I am in a position that I do not like to get into, but as I say each day, "The Truth is a flickering light and the Evil in our lives is like a raging fire". Today, I am fire fighting. I am going to put some verbiage in the black and white exactly from the posting and my comments in RED. And I am going to put the person name out and not allow one to "hide" from what they write.
"The question in my mind is what do you do with information obtained? There are people who are collecting information on what is happening in the City of Vienna. They talk about figures and things but yet sitting on it for years only to keep taking the city to court costing money complaining all the time in regards to how they spend it.
One could ask what do you do with information obtained? Ask for it, pay for it {although the City is good at not charging some and still charge others), than throw it away? That does not make any sense? But very frequently, it does not seem so with Ms. Powell? When the fiasco on the Water/ Sewer Rate increase began, I told Ms. Brenda Powell, that if she was going to deal with Mr. Rapp, she would have to be willing to get aggressive. After years of dealing with him and his crew, it was obvious they would not comply with a Freedom of Information Act completely if at all, IF, they could find a way to do it partially and keep some data out of a reply?
After talking at City Council Meetings for years when a Public Forum was allowed, I knew of the tendency to rewrite the Council Meetings; the unwillingness to address issues that were presented to Council and Mr. Rapp's unwillingness to correct a Department Head who used his position to as I noted then (April 2015) to try and "intimidate" someone (me). My wife flat out said then that it was NOT intimidation, it was a "Threat". But having dealt with this bunch for some years already, I knew this bunch would have a problem doing anymore than what was occurring.
I learned in Federal Service that keeping good records on what is or has happened can be instrumental in protecting oneself or a group from being thrown under the bus when some people get caught doing things that may be in fact illegal. I note the issue with the SSA where they got caught misusing Public Funds. This was only accomplished by having many documents for two (2) years, that one by one might say little, but when put together brought the whole dirty issue out in the open. That is why I keep documents- the infamous "paper trail".
Some people have extensive experience working within or with Government. Others just have a losing experience with dealing with the local Circuit Court going back about 15 years I think? To get the answer to that question, one would probably have to ask Brenda?
Now I know from speaking with Ms. Powell on several occasions for an hour or two, or rather listening to her as she loves to talk that she does not want any paper trails or her name on anything. She probably has good reason for that?
I feel that anyone and everyone who is seeking information if it is available to the public is entitled to it per the Freedom of Information Act but stop complaining about the money the city is spending if you are one of them helping to spend it. Don't be part of the problem be part of the solution. The last time the city was taken to court they set aside $5,000.00 because the city attorney was listed in the suit and couldn't represent the city so they had to retain another attorney to represent them.
Yes, the City finally ended up in Court when after two years or so of late, no responses to FOIAs, I had had, enough. The FOIA Law says a reply within five (5), working days. So after nothing was done for over 18 working days, I took the City to Court. Judge, rewrote FOIA Law from the Bench saying the City could basically take as long as it wanted. Ergo, case dismissed and in word if not fact, I lost the case.
This only encouraged the bad behavior of Mr. Rapp and crew. So it continued and than in January 2016, I filed another case where there was no response because the City seemed to be demanding the exact name of the item I was requesting. The FOIA Law only requests "reasonably specificity" for the documents. Any prudent person would understand that one may not know the exact name of a document or use something close but that was not good enough. In that case, I made the mistake of going back months later and asking again. Same words, but this time they gave the documents to me. When the Judge asked a question in the Hearing, I told the Truth that I had later gotten the paperwork in a second try. This in Wood County means the initial failure by the City to reply was no longer a valid point and the case was dismissed. See, telling the Truth in a Wood County Court room does not always pay off, but I am what I am and that is Honest.
As for her "don't be part of the problem, be part of the solution", that might hold true if the City was trying for a solution versus non compliance. Thus one must go after them or they will NOT do the job and still are not up too this posting.
I might add that when Ms. Powell became a voice in October when a group started to collect petitions against the Water/ Sewer increases, she knew from a call to the Public Service Commission (PSC), that they would need 1,400+ signatures to get a motion for a Hearing before the PSC. I advised that she had better start immediately if she hoped to get those signatures.
NO 1, if you remember the lady who tried to get the Fire Board Fee (Tax), on a ballot for a vote could not get the signatures in the small time allotted and that Fee (Tax), is now a fact of life.
NO 2, Ms. Powell chose not to even try to get the signatures and that chance to stop/ decrease/ repeal the increases failed too. See, stir the pot than walk away.
So her idea of being part of the "solution" was to shut up and do nothing but continue to rail against the City Council through others which I might suggest, do no good?
I did not than or now wish to do a Lawsuit, but as those of you who are paying attention are finding out, the City Council will not do something just because a few folks stand up in front of them and complain or because they write Letters to the Editor. They had as they did Thursday Night when Ms. Smith and Mr. Bibbee were having a private joke as Mr. Sasyn was running around to get a copy of his presentation to use. He had inadvertently give them all out to the attendees. To the Council by and large, it was a joke listening to people address them knowing that they would do nothing on those issues that were brought up.
I will cover the rest tomorrow. 'nuff said'.