Saturday, June 16, 2007

The Empire Strikes Back!


Read it and draw your own conclusions. Looks as if the mud buckets are being filled, the brickbats are being stacked and the manure pile is getting turned over. What is the real deal here?

  • Is it intimidation of the Council persons that want Pfiefer's and the City Attorney's resignation? Possibly...but my money's on pressuring Eric Smith into supporting the addendum and punishing the Council persons for opposing the City Manager, City Attorney and Mayor
  • Conflict of interest? Who's interest? The public interest?
  • Inappropriate communications? By whom? How? When?
  • Code of Ethics violations? That's a stretch if Little Toddie is involved either directly or indirectly in this.
  • What's the worst that can happen? Someone be censured? Somehow I doubt it
  • How can this addendum actually be part of the meeting agenda if it was posted after working hours? That's splitting nose hairs but a point (very miniscule in my opinion) of order.

I have a good working knowledge of rules of order so I'm going to keep my fingers off the keys and see for myself if it plays out like I think it will.

Anyone want to start a pool? Will Phiefer and the City Attorney go or stay? I'll put even money on them being terminated on Tuesday. This amended agenda item is smoke without fire IMHO.

It definitely will be fun on Tuesday. Bring your personal recorders and let's compare notes when the dust settles. See you there! Told 'ya to put your seatbelts on, tray tables in their upright position, we're hittin' some rough air! Here ya' go...

===Snipped from City of Red Oak Website===


JUNE 19, 2007 CITY COUNCIL ADDENDUM TO SPECIAL MEETING
ADDENDUM TO SPECIAL MEETING
TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2007, 7:00 P.M.
RED OAK CITY COUNCIL
Addendum to Special Meeting of the Red Oak City Council to be held on Tuesday, June 19, 2007 at 7:00 P.M., in the Council Chambers of the Red Oak Municipal Center, 200 Lakeview Parkway, Red Oak, Texas.

The following item is added to Open Session.
III. COUNCIL BUSINESS - OPEN SESSION
C. Discussion of violations concerning the Open Meetings Act, Code of Ethics, investigative powers, conflict of interest, inappropriate communications and consideration of approving any action as a result .
Posted in accordance with the Texas Government Code, Chapter 551, on the 16th day of June, 2007 at 4:45 P.M.
Attested: ____________________________
Judy Grant, City Secretary
ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENTThe City Hall is wheelchair accessible. The entry ramp is located in front of the building. Accessible parking spaces are also available in that area. If you have a disability and need more information, call (972) 617-3638.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't worry, Steve. If Ben @ Co. haven't done anything wrong, they aren't vulnerable. We'll see what comes out Tuesday night and, being the fair and impartial reporter you are, I'm sure that you will decry anything they have done wrong just as vehemently as you have decried the unproven charges against Todd, Ken, etal.

Anonymous said...

I hope no one found this to be a surprise. Everyone knew that Todd, Mayor and Ken would pull some kind of crap.
It time for this city to take a bigger path, Lets get off the Little path.
Its time for Ken to go!!

Steve Miller said...

anon #1: You hit the nail on the head on both counts. I'm just a regular person-not a reporter by any shade. I will definitely call a spade a spade on BOTH sides of the issue.
Why would I take the time I do and NOT "write it as I see it".

Thanks for your vote of support!

Anonymous said...

Maybe someone needs to tell the mayor he would be better off staying out of this one. Because the City Manger and Todd will get tarred and feathered.
The Citizens are fed up with the City Manager. There will be no love loss when he goes.
Well Todd will have love loss for his boyfriend when he leaves.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like Todd And Co. are trying anything they can to stop this. But I for one say the city manager needs to be fired. He has do little for the city and has done alot for Todd.

Anonymous said...

I am sooooooo loving this! You would think that Ken would just resign. This proves that his little mind (Dang that was good for those of you who caught it)thinks that he still has a fighting chance. Oh well, it just hurts him for his next gig and fills RO with a little (Man, are ya'll gettin this!!) excitement!

APW

Anonymous said...

Has anyone else heard about once Ken is out of office tonight, the Tom Coppock is returning as Lt. or higher? What about the water stealing Charlie Bertrand coming back? They were promised their jobs when Ken is removed tonight!

Steve Miller said...

Hey Anon...how do you KNOW these guys were promised their jobs back? Were you there when these promises were made? If you've got the straight dope...put it on the blog. I'm curious about the "water stealing" Charlie Bertrand. What's that all about? Whom/who did he rip off?

Anonymous said...

Charlie mentioned that once Ken is gone he will be able to have his job back, according to someone on the inside of tonights meeting, these two items were mentioned. The water stealing is referred to his land. He has a water tank for his animals on his land, which is only a few yards according to pictures away from a leaky fire hydrant that was also on his property. How else would have a key to that hydrant but the public works officer? This is according to several local citizens in his neighborhood that are connected to the city by employement.

Anonymous said...

