An action memorandum to censure the employees failed 3-1 Monday evening, with Councilmembers Stephanie Massie, Steve Menard and Marty Metiva in opposition. Only the memorandum’s sponsor, Councilwoman Dianne Woodruff, voted in favor. Mayor Dianne M. Keller, Deputy Mayor Kristofer Larson and Councilman Doug Holler were not in attendance at Monday’s meeting.
Woodruff said her memorandum seeking the censures doesn’t name the individuals involved as a matter of decorum. An independent law firm investigation, however, names Wasilla Economic Development Planner Casey Reynolds, Public Works Director Archie Giddings and former deputy administrator Sandra Garley as staff members who knew of cooperation between the city and Meritage Development LLC in the plans for a retail shopping center along the Parks Highway.
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The council previously asked for Keller to resign her elected office in response to Denali Law Group’s findings, a request the mayor has denied. Before council voted Monday, the city’s insurance agent, Mike Combs of Combs Insurance Agency Inc., urged the council not to approve the censures.
“I don’t believe it would hold any purpose,” Combs said.
A censure is usually applied to public officials, not city employees like the ones Woodruff’s proposal would have been directed toward, Combs said.
Even so, some residents attending Monday’s meeting called on the council to approve the censures and send a message of disapproval to the affected employees.
Wasilla resident Karl Lund, who spoke during the public comment period, said it is city council’s job to make sure nothing like what is described in the Denali Law Group report happens again.
“The citizens of Wasilla need to be sure the city council stands for fair treatment,” Lund said.
During their comments, council members echoed Lund’s call for fair treatment, but the majority of council members said the city now needs forward-looking change to its ethics code as opposed to short-term censures.
“I agree the behavior was unacceptable,” Massie said. “I just don’t think this is how we should handle it.”
Metiva said he agrees, adding something needs to be done to city code to prevent city administration and staff from repeating the actions that led to the council to call for the investigation.
“I think we should look at fixing the problem first before we go to this venture,” Metiva said of the censures.
For her part, Woodruff, who has been the most vocal on the council in calling for Keller’s resignation, said censures would send the message of council’s overall disapproval regarding revelations of seemingly backdoor dealings among some city staff and Meritage.
“How do you legislate morality?” Woodruff asked. She added that while the city’s code can be modified, the staff involved with the Meritage deal needs to be told in some official capacity their actions were not acceptable.
Following the meeting, Woodruff said she is disappointed with the council’s failure to censure the employees.
“Essentially, they got away with it,” Woodruff said, adding that changes in the city’s ethics codes are in the works.
Reynolds, who did not attend the council meeting Monday, said prior to the meeting that he maintains he did nothing unethical or illegal in his communications with Meritage.
Whether he was wrong to have informed a Meritage representative of the city’s plan to send letters threatening eminent domain 10 days before those letters went out — something Denali Law Group attorney Richard Payne said gives the impression of collusion between the city and Meritage — Reynolds wouldn’t say either way.
“Wrong is a vague term,” Reynolds said. “Does wrong mean unethical? Does it mean illegal?”
Reynolds said the censure, had one passed, wouldn’t have an impact on him because council doesn’t have the authority to bring a career-injuring reprimand on a city employee.
“It doesn’t go into our personnel file,” Reynolds said.
Neither Garley nor Giddings returned phone messages seeking comment prior to Monday’s vote.
Even though the council voted down the censures Tuesday, the issue of the Denali Law Group report may not die so quick.
During council comments at the end of the meeting, Menard, a candidate for mayor, said he will bring back his June 30 motion for a vote of no confidence in Keller.
The original motion of no confidence was pulled after council approved a motion to request Keller’s resignation, said Menard, adding his motion would have been redundant at that time.
“I don’t want this thing to go away until the mayor resigns or right up to the elections,” Menard said.
Keller cannot run for re-election because of term limits.
Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiers-man.com or 352-2252.
Comments
16 comment(s)Dianne Woodruff wrote on Jul 23, 2008 1:09 AM:
glass houses wrote on Jul 21, 2008 8:23 AM:
Seeing is believing wrote on Jul 21, 2008 7:33 AM:
We think this is a ploy.. You can take it further if you like.
I am not holding my breath for this to really happen. "
IN SITE.. wrote on Jul 21, 2008 7:28 AM:
If you are a concerned citizen of Wasilla and or a sales tax payer plan to attend...
See the commission in action! "
It doesnt matter wrote on Jul 17, 2008 7:54 PM:
As Wasilla Turns wrote on Jul 17, 2008 12:58 PM:
Dianne Woodruff wrote on Jul 17, 2008 10:21 AM:
Kristofer D. Larson D.C. wrote on Jul 16, 2008 9:57 PM:
By the way, I was out of town for a wedding (that did not happen, sad story) and a visit to family that I have not seen in years. Sometimes family is first. "
Ak_Native wrote on Jul 16, 2008 7:20 PM:
Diane Wodruf is an anti-development witch who has been trying to get city staff fired for more than two years.
Marty Metive has funded the Chamber so his wife a can get a raise and start up his own non-profit that the city funded.
Stephanie Massey never says anything except” I hope I vote the right way."
Doug Holler hasn't attended a meeting in over two months.
Chris Larsen is the only one on Council with a brain!
Diane Keller is doing a good job for Wasilla. "
FireFly wrote on Jul 16, 2008 1:12 PM:
Sam wrote on Jul 15, 2008 9:48 PM:
Laugh out Loud wrote on Jul 15, 2008 9:23 PM:
Larson missing again. wrote on Jul 15, 2008 3:45 PM:
kgent wrote on Jul 15, 2008 12:12 PM:
Spineless.. remember that when voting time comes around. Scratch those name from consideration.. "
Rob wrote on Jul 15, 2008 8:43 AM:
firefly wrote on Jul 14, 2008 11:54 PM: