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Articles, letters, editorials from the Sandusky Register


 Excerpts from the news articles - yellow highlighting added by BFG. Light blue highlighted text are comments added by BFG]

Commission tries to erase aloof image    (11/10/2002)
City officials were elated Tuesday when Sandusky's proposed charter amendment failed. Still, the modest victory was bittersweet. Forty-five percent of those who voted wanted to change Sandusky's form of government ...

System's the same; now we need people    (11/10/2002)
We have to take a look, various city officials said as the Sandusky charter change went down to a narrower defeat than they would have liked, at why people are ...

Charter change backers: We'll be back    (11/07/2002)
Supporters backing Sandusky's failed charter amendment are disappointed, but not disheartened. Some are even flirting with the idea of putting the amendment back on the ballot. "We only lost by ...

ELECTION 2002: Eagles building to get dozed    (11/06/2002)
Mayor Brooks G. Hartmann joked Tuesday that he would like to drive a bulldozer to work at City Hall -- just for the former Eagles building. With an unofficial margin ...

ELECTION 2002: Sandusky charter change defeated    (11/06/2002)
Voters rejected Sandusky's proposed charter amendment Tuesday. Final unofficial results showed 3,614 votes against Issue 23 and 2,993 for the amendment, according to the Erie County Board of Elections. "We ...

NAACP endorses Issue 23    (11/05/2002)
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has decided to endorse Sandusky's Issue 23. The decision came on the eve of today's election and a few days after ...

Voters to choose city's form of government    (11/03/2002)
In two days, voters will decide if they want to change Sandusky's form of government. If you're having a hard time sorting through the different arguments surrounding the proposed charter ...

Wards won't work    (11/03/2002)
In recent days, a supporter of the mayor-ward system has repeatedly stated those elected by wards would be more responsive than in the present commission-manager form. This simply is not ...

Charter not on most people's radar    (11/03/2002)
Charter amendment? What charter amendment? It was a common question as the Register made quick stops in area eateries Friday to ask how Sandusky residents will vote on Issue 23. ...

Watch what you say    (11/01/2002)
This letter is in response to Mr. Darden and Mr. Bennett. I've always had a problem with people in the ministry speaking for or against an issue we're supposed to ...

Squaring off: Sandusky charter change debated at NAACP forum    (10/31/2002)
Tempers flared as the debate over Sandusky's charter amendment turned to race Wednesday night. "Just because I am the person seen all the time pushing the charter change doesn't mean ...

Time to reform the reforms    (10/30/2002)
If Issue 23 passes, two things will happen: First, Sandusky will adopt a strong mayor form of governance - as opposed to the city manager system that we have now; ...

Wards -- Accountability     (10/27/2002)
Residents have issues that affect their homes and lives and they see no one downtown to work with them. The commission, the manager, everyone for years has seemed to be ...

Whatever the form, it's 'We the People'    (10/27/2002)
Less then two weeks stand between voters and the election booth. In Sandusky, there are several notable decisions to be made: a half percent increase in Erie County's sales tax; ...

Anti-charter group ahead in funds race    (10/25/2002)
The political action committee pushing to maintain Sandusky's form of government received $4,762 more toward its cause than those backing the proposed charter amendment. So far, Sanduskians United Committee has ...

Don't go backward    (10/24/2002)
I was a city commissioner for 20 years and feel that the commission-manager form of government is by far the best form for our city. As Mr. Darden stated a ...

Commissioners consider if they'd stay after change    (10/23/2002)
Commissioner Suanne Brown won't stay if Sandusky's form of government is changed. Leroy Sizemore and Mike Kresser don't know if they can. "They apparently don't approve of what we are ...

Charter amendment debated    (10/23/2002)
Two political science professors discussing Sandusky's future could only agree on one thing Tuesday night: Sandusky won't blow up if it changes its form of government. Fifty people, mostly familiar ...

Local roundup    (10/22/2002)
SANDUSKY Citizen group to debate charter amendments Two citizen groups will meet to debate Sandusky's charter amendment at 6 p.m. Oct. 30. The debate, sponsored by the National Association ...

If all it took was heart, charter change would win    (10/20/2002)
Dannie Edmon deserves a lot of credit. He's gone where others in Sandusky have not dared to go. Like a summer line at a Cedar Point roller coaster, so pile ...

