Citizen’s Group demands Mayor & Council obey law
Oh my goodness, if you missed the April 23, 2013 City Council meeting you missed some fireworks! The City has again broken laws. This time in a way that resulted in the subject of “alcohol” service in the Rec Center being hidden from the public, as well as a “complete and unedited” audio recording NOT being posted on the city website as required by State Code.
April 30th, a NOTICE OF COMPLAINT was filed with the City, which read, “…We [Cedar Hills Citizens for Responsible Government, or CHCFRG] respectfully DEMAND that the audio record be corrected and posted immediately, and the alcohol vote/approval be suspended immediately until the City has gone through the proper legal process in public, on the record, in front of your employers — the citizens of Cedar Hills.” Click here for PDF of… NOTICE OF COMPLAINT – illegal Council meeting actions
At the April 23rd City Council Meeting Conducted by Mayor Gary Gygi:
- — The Council voted in favor of allowing ALCOHOL to be served at the family Recreation Center at private events, without putting “alcohol” on the agenda. (see Agenda item #19 in PDF below)
- — The Council voted in favor of Clubhouse improvements in basement and other purposes Financial Officer said totaled $410,000. This goes directly against a new city ordinance they recently passed for no building over $400K additional without full-disclosure and citizen input as required by their own ordinance. (see Agenda item #15 in PDF below)
CHFRG had warned citizens of a secret effort (conspiracy) to serve alcohol in the clubhouse, but only “after the last election”. This conspiracy was discovered within 6000+ pages secret emails that City Council members were ORDERED by the Utah State Records Committee to provided to us and the City’s public record. (The City’s efforts to hide and withhold these emails cost as much as $120,000 in legal fees. If honesty in government is the goal, why not just provide the public documents upon request?) Many of the people involved are no longer on the Council or on staff, but Mayor Gygi and most of the Council appears to intent on fulfilling the old alcohol agenda, and hiding that fact from the citizens. Really? Alcohol service in a so-called “Family Recreation Center”?
Secret Email #4 – Mayor: “Beer Tavern license”, -but “after the election”
– Oct• 26•12
http://www.cedarhillscitizens.org/secret-email-4-mayor-beer-tavern-license-but-after-the-election/
Council member Jenney Rees was the only voice of reason and transparency on the Council often chastising them for hypocrisy regarding “transparency” they often claim. She pleasantly surprised some, by her strong championing of the voice of many residents who are in favor of true open, honest and transparent government, especially on controversial items like the city facilitating alcohol service and expenditures over $400,000 without full-disclosure, –asking them avoid these actions without more transparency.
If the citizens ever get to hear the “correct and unedited” audio recording of the Council meeting, they will many damning comments made by the mayor and 4 of the 5 Council members, there will be election repercussions. Unfortunately, two days later, the City posted an audio recording as required by law, but much of which was inaudible, and strangely, Council woman Rees’ comments were the least audible. This is strange because Councilwoman Rees spoke directly into the microphone and her comments were the most clearly heard through the PA system. Why doesn’t the recording document the Council woman Rees’s voice?
An official Complaint was filed April 30th with the City, after Mayor Gygi refused to provide a substantive explanation. On May 4, the City Recorder Ms. Colleen Mulvey again provided a less than thorough – if not evasive – explanation of the events. As the employers, we expect the Mayor to insure a clear, thorough and transparent written explanation be provided, with his name also attached.
The City’s response to our NOTICE OF COMPLAINT was evasive and did not clearly explain why a “complete and unedited” audio recording was not posted as required by law, nor did it unequivocally explain if the original was destroyed “accidentally” or otherwise. Awfully convenient.
At the same Council meeting, other politically damning items that are conveniently less than “complete and unedited” on the audio posting including:
1.) the Council created a new fee of $35 for running for office because “other cities do so”,
2.) the Council discussed changing name from N. Clubhouse Drive to N. Recreation Drive or some other name, and
3.) the Council awarded a 4% merit pay increase for city employees.
Please note that recently the City also IMPLIMENTED A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE. Are you surprised?
Post: PDF of mis-leading Council Agenda city-council-agenda 2013-04-23