Bruce J. Rosen, Iron Mountain City Council Member endorses recall petitions, 04-01-08

I would like to announce that I endorse the recall petitions that are now being circulated against Robin Tchokreff, Eden Caudell, and Dan Burke.

I have taken exact quotes from Robin Tchokreff’s, Eden Caudell’s, and Dan Burke’s statements which appeared in The Daily News.  After the exact quotes from each council member’s article, I have answered each point that they attempted to make.

Robin Tchokreff’s response to the recall petition

Tchokreff’s Point  “Prior to the hiring of John Marquart, there had not been any notable progress in the city for many years. We had the same ‘good old boy’ city management style led by Ted Corombos and Jim Urbany, for 28 years.

My Counterpoint Prior to Marquart our city was in excellent financial condition. We had a health insurance fund balance of 1.3 million compared to nothing today. In fact when you analyze our fund balances that are projected through FY 2009 we have reduced cash balances in excess of 2.9 million dollars. As a city council member he must take responsibility for this.

Tchokreff’s Point  The ‘Outspoken Minority’ managed to fire every city manager after Jim Urbany.
My Counterpoint Perry Franzoi was the only manager hired between Jim Urbany and John Marquart, he resigned and was not fired. Robin Tchokreff voted along with all city council members to accept this resignation.

 
Tchokreff’s Point  The three most recently seated council members — Dave Farragh, Tina Peterson, and Bruce Rosen — began their first meeting in 2008 with a request to freeze the budget, drop all city fees and get the resignation of the city manager.
My Counterpoint During the first council meeting I moved to freeze all extraordinary expenditures in our city. This was due to the extreme expenditures with STS, Ann Henricksen, TIFA, lawsuits, etc. With discussion that ensued, I rescinded my motion until we could work with the budget as a council. It was never suggested or moved that all city fees were to be dropped. The resignation of the city manager was not even mentioned at that meeting. In fact this council has never asked for his resignation. I did move to fire our city manager after our city manager review during the March 3, 2008 meeting. This was based upon a preponderance of evidence presented, in which our city charter and Michigan State Laws were not adhered to.

Tchokreff’s Point  “John Marquart came to Iron Mountain with many impressive credentials,” he said.
My Counterpoint I don’t know what Tchokreff meant by “impressive credentials” however, that which appears below certainly doesn’t qualify in my mind.

Dormont council cites friction in ousting manager

By Vince Guerrieri and Dan Casciato
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, January 6, 2004

Dormont Council fired borough Manager John Marquart on Monday night, citing friction between him and some council members and charging that he kept the panel in the dark on some decisions.

Council voted 5-2 to seek a replacement for Marquart, hired in the fall of 2001 to succeed Deborah Grass. Council President Ed Good and Councilwoman Linda Kitchen dissented.

"This is a disgrace," Good said. "I feel very sorry that this action was taken."

It's the second time in five years Marquart has been fired as a borough manager. Wilkinsburg ousted him in January 1999.

Several council members who voted to oust Marquart credited him for his skill, knowledge and expertise, but complained that he sometimes failed to inform them before making decisions. Councilman Richard Grubb pointed to the construction of a salt storage facility as an example.

"It's a very ugly building, was built in the wrong place, is not large enough and its functionality is severely limited at best," Grubb said. "This facility should have been discussed more thoroughly, but we didn't even have one meeting to discuss it."

Councilwoman Louise Pitcher accused Marquart of setting up a PNC Bank account without council approval. Marquart denied the allegation.

"This was a mistake by the bank," Marquart said. "The account was canceled after I investigated."

Wilkinsburg council fires borough manager

Members split, 5-3, in sudden ouster

Friday, January 08, 1999

By Eleanor Chute, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

John Marquart had a long to-do list for 1999 in Wilkinsburg: Finish the sale of tax liens. Negotiate three union contracts. Encourage development. Beautify Ardmore Boulevard. Plan improvements and marketing for the business district. Develop closer ties with community organizations and foundations.

But that list was prepared before he was fired as borough manager.

Tchokreff’s Point  “This recall petition has nothing to do with the job that the incumbent council members have been doing. It is about finding a way to get rid of the city manager, John Marquart,” he said.
My Counterpoint The recall petitions have everything to do with the three incumbents being recalled. It is each council person’s duty and responsibility to ensure our city charter and Michigan State Laws have been adhered to. The MIOSHA fines, our city budget, hiring practices, property reassessment, and fiscal responsibility are examples of inappropriate council initiatives that have been disregarded by the three council members being recalled.

Eden Caudell’s response to the recall petition

Caudell’s Point “But I am sad and disappointed in this. Since January, I thought that we could try and put aside our differences and reach a common ground on the council. I have tried to listen and weigh the issues, but in the three months since the three new members have been on the council, that hasn’t happened. They have run a campaign of hate with their goal to get rid of John (Marquart) and they are not going to stop,” Caudell said.

My Counterpoint  Our differences do not include personalities or philosophies. They are simply the issues that are critical to our city. The issues brought to light during our March 3, 2008 council meeting were as follows:

Reassessment – Fire Department Expense and Understaffing – MIOSHA fines – Police Officer Early Retirement – ISO Rating – Police Certification and Hiring Practices – Sewer Backup – Water main Break – Rental Housing Ordinance – STS Engineering – Khoury Property Purchase and Infrastructure Costs – “A” Street Project – Center for Regional Excellence Grant

If Ms. Caudell would have read and understood all the information compiled and given to her at our city manager’s review, she would have voted in a responsible fashion. I did state during the council meeting that seven of the above issues have violated either our city charter or Michigan State Law.

