Desert Messenger

P��� 12 Quartzsite Virus? By Bob Kelley Quartzsite Councilmember Ad Hoc Ethics Committee Member Read at 8/23/10 Council Meeting We seem to have a virus going around Quartzsite! It has been here for quite some time, and it seems to rear its head every so often. It never seems to ever be completely cured, as it comes back over time. It doesn’t seem to af- fect those that have been here for a long time, but really effects those who have been here a short while. What it is called is NEGATIVITY! We have seen it rear its head in the past, but we usually find an antidote to it and move on. You hear the town is broke, we should disband the town, the Police Dept. is corrupt, the town council does things behind closed doors, and the list goes on and on. We hear a lot that is wrong with our town, but never any real solu- tions, only complaints. We have a lot of positive things going on such as: the assisted living facility, the ARCO remodel, the mine expand- ing, the solar project, the new travel center, several buildings sold and be- ing remodeled for expanded business. We’re also cleaning up some areas that detract from our visual image presented to those who pass through our area and impart a reason for travelers to stop and spend some time in Quartzsite, to get to know us as a good place to spend some ���.D�����M��������.��� We, as the Committee, thought that 60 days was too excessive to review the material, but we agreed to a 10 day extension. He also asked that the com- mittee meet in an open session, which we agreed to do. A notice was posted that on Aug. 23, 2010 at 4pm there would be an Ad Hoc Committee open to the public per town code and ARS Statutes. On Aug. 16th, the committee received time and money, and interact with our businesses and citizens. At the present time we are trying to vaccinate all the citizens of Quartzsite! To do this, some of us on the Town Council called for an Ad Hoc Ethics Committee to try and find an antidote. The committee is chaired by Vice May- or Barbara Cowell, with Council Mem- bers Jose Lizarraga, Bob Kelley, along with Town Attorney Pamela Walsma. The attorney’s presence is to insure that all things discussed were done ac- cording to Town Codes, Arizona State Statutes, and Federal Laws. This was a call for Mayor Ed Foster to clarify some of the issues that have been made. When Mr. Foster was informed of this meeting, he stated that the time frame was too short and covered a lot of issues that could be libelous, and he requested we delay the meeting for 60 days, to give him time for he and his attorney to go over the material. Little Scholars’ PRESCHOOL Now accepting 2-5 year olds! NO TUITION! 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To ask Mr. Foster to explain the al- legations contained in documents pre- sented to him, and to explain where the information was obtained and why? There were no charges being pre- sented, he was not being charged with anything. This was to be a fact finding committee to clarify issues he himself raised. It was not a hearing, only a chance for all of us to go over issues that had been raised by him. This council is dedicated to total transparency. We do not do things in lock step. We vote our conscience and how we are as individuals interpret the issues based on input from the public as well as Town Staff. We do not meet behind closed doors and never try to sway how other council members vote. So the council feels that we are on our way to stopping this virus from spreading, by trying to bring all of the citizens in to get vaccinated and to stop the spread of this very strong virus. I think you will thank us later on for getting you vaccinated. Thank you, Bob Kelley DEADLINE for the Sept. 15 Desert Messenger is WED. SEPT. 8th desertmessenger7@yahoo.com 541-218-2560 S�������� 1, 2010  Ethics from Page 3 the Town Manager and the Town as a whole. These criminal allegations were made to state agencies such as DPS, Attorney General’s Of- fice, the State of Arizona Ombudsman’s Of- fice, the Arizona League of Cities and Towns. These allegations were made without the knowledge or agreement of the Town Coun- cil. To obtain copies of the allegations and subsequent reports and investigations, the Town had to file public records requests with these state agencies and offices. The accusa- tions created a hostile work environment, particularly when allegations regarding the Town Treasury appeared on Mayor Foster’s online publication, “Mineshaft”. In all cases, the Town staff and Town Coun- cil were exonerated from any wrongdoing. In an effort to assure that liability to the Town is kept at a minimum I was advised by the Town’s insurer AMRRP (Arizona Municipal Risk Retention Pool), to document each in- cident, each allegation and each response in writing to assure that the Town’s interests were safeguarded as much as is possible and to clearly show that Mayor Foster’s actions did not represent the Town Council. The result is a book of documented com- plaints that was presented to the Vice-May- or, in accordance with the “Legal and Ethical Standards of Conduct” procedure. Further, the Vice-Mayor called an ad hoc ethics com- mittee to address the complaints and their resolution. The committee determined the problems and complaints were not minor in nature, and were in fact considered to be major complaints. Mayor Foster was therefore asked to at- tend a meeting with the committee and af- ter first stating that he needed 60 days for his attorney to review it and demanding the meeting be held in public and later stating he would not attend any committee meeting, the committee met in public on August 23, 2010 at 4:00 P.M. Of major concern during the meeting was the fact that Mayor Foster’s allegations might undermine the public’s trust of Town government and Police De- partment. The complaint book that outlines the allegations and incidents regarding Mayor Foster’s actions is available in the Quartzsite Public Library for anyone to read, as is the Town Council Proce- dure Policy. The complaint book is, in modern terms, ugly, because it outlines a litany of accusations, discovered to be unfounded. For what purpose? Please decide for yourself. READER’S OASIS BOOKS

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