8/18/2008 Open Forum Gets Testy

Residents concerned over communication with city leaders
Aug 19, 2008 - 09:47:44 CDT.
by Loretta Harding Contributing Writer
Quad Press
CENTERVILLE — At their Aug. 13 meeting, Centerville City Council members exchanged curt remarks with two residents who took the podium to address their displeasure with the council's communication methods stemming from the 2009 Street Improvement Project. Mayor Mary Capra cut short resident Julie Riemen's comments about her conversations and e-mails with council member Tom Lee, in which she said that professionalism needed to be addressed.
"You're getting personal. This is done," Capra told Riemen.
A group of five people attending the meeting called out for the mayor to let Riemen speak.After council members Lee and Jeff Paar responded that Riemen could continue, Capra gave Riemen and any speakers following her two minutes to complete their address.
When Riemen continued her remarks, she said that the council had not responded to her e-mails until the day of the meeting and that she felt unwelcome to speak. She further noted that if citizens inspected government data, they'd find that the City of Centerville carried a long-term debt of more than $8 million.Riemen recommended that residents become informed by visiting a Web site, Centerville Citizens for Ethical Taxation and Representation, at http://www.centervillemn.blogspot.com/. The next speaker, Laura Powers, called attention to a petition that started what she called a "power struggle." The petition was signed by more than 500 citizens and called for the city to step back and reassess the scope of the 2009 road project. She objected to allegations by at least one council member that the petition was invalid and called for the council to apologize. As a former Centerville council member, Powers said that the council was elected to serve, and that service comes with a responsibility to listen and display demeanor. The council heard out Powers and Riemen and resumed the meeting without further comment

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Duties of Centerville City Council

Amended 8/9/2006

Duties of Council
The Council, including the Mayor sitting as presiding officer of the Council, shall exercise all powers and perform all duties conferred and imposed upon its members by ordinances of the City and laws of the State. Consistent with the responsibilities to accept considerable leadership over the general conduct of City affairs, the members shall study the operations of the City government and recommend desirable changes and improvements to the Council. To that end the members must perform all of the duties of office including but not limited to attendance at all regular and special meetings to the Council and all attendant and supporting duties such as service on or liaison to committees of City government or City services, serving as Public Representatives of the City, and by generally educating themselves about the affairs of government by listening and responding to members of the community.

Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com