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BEAT BYTE EXTRA! City Council Scheme Shocks Leadership Group
BEAT BYTE -- 1/29/09
http://columbiaheartbeat.blogspot.com/
1) City Council Scheme Shocks Leadership Group
2) Controversial Discussion Missing From Official Tape
3) Chamber of Commerce Committee Sought Councilman Removal
1) City Council Scheme Shocks Leadership Group
COLUMBIA, 1/29/09 (Beat Byte) -- A conversation about Columbia's future at Tuesday night's Downtown Leadership Council (DLC) meeting suddenly became a jaw-dropping expose when members heard about an alleged plan to replace, block, or otherwise undermine so-called city council "activists."
"I couldn't believe it," a DLC member, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the Heart Beat. "We were hearing about a group of city leaders, including the mayor and city manager, scheming to remove city council members they don't like."
Ostensibly a public relations campaign to support city council pay, the plan was supposedly presented at a different, invitation-only meeting of former mayors and city managers last Thursday at the Country Club of Missouri. No council members, past or present, were invited and the meeting was closed to the public.
With current city manager Bill Watkins and mayor Darwin Hindman also in attendance, former city attorney and Columbia Daily Tribune columnist Bob Roper allegedly spoke about paying council members. But the conversation quickly became about ways to remove and discourage so-called "activist" council members like Karl Skala, Barb Hoppe, Paul Sturtz, and Jerry Wade, according to sources familiar with the meeting. Mr. Roper then presented a plan to grant mayors "full veto power."
Using the term "activist council members" at least a half dozen times, attendees also discussed the pressing need to remove "that guy in the fishing vest" -- Mr. Skala -- in favor of "business people who just can't afford the time off to do the job without getting paid."
Mayor Darwin Hindman allegedly spoke in favor of the proposal, but it was unclear what he was supporting -- council pay or council member removal -- because neither he nor anyone else spoke against the scheme, and because council pay was allegedly a part of it. Paying council members would allegedly encourage many more "business people" to seek the elected office.
The term "council activists" has recently appeared in local editorials, including Missourian pundit George Kennedy's recent discussion of an ongoing dispute between council members, Mayor Hindman, and City Manager Watkins regarding the police chief hiring process. Council members can be removed for violating the city charter if they "interfere" or "meddle" in hiring decisions, which are solely the purview of the city manager.
As word of the conversations spread yesterday, this reporter's phone rang continuously, with citizens concerned that an elite "leadership cabal" was floating trial balloons to test support for ways to silence dissent and take control. That concern was largely motivated by an earlier, well-documented exchange between Mr. Skala, who sits on the Columbia Chamber of Commerce government affairs committee (GAC), and leaders of the committee, who were seeking his removal from it.
Mr. Roper co-chairs that committee.
"I regretted having to ask you to withdraw from the Chamber's government affairs committee, but I felt compelled to do so based on numerous complaints I have received about your participation in the last few meetings," Chamber of Commerce board chairman Larry Moore wrote in a December 19, 2008 letter to Mr. Skala. "As we discussed, I felt that the 'open' governmental affairs format provides an important forum for our members to raise, discuss, and formulate recommendations on issues critical to business in Columbia. Accordingly, it is imperative that your participation not continue to disrupt this process."
Mr. Roper denied involvement in efforts to remove Mr. Skala from either the city council or the GAC. "I value and respect Karl's participation, but I can't go into it any further than that," he told the Heart Beat.
And while he did confirm presenting a council pay plan at "a sort of annual meeting that [former Columbia mayor] Bob Pugh puts together," Mr. Roper denied presenting a plan to remove or discourage "council activists."
"The term 'council activists' didn't come up, not once," Mr. Roper said. "That's absurd."
Instead, Mr. Roper said he presented the plan to "correct a basic inequity of people who take a lot of abuse working 30-35 hours per week for free. A council pay plan might actually increase the number of candidates for the city council by making it easier for more people to serve. But I don't want to talk too much more than that."
Former Columbia mayor Clyde Wilson, who attended both the public DLC meeting and the private council "pay plan" meeting, confirmed details that conflict with Mr. Roper's account, openly wondering why no council members, past or present, were invited to a meeting presumably about their pay.
"It was only mayors and city managers," Mr. Wilson told the Heart Beat. "Mr. Watkins sat next to [former city manager] Ray Beck. I think many people started getting uncomfortable about the time this activist council discussion started. I support council pay, and that's why I went. But it became clear fairly quickly that another agenda was at work."
George Kennedy editorial:
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/01/15/let-our-electe...
2) Controversial Discussion Missing From Official Tape
COLUMBIA, 1/29/09 (Beat Byte) -- A tape recording of Tuesday night's Downtown Leadership Council (DLC) meeting is missing an entire conversation regarding an alleged scheme to remove and discourage so-called "activist" council members,
the Columbia Heart Beat has learned.
In a telephone call to Billye Clemons yesterday afternoon, who said she tape records every DLC meeting to transcribe minutes, this reporter -- who also attended the DLC meeting -- requested permission to listen to the tape. "I've never had anyone ask to do that before," Clemons said. "We have no procedure in place for it and I'll have to ask Mr. Watkins."
I made the request after a source close to City Hall expressed concern that portions of the DLC meeting, which is open to the public, hadn't been recorded. "It wouldn't surprise me if about 7-10 minutes of that meeting is missing," the source explained.
Roughly an hour later, Clemons telephoned to say the tape was ready. On arriving at the City Manager's office in the Daniel Boone City Hall meeting, I met Clemons in the lobby and she set me up in a private conference room. "I'm sorry, this is a really old machine," she said, proceeding to turn on a cassette tape recorder. The tape started playing about halfway into the meeting, which I had also attended.
But after about a minute, during which Columbia Housing Authority director Phil Steinhaus discussed his dismay with a structure at Quinton's Bar that overhangs a sidewalk along Ninth Street, the tape suddenly stopped. The conversation about the scheme to remove council members was indeed missing.
"Oh no -- I'm really sorry," explained Clemons, who relies on the tape to compose the minutes. "I guess I forgot to turn the tape over."
After requesting to speak with assistant city manager Tony St. Romaine, who also attended the DLC meeting, I waited for several minutes, but couldn't wait longer and eventually left.
3) Chamber of Commerce Committee Sought Councilman Removal
COLUMBIA, 1/29/09 (Beat Byte) -- Earlier this month, leaders of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce government affairs committee (GAC) sought to remove 3rd ward city council member Karl Skala, a committee member for the past four years, from their committee.
"I have complaints from several participants who feel your comments chilled the discussions and made the meetings unproductive," Chamber of Commerce board chairman Larry Moore wrote in a Jan. 5 letter to Mr. Skala. "Karl, to my knowledge, the only complaints we have ever had about participation or non-constructive behavior in a Government Affairs Committee meeting have been about you, not other elected officials."
Praising "two very capable co-chairs" including Bob Roper, Mr. Skala responded that in a 20-member committee following "democratic rules of order," he was befuddled that any one person would be singled out as "disrupting" or "monopolizing" the meetings. In a Jan. 12 letter, Skala said he also had support from other committee members who "expressed dismay" with Mr. Moore, "first at your request for my resignation, and then for your suggestion to control debate by 'internalizing it.'"
Mr. Skala was referring to Mr. Moore's Jan. 5 letter. "The Chamber, through the Government Affairs Committee, must have a process by which we can debate and develop our legislative priorities and recommendations internally," Mr. Moore wrote, asking Mr. Skala to "respect the process we are trying to maintain."
Mr. Skala also wrote to Mr. Moore that a second committee member "contacted me earlier that same week disavowing any involvement in your decision to ask for my resignation."
Established, according to Mr. Moore, in part to encourage "better communications between the business community and the City Council," the Chamber GAC includes business people (Mr. Moore is an executive of Con Agg Mo, a diversified construction firm founded by developer Billy Sapp), and government officials (Mr. Skala and county commissioner Karen Miller).
Attempts to remove Mr. Skala from the committee ultimately proved unsuccessful.
RELATED:
http://www.columbiamochamber.com/chamber/
-- Mike Martin for the Columbia Heart Beat
http://columbiaheartbeat.blogspot.com/
1) City Council Scheme Shocks Leadership Group
2) Controversial Discussion Missing From Official Tape
3) Chamber of Commerce Committee Sought Councilman Removal
1) City Council Scheme Shocks Leadership Group
COLUMBIA, 1/29/09 (Beat Byte) -- A conversation about Columbia's future at Tuesday night's Downtown Leadership Council (DLC) meeting suddenly became a jaw-dropping expose when members heard about an alleged plan to replace, block, or otherwise undermine so-called city council "activists."
"I couldn't believe it," a DLC member, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the Heart Beat. "We were hearing about a group of city leaders, including the mayor and city manager, scheming to remove city council members they don't like."
Ostensibly a public relations campaign to support city council pay, the plan was supposedly presented at a different, invitation-only meeting of former mayors and city managers last Thursday at the Country Club of Missouri. No council members, past or present, were invited and the meeting was closed to the public.
With current city manager Bill Watkins and mayor Darwin Hindman also in attendance, former city attorney and Columbia Daily Tribune columnist Bob Roper allegedly spoke about paying council members. But the conversation quickly became about ways to remove and discourage so-called "activist" council members like Karl Skala, Barb Hoppe, Paul Sturtz, and Jerry Wade, according to sources familiar with the meeting. Mr. Roper then presented a plan to grant mayors "full veto power."
Using the term "activist council members" at least a half dozen times, attendees also discussed the pressing need to remove "that guy in the fishing vest" -- Mr. Skala -- in favor of "business people who just can't afford the time off to do the job without getting paid."
Mayor Darwin Hindman allegedly spoke in favor of the proposal, but it was unclear what he was supporting -- council pay or council member removal -- because neither he nor anyone else spoke against the scheme, and because council pay was allegedly a part of it. Paying council members would allegedly encourage many more "business people" to seek the elected office.
The term "council activists" has recently appeared in local editorials, including Missourian pundit George Kennedy's recent discussion of an ongoing dispute between council members, Mayor Hindman, and City Manager Watkins regarding the police chief hiring process. Council members can be removed for violating the city charter if they "interfere" or "meddle" in hiring decisions, which are solely the purview of the city manager.
As word of the conversations spread yesterday, this reporter's phone rang continuously, with citizens concerned that an elite "leadership cabal" was floating trial balloons to test support for ways to silence dissent and take control. That concern was largely motivated by an earlier, well-documented exchange between Mr. Skala, who sits on the Columbia Chamber of Commerce government affairs committee (GAC), and leaders of the committee, who were seeking his removal from it.
Mr. Roper co-chairs that committee.
"I regretted having to ask you to withdraw from the Chamber's government affairs committee, but I felt compelled to do so based on numerous complaints I have received about your participation in the last few meetings," Chamber of Commerce board chairman Larry Moore wrote in a December 19, 2008 letter to Mr. Skala. "As we discussed, I felt that the 'open' governmental affairs format provides an important forum for our members to raise, discuss, and formulate recommendations on issues critical to business in Columbia. Accordingly, it is imperative that your participation not continue to disrupt this process."
Mr. Roper denied involvement in efforts to remove Mr. Skala from either the city council or the GAC. "I value and respect Karl's participation, but I can't go into it any further than that," he told the Heart Beat.
And while he did confirm presenting a council pay plan at "a sort of annual meeting that [former Columbia mayor] Bob Pugh puts together," Mr. Roper denied presenting a plan to remove or discourage "council activists."
"The term 'council activists' didn't come up, not once," Mr. Roper said. "That's absurd."
Instead, Mr. Roper said he presented the plan to "correct a basic inequity of people who take a lot of abuse working 30-35 hours per week for free. A council pay plan might actually increase the number of candidates for the city council by making it easier for more people to serve. But I don't want to talk too much more than that."
Former Columbia mayor Clyde Wilson, who attended both the public DLC meeting and the private council "pay plan" meeting, confirmed details that conflict with Mr. Roper's account, openly wondering why no council members, past or present, were invited to a meeting presumably about their pay.
"It was only mayors and city managers," Mr. Wilson told the Heart Beat. "Mr. Watkins sat next to [former city manager] Ray Beck. I think many people started getting uncomfortable about the time this activist council discussion started. I support council pay, and that's why I went. But it became clear fairly quickly that another agenda was at work."
George Kennedy editorial:
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/01/15/let-our-electe...
2) Controversial Discussion Missing From Official Tape
COLUMBIA, 1/29/09 (Beat Byte) -- A tape recording of Tuesday night's Downtown Leadership Council (DLC) meeting is missing an entire conversation regarding an alleged scheme to remove and discourage so-called "activist" council members,
the Columbia Heart Beat has learned.
In a telephone call to Billye Clemons yesterday afternoon, who said she tape records every DLC meeting to transcribe minutes, this reporter -- who also attended the DLC meeting -- requested permission to listen to the tape. "I've never had anyone ask to do that before," Clemons said. "We have no procedure in place for it and I'll have to ask Mr. Watkins."
I made the request after a source close to City Hall expressed concern that portions of the DLC meeting, which is open to the public, hadn't been recorded. "It wouldn't surprise me if about 7-10 minutes of that meeting is missing," the source explained.
Roughly an hour later, Clemons telephoned to say the tape was ready. On arriving at the City Manager's office in the Daniel Boone City Hall meeting, I met Clemons in the lobby and she set me up in a private conference room. "I'm sorry, this is a really old machine," she said, proceeding to turn on a cassette tape recorder. The tape started playing about halfway into the meeting, which I had also attended.
But after about a minute, during which Columbia Housing Authority director Phil Steinhaus discussed his dismay with a structure at Quinton's Bar that overhangs a sidewalk along Ninth Street, the tape suddenly stopped. The conversation about the scheme to remove council members was indeed missing.
"Oh no -- I'm really sorry," explained Clemons, who relies on the tape to compose the minutes. "I guess I forgot to turn the tape over."
After requesting to speak with assistant city manager Tony St. Romaine, who also attended the DLC meeting, I waited for several minutes, but couldn't wait longer and eventually left.
3) Chamber of Commerce Committee Sought Councilman Removal
COLUMBIA, 1/29/09 (Beat Byte) -- Earlier this month, leaders of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce government affairs committee (GAC) sought to remove 3rd ward city council member Karl Skala, a committee member for the past four years, from their committee.
"I have complaints from several participants who feel your comments chilled the discussions and made the meetings unproductive," Chamber of Commerce board chairman Larry Moore wrote in a Jan. 5 letter to Mr. Skala. "Karl, to my knowledge, the only complaints we have ever had about participation or non-constructive behavior in a Government Affairs Committee meeting have been about you, not other elected officials."
Praising "two very capable co-chairs" including Bob Roper, Mr. Skala responded that in a 20-member committee following "democratic rules of order," he was befuddled that any one person would be singled out as "disrupting" or "monopolizing" the meetings. In a Jan. 12 letter, Skala said he also had support from other committee members who "expressed dismay" with Mr. Moore, "first at your request for my resignation, and then for your suggestion to control debate by 'internalizing it.'"
Mr. Skala was referring to Mr. Moore's Jan. 5 letter. "The Chamber, through the Government Affairs Committee, must have a process by which we can debate and develop our legislative priorities and recommendations internally," Mr. Moore wrote, asking Mr. Skala to "respect the process we are trying to maintain."
Mr. Skala also wrote to Mr. Moore that a second committee member "contacted me earlier that same week disavowing any involvement in your decision to ask for my resignation."
Established, according to Mr. Moore, in part to encourage "better communications between the business community and the City Council," the Chamber GAC includes business people (Mr. Moore is an executive of Con Agg Mo, a diversified construction firm founded by developer Billy Sapp), and government officials (Mr. Skala and county commissioner Karen Miller).
Attempts to remove Mr. Skala from the committee ultimately proved unsuccessful.
RELATED:
http://www.columbiamochamber.com/chamber/
-- Mike Martin for the Columbia Heart Beat
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