal for some to do is not equal to what the ethical thing is to do. Just because the sheriff and his posse have the legal right to run anyone out of town, does not mean that they should do it. It's very painful for a community to sit and helplessly watch their leadership willfully make a decision against the wishes of the majority of the population. It feels like a parent saying "I know what's good for you, so live with it whether you like it or not." The problem (besides that we're all adults now) is that this posse was elected / appointed in good faith and took an oath to perform in the best interest of the residents of Farmington. Obviously, we know that not all decisions will be popular with everyone in a city nearly 17,000 people strong. The fact remains clear that since the issue of terminating Ed Shukle's contract came up last year, many citizens in our community have questioned that idea and this particular subject has been of interest to many people. Many people in our community who usually lay low have stood up and shown support for Ed. It is fascinating that a special meeting would be called on short notice and on such an important matter at such an usual time that will be tough for 2 council members to attend, as if to bypass this support. It is also fascinating that Mr. Fitch indicated at his controversial appointment to the council in February that it was not his purpose to join our council to terminate our city administrator. The general population of Farmington has a longer memory than 6 months. Waiting for the "dust to settle" and quietly terminate a popular employee is cowardly and disrespectful to the general population of Farmington. Obviously, if there was a good reason to terminate employment, the full council would know what that reason is (two members do not have equal information) and it would not have been delayed. So, as we sit helplessly and watch this bad movie, I can only imagine how someone new will be appointed to the vacant position. To find out why anyone would want to star in that role and open them self to this kind of abuse will have to be another show. How are we to recruit qualified personnel when this is the way we treat people? In closing, I would like to thank Mr. Shukle for his patience and professionalism during this perplexing process. I hope things work out for the best for you. Sincerely, Cheryl Retterath July 3, 2003 To the Mayor and City Council for Farmington, MN, As a citizen of Farmington, I cannot express to you enough how disappointed I am about the actions that some of you have taken this past week and what may happen at what I call a hanging tonight at a special City Council meeting. I was on the understanding that the Mayor and Council and City Staffhad worked out their differences this past February and were going to work together for the betterment of the City and I do mean the City not for any individual on the Council! At this time I feel I've been lied to!!!!!!!!!! It also appears to have been a master plan from a few individuals. Because why would a special meeting be called on a day right before a National Holiday. The only reason I can think of is it would reduce the number of people that would possibly come to the meeting including individuals from the council and it could be an automatic with very little discussion. Then after the dust settles it would be too late for any Citizen to ask any questions. I also want to speak from my point of view as being a REALTOR for the Community in addition to being a Citizen. I am continually with people helping them buy and sell homes in the area, promoting how great our community is. I'm like the Cheerleader of Farmington and I would bet that I'm talking to a whole lot more people about Farmington than anyone of you along with any REALTOR that lives and sells our community. I want to let you know this is not good press for our community just like it wasn't the last time. People do not understand what is going on in our City and if there is a choice for them they will decide to go elsewhere. I would like to know, just like everyone else, what Ed Shuckle has done to have his employment here terminated. I have not heard one thing of what the problem is. If Ed has done something illegally than YES his employment should be terminated. But I have not heard that. Everyone that I know who works at the City or has had to work with the City Staff or Ed have had no complaints. From my point of view he has always had an open door policy with anyone and I have been to his office personally to work out a couple situations since Ed has been here. All I hear or read is that certain individuals on the Council have been advised by OUR City Attorney not to say anything. What a cop out!!! Doesn't this cost the City money every time one of our City Council talks to the City Attorney and isn't the City Attorney working for the City? It seems to me our City Attorney is being used more as personal. What is this going to cost the Citizens of Farmington because our City Council cannot work together as a unit with City Staff? And what's to say if Ed Shukle is removed today and another person is hired to fill this position that there wouldn't be a difference of opinions again. Or, the City Council and Staff just do not get along for some unknown reason. I do know that there are always going to be some differences between people in general-that is just life in general. Aren't we all ADULTS here-I can't believe that we cannot get this resolved without terminating Ed Shukle's job. Unless, like I said you could prove to me and the Citizens of Farmington that Ed has done something illegally. All I'm asking of all of you as elected officials of mine and the citizens of Farmington is to do the right thing for our City not for YOURSELVES. You need to listen to your constituents from the entire City and I do not believe you have. I also want to remind you that WE as Citizens are YOUR Employer and WE can terminate your employment with the City of Farmington as well. In closing, I also want to state that I tried not to mention any names, but with only 5 of you on the council I believe you all know who I am referring to in this letter. Just to let you know, I would be willing to talk to anyone of you but if it turns into any harassment or to have any repercussion based on me writing this letter, which I do have a right to do, I too have laws that protect me. Respectfully Submitted, Mike Heinzerling, REAL TOR 4889 192nd Street West Farmington, MN 55024 Mikeheinzerling:@edinarealtv.com Office: 651-4631405 Home: 651-460-6501 TALKING POINTS "This issue involves we the public, also. We need an opportunity to talk to our elected officials on this subject before any action is taken." "Why did the Council just complete a retreat with the staff to determine goals for the coming year and before the ink is dry on those goals, you want to dismiss the primary person who can guide the city to those goals? You paid an outside facilitator and incurred considerable expenses to conduct this retreat. Why?" 'What is the urgency? If the facts are in your favor, why can't it wait until next week and take up the issue before an informed public. Not hiding under the cover of a Thursday 5:00 P.M. meeting on July 3 after many, many citizens are out oftown." "It appears that the reason you don't want to hear the public is that you have no value for their opinion. What is the problem with hearing what the public thinks on such an important issue?" "What prompted this meeting for immediate action? What did Mr. Shukle do that brought this effort about? Tell us!" "Don't you believe that this proposed action and the way you are trying to carry it out affects the entire city staff in a very negative way? A staff that we the public pay for to do our work. How can they do their work under the atmosphere that you create?" "Are you guys willing to pay the costs of searching for and hiring a new Administrator out of your own Council salaries?" "How can such a serious effort be pushed by a Council member who was not even elected by the people? And we the citizens are not even being allowed to talk? "I suggest that you all go back and read the Independent news article of March 6, 2003 (that's less than 4 months ago) and see what you were all quoted as saying about moving ahead with a clean slate. After you read this, then try to tell we citizens that you were not knowingly lying at the time." j'l 1',1. Ii ,II III Iii III Iii J !aI,1 ~~ ,/' '/J t1/l/711~&""'" lit . ~ II/I , !" ill Ii Id - . I 1/ III .J i M; N";'/~),6~..f}()tJ ,1.