Tom
Wednesday, 05 May 2010 04:11
Census Operations Confuse Some Residents, Officials
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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 04:12
Administrators Deny Wrongdoing in Sutter Creek
Amador County – Assistant City Manager Sean Rabe on Tuesday defended himself and City Manager Rob Duke against accusations by former Finance Director Jeff Gardner. Rabe said: “Neither of us have done anything improper.” Gardner, whose contract was terminated Monday, sent a letter to the city council detailing what he said were financial improprieties, including receiving funds from developers and improperly paying a police officer. Gardner said the officer was paid “for close to 2 years for not working when his Workers Comp claim had already been denied,” costing the city “in excess of $80,000 per year.” Gardner said he raised the issue “with management and the finance committee on at least 10 occasions,” and called it a “gift of public funds.” Officer Kevin Harris still works for the city, and had an injury that “prevented him from working on full duty,” Rabe said Tuesday. He said the Health Information Privacy Act kept him from discussing the medical condition. The city council has hired an independent person to see if there were any improprieties in the way Harris’ issue was handled. Gardner also said a city Visa card was improperly used to pay for “hundreds of dollars in meals…for supposed business meetings between the assistant city manager, consultants” and representatives of the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort. Gardner said the meals, reimbursed by Gold Rush, were not claimed by management in filings with the Fair Political Practices Committee. Rabe said City Attorney Dennis Crabb “approved it as a legitimate business expense,” that did not need to be reported to the FPPC because it was “a reimbursed business expense.” He said “if the city manager or I are meeting with Gold Rush consultants, during a lunch break, the city pays for the meal,” and Gold Rush reimburses the cost. Gardner said Rabe and Duke “routinely record meetings with staff without their knowledge.” Rabe said he and Duke both have pens with built in recorders, which they use to record meetings with staff, but he said all staff members are aware of that fact. Gardner said management circumvents the “e-discovery process with respect to public information.” Rabe said the “city has a comprehensive electronic media policy that spells out when anything needs to be purged, and we follow that policy.” Everything on his laptop is a public record, but not open to the public because it is his working computer. He said documents are stored on his computer so he can work at home because he has no remote access to city computers. He said city hall has a public copy of the city’s electronic media policy. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 04:14
Finance Director Gardner Blasts Sutter Creek Council, Management
Amador County – Sutter Creek Finance Director Jeff Gardner left the employment of the city Monday with a scathing letter that criticized the city council and its management of promulgating “financial improprieties,” despite his warnings. Gardner in a letter dated Monday (May 3rd) to the city council, listed 13 different instances where the city council, city manager or assistant city manager committed questionable actions. Gardner in the letter said: “There are many more items, but this is just an indication of how management and the city council colluded to misrepresent financial issues in the city of Sutter Creek.” He said while he was an “at-will” employee, he “made sure to bring all of these issues to the attention of the full council and the city attorney.” He said: “I believe as a result my contract was cancelled today,” adding that he expects “to take the appropriate action to insure this doesn’t occur again in the future.” Gardner said 8 months ago, he “put the city council and city attorney on notice about multiple improprieties associated with the financial internal controls of the city of Sutter Creek.” He said: “I explained in my e-mail I intended to go to the Grand Jury if something wasn’t done immediately.” He said the “response from the Finance Committee was an attempt to blame the issues on the Finance Director.” Gardner was the city finance director since 2004. Gardner said in the letter that when Assistant City Manager Sean Rabe was hired, Gardner “sat down and had a detailed discussion” about at least 8 issues. Gardner said: “I specifically told him if he wasn’t willing to do anything about it, he was culpable for all of the wrong doing as well.” He said Rabe was “fully informed by the end of his first week of work for the city of Sutter Creek.” Rabe said Gardner read part of the letter Monday, then left copies of it on a table. Rabe said the “city council received copies of the letter. They are reviewing it and will act accordingly.” Rabe said “neither the city manager nor I have acted inappropriately in any manner.” He said Gardner’s employment was a “personnel action that I can’t discuss,” beyond the fact that the city council voted to end Gardner’s contract. Gardner has an open-ended contract that required 30-days notice for termination. The council directed staff to end the contract immediately, and Gardner will be paid for the remaining 30 days. Rabe said the council will have an independent party look into Gardner’s allegations that an employee received improper payment. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 06:08
Pat Crosby - Gold Rush Ranch Development 5-5-10
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News Interview Videos
Wednesday, 05 May 2010 06:01
Amador County News TSPN TV with Alex Lane 5-5-10
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News Broadcast Videos
Wednesday, 05 May 2010 04:14
Finance Director Gardner Blasts Sutter Creek Council, Management
Amador County – Sutter Creek Finance Director Jeff Gardner left the employment of the city Monday with a scathing letter that criticized the city council and its management of promulgating “financial improprieties,” despite his warnings. Gardner in a letter dated Monday (May 3rd) to the city council, listed 13 different instances where the city council, city manager or assistant city manager committed questionable actions. Gardner in the letter said: “There are many more items, but this is just an indication of how management and the city council colluded to misrepresent financial issues in the city of Sutter Creek.” He said while he was an “at-will” employee, he “made sure to bring all of these issues to the attention of the full council and the city attorney.” He said: “I believe as a result my contract was cancelled today,” adding that he expects “to take the appropriate action to insure this doesn’t occur again in the future.” Gardner said 8 months ago, he “put the city council and city attorney on notice about multiple improprieties associated with the financial internal controls of the city of Sutter Creek.” He said: “I explained in my e-mail I intended to go to the Grand Jury if something wasn’t done immediately.” He said the “response from the Finance Committee was an attempt to blame the issues on the Finance Director.” Gardner was the city finance director since 2004. Gardner said in the letter that when Assistant City Manager Sean Rabe was hired, Gardner “sat down and had a detailed discussion” about at least 8 issues. Gardner said: “I specifically told him if he wasn’t willing to do anything about it, he was culpable for all of the wrong doing as well.” He said Rabe was “fully informed by the end of his first week of work for the city of Sutter Creek.” Rabe said Gardner read part of the letter Monday, then left copies of it on a table. Rabe said the “city council received copies of the letter. They are reviewing it and will act accordingly.” Rabe said “neither the city manager nor I have acted inappropriately in any manner.” He said Gardner’s employment was a “personnel action that I can’t discuss,” beyond the fact that the city council voted to end Gardner’s contract. Gardner has an open-ended contract that required 30-days notice for termination. The council directed staff to end the contract immediately, and Gardner will be paid for the remaining 30 days. Rabe said the council will have an independent party look into Gardner’s allegations that an employee received improper payment. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 04:12
Administrators Deny Wrongdoing in Sutter Creek
Amador County – Assistant City Manager Sean Rabe on Tuesday defended himself and City Manager Rob Duke against accusations by former Finance Director Jeff Gardner. Rabe said: “Neither of us have done anything improper.” Gardner, whose contract was terminated Monday, sent a letter to the city council detailing what he said were financial improprieties, including receiving funds from developers and improperly paying a police officer. Gardner said the officer was paid “for close to 2 years for not working when his Workers Comp claim had already been denied,” costing the city “in excess of $80,000 per year.” Gardner said he raised the issue “with management and the finance committee on at least 10 occasions,” and called it a “gift of public funds.” Officer Kevin Harris still works for the city, and had an injury that “prevented him from working on full duty,” Rabe said Tuesday. He said the Health Information Privacy Act kept him from discussing the medical condition. The city council has hired an independent person to see if there were any improprieties in the way Harris’ issue was handled. Gardner also said a city Visa card was improperly used to pay for “hundreds of dollars in meals…for supposed business meetings between the assistant city manager, consultants” and representatives of the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort. Gardner said the meals, reimbursed by Gold Rush, were not claimed by management in filings with the Fair Political Practices Committee. Rabe said City Attorney Dennis Crabb “approved it as a legitimate business expense,” that did not need to be reported to the FPPC because it was “a reimbursed business expense.” He said “if the city manager or I are meeting with Gold Rush consultants, during a lunch break, the city pays for the meal,” and Gold Rush reimburses the cost. Gardner said Rabe and Duke “routinely record meetings with staff without their knowledge.” Rabe said he and Duke both have pens with built in recorders, which they use to record meetings with staff, but he said all staff members are aware of that fact. Gardner said management circumvents the “e-discovery process with respect to public information.” Rabe said the “city has a comprehensive electronic media policy that spells out when anything needs to be purged, and we follow that policy.” Everything on his laptop is a public record, but not open to the public because it is his working computer. He said documents are stored on his computer so he can work at home because he has no remote access to city computers. He said city hall has a public copy of the city’s electronic media policy. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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