This has never involved a “campaign of hate”, it is based solely on issues that will not go away until each is addressed and dealt with.

Caudell’s Point In the recall language, the first item states that Caudell enriched her family at public expense. She said this is due to the fact that her mother was hired to do work for the Centers for Regional Excellence grant.

My mother was hired to do work for this grant that the city and three other municipalities had received. Never did I think that the money came from the city and not the grant to pay her. The grant fell through due to no fault of my mother or I, and I didn’t know that she was paid out of the general fund for the city of Iron Mountain,” she said.

My Counterpoint Center for Regional Excellence Grant:  This Grant was originally for a regional approach to public safety and then code enforcement was later added. John Marquart, without permission from the Grant officials, changed the grant to Parks and Recreation. He was chastised by Maxine Berman in Lansing, which was witnessed by a Kingsford official, and told that he could not change the Grant to what he wanted. John Marquart still proceeded to adhere to the Parks direction of the Grant. When questioned publicly at Council meetings about the grant, John Marquart stated that we were receiving the Grant. Maxine Berman confirmed that the follow-up paperwork needed to secure the Grant had not ever been filed, we did not exist to them, and we would not be receiving the Grant. The taxpayers have paid Ann Henricksen and any other cost incurred by the CRE Grant initial award.

 Ann Henricksen received $1200 from the city for work that was never authorized by anyone.  She is the mother of a council member, Eden Caudell, who voted to approve the payment without comment.  Caudell neither abstained nor mentioned that Ann Henricksen is her mother and therefore could not approve this item on the vendors report. During the most recent council meeting Eden Caudell admitted that she introduced her mother to John Marquart for this position with the city. This is a clear violation of section 4.9 of our city charter. This section clearly prohibits any payment or employment of a council member’s relative by the city. Our city attorney Gerry Pirkola rendered a legal opinion stating that Eden Caudell was in violation of our city charter.

Caudell’s Point “They (three new council members) came up with a list of 17 items for us to use in the evaluation instead of the form we have used in the past,” she said. “The fines and certain things that happened in the last year, we were not all happy with. But we can’t fire him for everything on that list. The grievances on their list became the performance evaluation. I had looked back over the last year and gave careful thought to this and what needed improvement when I made my decision.”

My Counterpoint  The form that was used did not deal with any of the critical issues that we face now. These decisions were inherited by the new council members. They alone represent the path we are traveling due to previous council decisions. When it is proven, (which it was), our city charter and Michigan State Laws have been violated, I believe it is a council member’s duty and responsibility to take appropriate action.

Dan Burke’s response to the recall petition

He listed some of the accomplishments from his first two years as follows:

Burke’s Point  I proactively introduced a neighborhood watch.
My Counterpoint  I live in the third ward which is the ward Mr. Burke represents and I have never heard of such a program. I have also spoken to several other residents there and they have not heard of a neighborhood watch program.

Burke’s Point  I am the only person who had enough nerve to stand up to the previous owners of the old hospital so they would take responsibility of the property or sell it. This took some time, but with my persistence, the old hospital finally was demolished.
Counterpoint  I received a call from Mr. Larry Haag who purchased the old hospital property from Mr. Dale Alessandrini. Mr. Haag was very upset that Mr. Burke was taking credit for something he had no involvement in.

Burke’s Point  I am on the Parks and Recreation Committee, Union Negotiation Committee, Public Safety Committee and Streets and Lights Committee.

My Counterpoint We do not have a Public Safety Committee and Streets and Lights Committee.

Burke’s Point    I feel this recall is ridiculous and feel it was brought about by Ted Corombos. Mr. Corombos never quite gave up his mayor seat. He still wants his hands in all decisions regarding the city. He tries to manipulate the town into seeing half truths and lies to try to fire our city manager. Even with the new city council, things still aren’t going his way. So this is why I think he is pushing for the recall,” Burke said.

My Counterpoint  Mr.Ted Corombos has been nothing if not honest. If you state that someone promotes half truths and lies, you need to be specific as to those allegations.

Burke’s Point  “I hope this opens the eyes of all the good citizens in Ward 3. These two years have been growing years for Iron Mountain. The past city council had made some great strides in promoting the growth of this city. Two new hotels were built, Bay College campus and Walgreens came to town. This does not just happen. These companies needed to see growth in the city before agreeing to build here. I was hoping the new city council would continue with this progress, but they can’t forget the past and move forward,” Burke noted.

My Counterpoint With all the financial, legal, and department issues that have been presented it is imperative that our city council has the ability to recognize and understand where we are. By simply stating that we have made great strides in promoting the growth of this city, does not make it so. Statements like “move forward” and “continue with this progress” would be great bumper stickers, however, with all the real issues we must deal with, the answers are slightly more difficult than socially acceptable phrases. Our past often becomes our future, I hope not in this case.

Recently, The Daily News published an ad and a letter in the speak out section, warning people that when they sign a recall petition their names will be on public record. In my opinion this is blatant intimidation and Hitler style scare tactics which we all should be upset with. The basic premise of our democracy is threatened with these tactics. The newspaper has now disclosed that this ad was run by the Committee for Continued Progress which shows Dan Burke’s wife as treasurer. This is a prime example of the how our city has been run for the last four years. Lies and deception have been used to gain whatever political point they deemed necessary at that time. IT WAS NOT TED COROMBUS AND THE 3 NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS which was implied by the yahoo email address shown in that ad. We must all fight with conviction that harbors no hesitation or fear to keep our country free and democratic. I encourage anyone who disagrees with my position on any issue that has been published or stated, to contact me to discuss their concerns.

 

Sincerely,

Bruce J. Rosen

Iron Mountain City Council Member

906-250-0735