//0"';) l /(e/ to III J(UOW I.t/hl4J-i~ 9-"/'1 r!?.lVbe1un<tt,e,.v ~iv f/ ' ili -I-le" c.i~ jJjlY1;A/1S'J,t1tw' r III . _T:P- ~ 1. e-~" i 5 ;1 Ir~ bI€; M- W 1':1 i 5 i L III AJ&f.- oul- IA/ ~ OfbJ.J' . PA"",,'V %"'f' 4e&JJ !IINt? Y' e..M oM . 120"" ~ St-ec:. ,fa I tyl e b L, ~J, · III V~rd gAo..! jV() j, ~ e.-', J- r-~Aj IJiC/v') /d II! f h e" /"/'.$1' 0 ft/ fhvl":5 j;)!! (::r vj e 1h2,~jV'; ) · III 0 1/1; ~ ct 5 ~ove... j t ~(~I A2b he~~ J ill w~.v J <( ~ ci 7/lj6hJiN~ iw lV/it Ju, III (/)u /- oj {ptuJJ. . ( I/O/- /'10.... t~ /tvv elli~J// III 17nvvu.J/9rio,,; ). . III. C-~d rJ ~tl 10 fU& S-e&M.&! ~ I,ll, be- th&{/ii/~ ,401 wtVjl, fJ/jD,g! jlrsl.-I~.e-Y~ Iii P.e./so~~/, 50 tv .(it; 5 71.c;VY k t .? III _ , 3' P- ~wrSJ11(9~ ~ ;Jdm;.Jts/..J'L . 111-1J.i%>-::e.i8AiJo"!>fJdJ tvlll ~ ~CJt!/7jj~~:t I ~ j~U ,e ;'1 e, )J4ouf!.; ~;JJ~A /J~ I # CJ #-1 vf2,l lIt l' ~-r Iii ,J;~r vo k-J. 10"- [;vvA A -r;,rJt/l'-s~ II fa/*~ L I' 11 j' 11 jl 11 '1 " II II li q jl !1 11: Unlmown I: jristoW@Ci.farmington.mn.us; Lacecle Cordes; Kevan Soderberg; Bill Fitch; Christy J. F.ofZartv . ... -.. Cindi Muller I need your help NOW! f ! Cc: Subject: Dear Mr. Mayor and Council Members, Please, I beg of you all to step back from the events that are to take place on July 5th at the Special Council Meeting. What ever has happened, it can be talked about and worked out. Don't step back from the forward progress you all are starting to make. In my head and in my heart, I BELIEVE that Mr. Ed Shuckle is the person who should lead the city of Farmington into the future. He's an administrator who leads by allowing his staff to run their departments, and this is how it should be done. The fact that he's not afraid to give his opinion in the press makes him a person that you know will speak his mind, rather than telling you what you want to hear (This makes him a strong leader). It's my understanding that when Mr. Shuckle and several people were attending a function up at the capital, that Mr. Shuckle was constantly being approached by people wanting his ear. And this means that he is a person who is well connected, which is what the city of Farmington will need as we grow from a farming community into an adolesent suburban community and beyond. Mr. Ed Shuckle is a man who is very personable to the person off the street, by this I mean that his open door policy to the public is a valuable tool which makes him an excellent resource. I beg all of you to embrace the growth which is coming, because if you and the community do not... It will surely run us allover, and then who knows what kind of mess we'll have. If it truly is a pound of flesh that you are seeking, then please take my position, on the Park and Rec. commission, away from me. But PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT TERMINATE YR. ED SHUCKLE. spectfully Requested, Randy Oswald 19282 Evenston Drive Farmington, Mn. 55024 651 460-8105 1 FARNUNGTONAREACHAMBEROFCOMMERCE 317 Fourth Street Farmington, MN 55024 (651) 460-6444 July 2, 2003 Dear Mayor Ristow and Members of the City Council, It has come to our attention that an unprecedented emergency meeting of the City Council has been called. The Chamber Board of Directors understands that it is completely within your authority to call this meeting and handle the intended agenda. A matter of this magnitude should be free of any undue controversy; we feel that the hastily scheduled meeting, and the limited participation by the council members will cause any decision you reach to be suspect by your constituents. The Chamber wants Mayor Ristow and Council Members to understand that while we do not agree or disagree with the agenda item, we are concerned that a very few have taken it upon themselves to take action that very possibly could cause undue taxpayer expense, delays in ongoing City projects, and overall negative press for the City of Fannington as a whole. Therefore we urge you, given the gravity of the decision to be made, to reschedule the meeting for a later date in order to assure full participation by all our elected city council representatives. Sincerely; t!Lfl- f~E.sioe,./r ~~-~~ fi'~ &--/ ~~b>.r (!h#lIAll{.af~ voatd ~. , . pj;;Z~ ' ~ IVlttl/Vld14e J!?tUj f(e9M- /Ylu1dAL1 1[). - ~ ~lw FOR A BEITER COMMUNITY SUPPORT YOUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE