Is it not interesting that the current Centerville City Council chose to fill the seat vacated by Tom Lee with a person that did not run (D Love) during the last election? According to the buzz around town, Neale Rawlings should have been appointed, hands down. Instead, our elected officials chose someone with the exact same right of way violation (photo above) they are currently prosecuting a senior citizen (photo below) on criminal charges with?Is the will of the people being ignored in Centerville?
What are they spending our tax dollars on?
2008 City Council Election results;
Neale Rawlings - 502
Thomas Fairbrother - 490
Ben Fehrenbacher - 522
Jeff Paar - 706
Stephanie Blomseth - 460
David H. Cochran - 368
Tom Wood - 348
FYI
Former Mayor Tom Wilharber also completed a letter of interest to fill the vacant seat and was shunned by Council.
The Citizen
Legal name?
Even ask?
46 comments:
Looks reminiscent of the circle of trust seen in other towns.
Remember this story next election.
Nothing against Mr. Love - know very little about him. Noticed no cause for concern when he served on board before. But have to ask the Council members why - OH WHY would you not go with the will of the people you represent? Okay, perhaps D. Love has more experience, can hit the ground running etc. etc. But is that good enough excuse to ignore the will of the people you were elected to represent? Know very little about Mr. Rawlings, but according to the townspeople, he would be the next in line to serve with the number of votes just one year ago!
Boy they pretty much said it loaud and clear didn't they. They don't give a rats ass what the people want.
Just read about this in the paper.
What's up with the D instead of a first name being used?
Shouldn't public officials be required to disclose their full legal name?
Only in Centerville...
The will of the people has been trampled and ignored once again by the arrogant four people running the city.
IMHO
This is why people need to pay attention to what is going on at the local government level.
Our crew has been getting away with not responding to the tough emails for quite a long time and are still doing so today.
I can't wait until the next election!!!
So, what does the "D" stand for in Love's first name?? Anyone know?
Let's get real, did anyone really think the Mayor gives a hoot as to what the Centerville residents want?
Someone explain to me why we are spending time and money on how to "decorate" the very same street lights the citizens told city council weren't necessary to begin with? So, does the Mayor expect to decorate all the street lights, even the ones that aren't lit up at night now that they finally figured out the City couldn't affor the electrical bill?
Doctor Love? Hysterical!
Only in Centerville. Seriously!
I am thinking about cementing a basketball area right next to the street, too.
Think the city will file criminal charges????
This council is a joke.
Can't wait to say good bye to them!
Obviously this is a case of looking out for your friends.
Hopefully, the city will stop picking on our senior citizens.
The photos are evidence that show the bias in our town.
Good luck to the resident being criminally charged.
How much money have we spent in legal fees on this nonsense?
That money would have been better spent on a dedicated road fund.
Are you listening, Capra?
Doubt it... Keep giving our money to the city attorney and ignoring your friends violations.
Just the leadership we are looking for... NOT!
In my opinion, Mary Capra doesn't care about anything except her friends and being reelected. These photos are proof of that.
Good luck, "D" Love.
Like my momma always said, "Choose your friends wisely, as you will become them"
SCARY STUFF, HUH?
Maybe the D stands for Damien?
Pretty shoddy reporting by the Citizen, if you ask me.
I thought Deb Barnes was a better reporter who would know to ask a simple question.
Like, what is your first name?
Every potential candidate must disclose their FULL LEGAL name on the application when running for office.
Apparently, this is a different case or the press has chosen to overlook it.
The danger of being selected (by your friends) and not elected by the citizens will prove to be your demise come next November.
Looking forward to it, Mr. D!
Word on the street is that there are over 80 other easement violations in town.
The fact that the City of Centerville would waste money on legal fees charging (criminally) one resident for the same violation as one they just "selected" a new council member would he laughable if not true.
Shame on them all!
I can understand ones disappointment when a candidate they support does not get the nomination. However; it is my understanding that the city council and mayor followed the rules when selecting a replacement council member in mid-term. Unless the people hear from some of the candidates of some wrong doing or unfair treatment in the selection process the people should accept the cities decision and show their approval or disapproval in fourteen months at the voting booths.
In regards to the “buzz around town” that Neale Rawlings should be given the position because he received the third most votes would be an injustice to the election system. (This is nothing against Neale I do not know him or have any issues with him.) At the time of the 2008 election I believe we were voting for two not three council members. If we had been voting for three the results could have been very different.
I still have to side with the city on the so called ordinance violations; of the 80 plus I believe less than 10 citations were issued. To help save money or make money for the city let’s revisit the violation issue. If a citizen is accused of an ordinance violation and the city inspects and concludes you are not in violation the accuser should be assessed a fee (say $50) for the cities time. This should accomplish two things. Fewer complaints and hopefully the parties involved will try to come to some compromise.
About the citizen being prosecuted by the city; if you feel that strongly about your situation fight your fight. That being said it may have been more prudent to try to work with the city for a reasonable resolution. Instead you wrongly accused the majority of the people in your 80+ ordinance violation accusations creating more unnecessary work and expense to the city.
This senior citizen received permission from Dallas to plant the ground cover.
The mayor said the senior citizen didn't have to remove the bricks.
Seems one hand doesn't know what the other is doing. No communication. Dallas just does what he wants. Is this revenge toward a person objecting to that odd looking house on Old Mill Rd?
lets get to all council homes and see what else we can find, thats what they do......
The fact that SEVEN people ran for TWO elected seats in this town speaks volumes! The fact that these very results were overlooked when Tom Lee resigned speaks volumes about who is running our City.
BTW... The ordinances should apply equally to every resident or the ordinances should be thrown out.
Mayor Capra and Administrator Dallas Larson have been caught in their bias.
Calling D. Love?
They mean Darion Love.
What makes Ben F more qualified when he only beat Neale by 20 votes?
Frankly, Ben has been quite a disappointment.. Voting with the status quo his new found buddies...
The Sheehee vote was shameless!!! What makes any of them qualified real estate professionals.
The FEDERAL law is that one can only be assessed the value of the improvement, not what the crazies at City Hall deem necessary to balance the budget!!!
Way to support local businesses... LOSERS
Hope Sheehey takes you to the cleaners.
We all deserve it for electing you idiots.
HELLO!?!!
What is wrong with the local press? They can not ask, what is your first name?
The City website does not even disclose this information.
Not that it matters, but we would not be shouting Dr. Love here on the blog.
Everyone that runs for office must disclose their FULL LEGAL NAME, not an initial such as we are currently seeing in the press and shamefully on the city website.
COPY AND PASTE
http://centervillemn.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={79C323D0-3BAC-478C-BD65-D30276EEA778}
To Anonymous Nov. 4, 1:48 p.m.
My question is sincere - have no axe to grind, simply want clarity.
How would the Council choosing the 'next runner up' from last year's election (Neale Rawlings) to serve out Tom Lee's seat have been "an injustice to the election system" as you state?
1. The mayor has her own agenda for being involved with the city... its called assessment and development of her property.
2. What really qualifies the members, it sure is not education. With an insurance salesman, Part time accountant and failed business owner....what could be worse?
3.Mr D Love should never have be appointed. I'm sure he is telling all his friends he will represent them ( the normal hard working folks... ha, that's what Parr said now he's choked on the city just to get his picture in the paper cutting a ribbon once in a while.
4.Mr. Larson, there is more to this guy, why did everyone stop looking into his past... i think you will find much much more.
5. When the members will not take a hard look at giving variances to small easement infractions ( flowers/rocks) We need to start picking away at the members yards, driveways, sheds, flowers and any other code issue. this is Centerville peeps.... not Woodbury Mr.Paar.
6. heck, i don't even tell folks I live in Centerville... I tell them I live in Hugo... it cuts the laughter
Well, well, well. I think that the senior citizen in question that is being charged criminally should show these two pictures to the judge.
Obviously it's not who you know but who knows you in Centerville.
If the recently appointed council member really has a poured concrete slab in his easement, the city will look extremely foolish for charging a senior with two little tiny bricks... to protect a sprinkler head from a neighbor's lawnmower.
What a waste of our money. What a sham! These people need to go!!
Wow! Idiots would have chosen better...
YOUR TAX DOLLARS ARE PAYING FOR THIS NONSENSE CENTERVILLE!!!
So, the good old boys and girls club plays like this..Hey Mr insurance guy, PT accountant and failed buiseness owner... guess what...
Do you think we arfe not watching you burn leaves against code?
Do you think we turned our cheek whent he police did not give you an overnight parking ticket on your car? Do you think we ytou can post signage and sales items in your yard against your own sign ordinance? oh... and the best one, Mr council member (BF) your so worried about mailboxs and sidewalks getting shoveled so your own wife and kids can run and play on them... what about the ones that are not completed in 3 years and the ones busted up and causing issues...
They all have there own agenda, heres the deal.... we need to follow up , watch, discuss, talk.... these are offenders... offenders of there own practice.... take photos,ask questions and the truth will soon hit the media....
If there's much much more on Mr. Larson, feel free to bring to us!!
Here lies the problem...Annonymous from November 4th...The City knows they have YOUR TAX DOLLARS to do all the fighting in the world, so if you choose to "fight the fight" as you say, you also have to fund your fight - and the City counts on that!! Don't you get it, OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE BEING USED in these petty lawsuits. Attorney Glaser is walking around smiling like a FAT RAT!! That's the disgrace!! Our so-called City Representatives don't care what's right or wrong, only that they will win with OUR TAX DOLLARS - the never ending money pot!!
MR PAAR... WE SEEN YOU HAVING THAT BONFIRE WITHIN 100FT OF YOUR HOME..... DR LOVE... SLOW DOWN IN THE H2 BUDDY, YOUR GONNA HURT SOMEONE.... HEY BEN, YOUR A SMART GUY...CRUNCH THE NUMBERS, THEY DO NOT WORK!!!
LIKE I SAID.... KEEP WATCHING AND KEEP TALKING... THERE LUCK WILL RUN OUT. KEEP PICKING ON FOLKS FOR 2 SF OF EASMENT INFRACTIONS... AND THE CITIZENS WILL DO THE SAME TO YOU.
Originally posted November 22 @ 10:40 AM
OK OK, I FEEL I'M BEING DISCRIMINATED. HOW CAN AN AFRICAN AMERICAN COUNCIL MEMBER HAVE A FULL SIZE BASKETBALL COURT STREET SIDE AND I CAN NOT? HEY MR D (PT INSURANCE DUDE.... WHAT ABOUT THE LIABILITY, JUST LIKE THE DOCK AND POND ISSUE, IF MY CHILD OR ANY OTHER WOULD GET HURT OR HIT BY A CAR.....THE CITY AND DR.LOVE WILL BE ON THE NEWS BIG TIME. SO, BY THE CITY NO NOTIFING THE DR. THERE IS A HUGE LIABILIY HERE. HAPPY SLAM DUNK DR.... CHANNEL 5 KSTP IS ON THE WAY.......
Original posting November 22 @ 10:32 am
Sure does look like the good old boys (and girls) club here in Centerville.
Hope that senior citizen uses the sitting council members ordinance violation against the City in the criminal courts.
Any jury would be angry at this waste of time and taxpayer money.
What the heck is going on around here?!!
Did anyone stop to find out that D. (Darion) Love is an upstanding Christian man who has devoted many years to serving people in this city through the Planning & Zoning Commission; in teaching Sunday school at his church; in coaching youth basketball and football for over 10 years; in volunteering to serve at Centerville city parades (rain or shine); in volunteering to feed homeless people at shelters in St. Paul, in serving on his company's Diversity and Inclusion Council (by the way he is a manager at State Farm Insurance, not an insurance salesman). It is amazing that some of the bloggers on this site are making sarcastic comments about his race (African American), last name (Love), vehicle he drives (why do you care?). Your comments say more about your integrity than the individual you are casting stones at. Let those who want to cast stones at our City Council members, step up to the plate and volunteer to serve our City and get involved in shaping the future for us all. There are always volunteer openings available.
Thank you anonymous at 8:15! "I drive a hummer" made me extremely uncomfortable, too.
This is not about the color of someones skin but more about the unfairness of the selective ordinance enforcement by our current council.
The fact remains that Mr. Love has a glaring easement violation and still was "selected" to join the current council despite the fact that a senior citizen is being criminally prosecuted for far less.
Some individuals are extremely angry about the situation and choose to use this venue to lash out. Unfortunately, that is their right.
Let's not forget that there were five other people that stepped up to the plate (volunteered) for election last year, that have been overlooked by this current council.
They did not have ordinance violations that have been simply overlooked and they did indeed also have the best interest of Centerville at heart.
Too bad one person can take the discussion so far off track.
Maybe if Darion had used his full legal name to be sworn in... Listed it on the city website... Had been questioned by the local press... This would not be an issue.
Dr. Love is an organic (and humorous) speculation.
One speculates only when pertinent facts are withheld.
Shame on the hummer poster! There are better ways to get your point across without looking like a bigot!
Not holding my breath for your KSTP report!
Mary Capra and Dallas Larson have bigger questions to answer!
Investigative reporting is either dead or more concerned with it's ad revenue.
Can anyone quote the easement rules? I don't see them posted anywhere here. I believe you can not have a permanent structure in the easement. I'm not sure how the curb level concrete in the above photo is any different than any driveway in town.
Other than Tom Woods, I don't see the names of any of the individuals who ran for office in 2008 serving on any of the committees and I'm sure there have been openings.
The other bloggers go on and on about the city's fight against the senior citizen, but has anyone taken the time to figure out the specific issue and in return offered to help her resolve it? If it is simply an issue with the protection of her sprinkler head, maybe someone should offer to dig it a bit deeper into the ground so it is not in harms way of a lawn mower. There are many solutions to problems when they are sought out, but it appears no one is searching for those, they are merely taking time to attack someone they are unfamiliar with.
"Other than Tom Woods, I don't see the names of any of the individuals who ran for office in 2008 serving on any of the committee"
2008 City Council Election results;
Neale Rawlings - 502
Thomas Fairbrother - 490
Ben Fehrenbacher - 522
Jeff Paar - 706
Stephanie Blomseth - 460
David H. Cochran - 368
Tom Wood - 348
Since when does serving on a committee trump the will of the people? Committee positions are NOT elected positions and you know it! Can't wait until next November! BTW... Tom Wood came in dead last.
Back at 9:32 p.m.
Maybe if the neighbor stayed out of the senior citizens yard with his riding lawnmower there would not be an issue.
Feel free to search the City of Centerville website for the easement code. I believe it's already been posted on the blog.
And as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words... PUTZ!
Maybe we should lobby for the photos of the (next door) developer to be re posted...
Maybe the senior's NEIGHBOR could offer to bury the sprinkler head deeper instead of constantly running over it, calling the police and making a nuisance of himself.
You see, there ARE many familiar with the situation.
The only solution to the problem is for the neighbor to STAY OUT of the senior's YARD, quit running over the sprinkler head and STOP calling his friends at City Hall. Period!
P.S. Shouldn't the City be seeking solutions to this problem instead of criminally charging a senior citizen?
Goes to show it's not who you know but rather who your friends are in Centerville.
Running over you neighbors sprinkler head is trespassing.
There surely must be an ordinance against that!
And to think that our tax dollars are paying for this nonsense.
Wonder what's next?
Neighbors videotaping each other?
There is no leadership when our Mayor refuses to return or even acknowledge email from her constituents.
I will NOT be voting for you next year. In fact, I will be working hard to elect your opponent, Mary.
Maybe we should all get together and help this senior citizen move the bricks and the sprinkler head so this silly case can be dismissed.
Maybe we should all contact City Hall and request they stop giving preferential treatment to their friends while picking on the people that speak out against them.
Centerville City Hall
651-429-3232
unlike all you other arm chair quaterbacks, I went and looked at the bricks. I have a riding lawnmower and sprinkler system as well and my opinion is the sprinkler head is safe of being mowed over. These neighbors have "issues" other than that obviously. Why does anyone get hung up on a name or what someone drives. IAMACOMPUTERNERD, hope your running next election! Come on you great leaders of people, step up and get involved, can't wait to live in the perfect city ran by perfect people!
Back at anonymous 12/01/09
There is no such thing as "the perfect city" and there have been many people willing to "step up" in Centerville that have been OVERLOOKED by this Council.
What the heck is your stupid point?
Could it be that the neighbors "with issues" have friends in high places?
To Anonymous Dec.1 6:12 P.M.
While helping to gather signatures house to house in Centerville fall of '08, I had ample opportunity to speak several hundred residents. I personally met three residents (one woman & two men) who told me that w/ their backgrounds & expertise, they more than qualified to serve on Planning & Zoning AND on Parks & Rec. All three were turned down by Council (even though there were openings to serve) because, in their opinion, they believed differently from Council & Mayor on several key issues for the town of Centerville.
No one is claiming perfection or even "leaders of the people" that I can see here. But it is obvious and indisputable that something is 'broken' in this town, when in 4 short years, the Council & Mayor have exploded Centerville's debt to over $12,000,000. That's over $3,000 for every Centerville man, woman & child; keeping us the 3rd highest taxed City in MN. And for this reason, the "people's voice" is needed. This 'outlet' is FOR the people, at least for our family!
Thank you to these organizers!
How many of you out there would run your lawnmower over your neighbors yard? It seems the owner with the lawnmower should stay in his own yard. Who does he think he is? It's not HIS yard.
Unfortunately, some people have friends in "high places" here in Centerville. (for now)
They think they run this town, ignoring the fact they were never elected.
Complaint based ordinance enforcement is the root of the problem. This stupid rule just encourages one hateful neighbor to make complaints against another neighbor... Wasting our police resources!!!
P.S.
I heard most criminal charges were dropped against our favorite senior citizen.
Waste of our money in the first place!!!
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