I've always heard that Charlie may have used city equipment for a side business, which is what got him fired in the 1st place. According to the "rules", if I'm correct, the only people Council can hire/fire is the city mgr. Of course they could always appoint the mgr of their choosing who would hire those guys back. I personally think Coppock would make a great chief.

Anonymous said...

Hey, Tom I am sure you think you would make a great chief, but do us all a favor and go home. Red Oak does not need "bad cops" like you. We have enough corruption in the department now without you coming back and stirring up more sh*t. Do we have to actually draw you a picture to get it through your head that we don't want you? Some people just don't get it the first time. Maybe if we got on the news and told you, you would believe us then.

Anonymous said...

Who cares about Stolen water what about all those poor women that Charlie had file complaints for sexual harassment. The press reported an affair between him and his ex employee Lori who was also married at the time. Charlie has anger issue with other employees who also filed Complants. Mr. Coppock will have to face the Red Oak PD Union before keeping a job as chief. He has created many enemies with the men who work there. The union had formed a letter to get his job and he decided to resign in hopes to be chief if ben got in. This is no lie ask the men in blue.

Anonymous said...

You people I swear.
I can tell you for a fact that Charlie will not get his job back. Because I over heard another citizens ask that question to a few of the councilmen. Their answer: they do not hire city employees besides the city manager. The hiring process is up to the HR director. But they would not support any effort to get Charlie back.

I live out in the area where Charlie lives. And yes I know for a fact that he used city equipment to build a barn and do some work on his place a few years ago. Because, I seen it with my own eyes. And I know for a fact that he was suspended for I believe 2 weeks because of it.

I have also heard not seen it with my own eyes. Many neighbors have seen Charlie getting water out of the fire hydrant by his land. It is not Red Oak water out here it is Rocket water.

As for Tom: all I can say is Tom was not fired! He resigned on his own! So yea he could re apply for his job. But that decision will be up to the new city manager, police chief and HR director. Not Ben or Casey as you may have been mislead to believe.

Anonymous said...

But we all know that Ben and Casey want a yes man to set in the drivers set. So then there buddy Tom can have the Job. How Much Money is this going to Cost Red Oak after the Law Suit is over.

Anonymous said...

I do not think any law suit will get very far. After everything is said and done Red Oak will be better for it.

Anonymous said...

Yea I saw Reds family after the meeting outside taking pictures of Ben and Tom in the parking lot.
What do they realy think that will help in a law suit?

Anonymous said...

Here we go again, my family and I being accused of doing crap we did not. Yes, my family and I were outside the building after the meeting, but not one of us were taking pictures of anyone. You can ask the gentleman with the initials JP that sit in his truck on his cell phone watching us the whole time. No one took pictures of anyone, we were talking to others and watching others. What pictures could we have taken? A bunch of people standing around? And me and my family have no reason to file any law suit or do we? You tell us, because we were not aware of any. I never knew coming to a meeting was a crime or something for someone to blog about us. Did you also know we were at Whataburger eating and talking afterwards? Let me see, I ordered food, ate, and oh yeah, I spoke with Chris Moses...is any of this something to blog about. I did not know that I was that important. Should I be honored or worried about being watched? Oh, yeah, I forgot that I sat next to Billy at the meeting and then told Tom if he wanted to talk to my brother he could do the talking...just thought I would tell you that, because I saw on here something about Tom talking to my sister in law. He told my sister in law to give Red a message that he needed to talk to him, because he was given some wrong information about him. Debbie told him that he had Red's # and he said he has mine too. I butted in and told him that he is the one wanting to defend himself to Red, he could make the calls. That was it, no more mysteries. I am sorry if our presence made you feel uncomfortable, but we did nothing wrong and we were not taking pictures of anyone, there was no one there that I would want to take pictures of. We did turn our cell phones back on when we came out, because we put them on silent when we went in. You can ask Billy, he saw me tell my sister to turns hers off when we sat down. As for as Whataburger, I talked to Chris about schools, houses and how he was feeling. Neither of us drew blood on each other...sorry to disappoint you. We both acted like adults. I did not speak to anyone else at the table, Oh, I did wave at the young woman sitting next to Chris when he was telling her that I was Red's sister. We could not help but over hear what was being said at the table next to us, because they were talking sooo loud...I guess they thought we cared about what they were saying. I could tell you what they were talking about, but that would be considered hear-say and I think this town has had enough of that.
People, if you want to talk to us, we are in the phone book, you don't have to go on here anonymously and talk crap. We don't bite, we are just interested in what is going on in this town we live in. You read soooo much on here, that you have to come out and see for yourself. But to the ones on here, just because you get on here and tell things does not make them the truth. Our lives are private, unless we choose for them to be public.
And to the one who posted this about the Non pictures, should I be taking picture of the two of them? I wonder why anyone would think we needed pictures of them and what law suit are you talking about? I have checked records and I don't see any records of any of my family filing any law suit...check for yourself. And while you are at it, get a life and a new pair of glasses, because it is obvious that you are seeing things.
Denise (A.K.A. Red's sister)