Bellevue, Sandusky seek opposite routes to the same goal    (10/20/2002)
Two separate groups -- one in Sandusky, one in Bellevue -- don't think their city governments are listening to the cities' residents. The Sandusky group wants to set up a ...

Wards won't work    (10/15/2002)
The "council-mayor plan," better known as the "ward system," does not give its proponents what they seek. On Nov. 5, the voters of Sandusky will consider Issue 23. In an ...

The city does listen    (10/11/2002)
On Nov. 5, Sandusky residents will head to the polls to vote on whether Sandusky should change our form of government to a strong mayor-ward system. I have attended quite ...

Attorney: Amendment OK    (10/08/2002)
Dannie Edmon's attorney on Monday refuted reports that the proposed charter amendment doesn't include details key to the transition of the new government. Questions about the mayor's salary and the ...

Devil's in details of charter change    (10/06/2002)
The question for the folks backing the change in Sandusky's system of government used to be "Who's your candidate?" Now it's "What's their job?" and "Where's their paycheck?" Some details, ...

Edmon, supporters to host press conference Monday    (10/05/2002)
Citizens for Responsive Sandusky Government will hold a press conference at 5 p.m. Monday to "set the record straight," according to group leader Dannie Edmon. The press conference, which is ...

Charter 'holes' not easy to fix    (10/04/2002)
If voters pass the proposed amendment to the city's charter in November, "holes" found in the wording won't be fixed until 2005. It has left city officials scrambling to decipher ...

Mayor-ward for progress    (10/04/2002)
The mayor-ward proposal is in the best interest for our city. It allows the entire city, not just certain areas, to have a voice in our government. The very nature ...

Charter change could cause confusion    (10/03/2002)
The proposed charter amendment to change Sandusky's form of government could spell trouble for the city if it passes in November. "Holes" in the proposed amendment because of vaguely worded ...

Legality of commissioners' letter debated    (10/03/2002)

By BRANDI BARHITE
brandibarhite@sanduskyregister.com

SANDUSKY


It's still unclear whether Sandusky City Commission acted improperly when it sent out letters opposing a proposed charter amendment change. The 15,000 letters, which were mailed Monday, were included with copies of Sandusky's amendment to change the city's form of government.

Six of the seven commissioners signed the letter urging residents to vote against changing Sandusky's form of government. Commissioner John Ginty did not.

"In a democracy, people shouldn't be told what to do," he said Wednesday.

City charter requires the documentation of the Nov. 5 ballot issue, filed at the Erie County Board of Elections, be sent to registered voters, according to Sandusky's Purchasing Agent Sharon Wittmer.

In November, Sandusky residents will be asked to vote on whether Sandusky should change its form of government to a strong mayor-ward system. If approved, the charter amendment would divide the city into six wards. Voters would elect a mayor and nine council members, three of whom would be at-large, replacing the city manager and seven commission seats.

Law Director Don Icsman said the letters were included "to make sure voters knew that commission didn't support changing Sandusky's form of government." Without a letter, voters might have assumed commissioners supported the change since copies of the charter amendment were sent by the city, he said. A similar commission letter was sent in 1993 opposing a change in city government, Icsman said.

This year's letter stated:

"There are many other harmful impacts these proposed amendments would cause. The determination of these amendments falls solely to you, the voters of the city. The city commission is legally required to present a copy to you and this should not be interpreted as an endorsement or support. Please vote no on Issue 23."

Dannie Edmon, who collected the signatures to get the issue on the ballot, said the city violated the state law that forbids cities from spending tax dollars to campaign. Edmon heads Citizens for Responsive Sandusky Government, a political action committee. The committee filed with the Erie County Board of Elections last week.

Kim Norris, spokeswoman for the state auditor's office, said state offices cannot spend state money or time on a campaign issue, according to the Ohio Revised Code. However, municipalities can adopt their own charter policies on the issue, she said, and "they don't have to follow the Ohio Revised Code," she said.

Icsman said Sandusky doesn't have ordinances about campaigning, but adheres to the state law.

City Manager Gerald Lechner said city money was spent on the letter, but the letter isn't considered campaigning.

"It was an attempt to clarify why commission was sending voters the charter amendment," Lechner said.

Icsman said a violation of the law would be a city employee organizing campaign forums while at work or putting campaign signs on city property.

Wittmer said $7,305 was spent on the 12-page mailing. Postage was $2,468. She did not know how much the commission letter cost the city.

Edmon said he may file a complaint, but was investigating his options Wednesday night.

Numerous political forums scheduled for October    (09/29/2002)
Sandusky's charter amendment and the state representative race will be the focus of upcoming political forums. The Erie County Chamber of Commerce, the Knights of Columbus and the National Association ...

 

More than 900 sign charter change petition - Sandusky Register By LaRAYE BROWN
SANDUSKY (08/17/2002)

Supporters of a Sandusky charter amendment that would divide the city into political wards have taken their battle a step further, submitting petitions with more than 900 signatures for certification.

Forty petitions with 914 signatures -- only 436 were required -- were submitted to the Erie County Board of Elections Tuesday. More than 600 were validated, so the only thing that would keep the strong mayor-ward form of government off the November ballot is city commissioners.....

Strong-mayor supporter told not to talk politics at city commission meeting
Tuesday, June 11, 2002

Dannie Edmon was silenced at Monday's commission meeting after announcing his intention to get the strong mayor-ward issue on the November ballot. Edmon came to the meeting to ask which city department was responsible for date-stamping the petitions so he can begin collecting the 436 signatures needed to put the issue up for vote.
 
"You can't talk politics now," Ex-officio Mayor Frank Valli interjected when Edmon spoke during the public participation portion of the meeting. 
 
"This is exactly why we need a change of government," Edmon fired back as he took his seat.
 
Edmon and his supporters have made two previous attempts to get the issue on the ballot. Edmon said the city must stamp the petitions so he can have them certified by the Erie County Board of Elections.,,,,Law Director Don Icsman told Edmon he needs to seek outside legal advice if he wants to know how to proceed.
 
"If I can't ask the city for legal advice, what am I paying taxes for?" Edmon said after the meeting. "It's not that big of a deal, but how can I not talk about politics at a city commission meeting when the whole meeting is about politics?"

Letter -- Elect the mayor
Tuesday, May 28, 2002

Looks like the city of Sandusky hired a new city engineer just in time. Maybe he can listen to the citizens and put the design for the new overpass in the same file as the original plans for the new fire station.

I had a most interesting conversation with a man whom I had asked months ago to sign the mayor-ward petition. At that time he was dead-set against it. Told me what a bad idea it was. I talked with him today about the plans for the overpass. The last thing he said to me was, "This is a good example of why Sandusky needs an elected mayor."

I haven't heard anything from the Mayor-ward committee. I think the leadership lost the energy to get it going again. I don't have the energy to lead it. Anyone out there want to call a meeting? I think if you do, you will pack the room with residents from the west end, and I'll be there, too. - Barbara F. Gregory

3/5/02 Strong mayor issue won't be on May ballot - The head of the group trying to change Sandusky's form of government has decided to wait until the November, despite the original plan to go for it in May.

12-07-01 - Strong mayor issue to return

10-05-01 - letter -- Speak from faith - Those of us who espouse the right to stand up and speak out about public issues are beginning to become artifacts of a time when an opposing opinion was welcomed by politicians.....There is no problem with speaking out, unless you weigh in on the opposing side of a bureaucracy. Generally, public meetings are held to announce what has been decided by them, not to listen and act on the good counsel of the people. - Mark F. Bohne, Avery

10-05-01 - letter -- Sandusky retaliates - Short on leadership, longing for activism?    Maybe the editors of the Sandusky Register need to read their own paper. The reasons for the lack of activism and leadership shortage have been reported in the paper many times -- our city retaliates against its citizens and commissioners. - Barbara F. Gregory

09-30-01 - Short on leadership, longing for activism - In the Sandusky City Commission meeting that followed the city booting the election petition from the November ballot, no one showed up at the city commission meeting to express concern over the unquestionably suspicious manner in which it was dismissed.

The ushering out of another top city official last week has hardly caused a murmur.

It's scary.

09-29-01 - Sulewski reviews detailed; Lechner file empty - According to Kresser, the commission used to evaluate the city manager each year and make salary recommendations accordingly. But the process died out.

09-25-01 - Mayor-ward issue not on ballot

09-21-01 - Our opinion -- Sabolsky's departure -- Maybe it's the system

09-20-01 - Sabolsky's departure has local officials talking - McKeen said she enjoyed working with Sabolsky when he was director of GEM, but that "he changed after he went to the city," shutting out efforts from the county to work with him on projects.

09-17-01 - letter to editor - City's deaf ear -I asked for a little help from our city to do a good deed and was turned down, or maybe I should say, ignored.

09-15-01 - New petition tally- 369 - "If you're not allowed to do that by law," Rengel said, "what was the purpose of contacting these people other than to harass them?"

09-09-01 - Franko -- Mayor-ward initiative finally gets a 'bad guy' - Instead, the city pulled out cheap election maneuvers that haven't been seen since -- well, OK, only 10 months ago in Florida.

The process included a staffer calling petition signers at home to verify their signatures. The staffer, who has past petition verification experience, said he's never called signers before. 

The city -- hiding behind the spin of its legal boss Don Icsman -- is trying hard to convince folks that it was doing what was legal and they were holding everybody up to the same standard.

Don't believe it for a second.

09-08-01 - Spiteful panic gave life to mayor-ward - The commission should have put the issue on the ballot.

Consider this:

First, it's very suspect that their legal advice was even correct.

09-08-01 - Petition mess -- Mayor-ward fight headed to court - An effort to let voters decide on a radical change in Sandusky's government sank into further confusion Friday as the state's top election office said the city commission acted on bad advice when it denied the ballot issue.

09-08-01 - Backers, foes stand by their sides

Feick learned the petitions he turned in to run for another term as commissioner also contained the language deemed invalid by Squire Sanders. On Friday, the Erie County Board of Elections approved those petitions after consulting with the Ohio Secretary of State.

Because of that decision, Feick said he thinks the commission should vote to put the mayor-ward issue on the ballot if the Erie County Board of Elections granted an extension.

09-07-01 - Missing legal language kills mayor-ward petition - Sandusky commissioners reject petitions after law firm says penalty clause missing.

09-06-01 - Mayor-ward OK for ballot despite cuts - The group pushing for a change in Sandusky's city government survived weeks of scrutiny of its charter amendment petition by city employees, who threw out hundreds of names before verifying Wednesday that the petition contained the required number of signatures.

08-11-01 - City gets mayor-ward petitions - Also included are the signatures of nearly 700 registered voters from Sandusky, according to group member Darwitt Garrett.

"They check for any blatant errors," he said, "such as someone signing in pencil, people printing instead of signing or signing someone else's name. Those kind of duties are performed and then its sent out to the board of elections for validation of the signatures."

06-08-01 - Mayor-ward group to become election committee

05/25/2001 - Letter -- Create wards, elect a mayor - I support the ward system for many reasons. But most importantly, I believe one person has a better chance of uniting our community and getting things accomplished as opposed to several different people with several different agendas and several different personalities. Enough of chaos and confusion! - Frances Amison

04-25-2001 - Mayor-ward group aims to outdo petition with 3,000 signatures - A group that wants to change the form of Sandusky city government wants to send the Sandusky City Commission a message by gathering nearly 10 times the number of signatures needed to bring the matter to a vote.

04-27-2001 - Mayor-ward group launches petition drive    

04-27-2001 - Letter - Who's unhappy? Why?   - Evidently, a number of Sanduskians, both black and white, don't feel that our current form of city government is working that well.....Maybe if the community wants a choice at the polls we will have to pay more for it.........Seems the argument about having a professional manager run the city doesn't hold up if you use Sandusky as an example. - Barbara F. Gregory

04-15-2001 - City manager the choice of most towns that switch   

04-15-2001 - Sandusky's former mayors see no need to change

The current occupant of that position, Mike Kresser, said he thinks the current form of government works well -- and predecessors Martha Flippen, George Mylander and Leroy Sizemore agree.

[If it works so well, why are so many city projects over budget? Why do we need so much money for the law department? Why is our sewer system backing up into resident's basements? Why have 18 out of 20 people I approach to sign the petition, signed it AND out of those 18, 16 people say they are in favor of a change? Why does the city pass almost everything by emergency? - The National Guard should be standing on every street corner - we have so many emergencies.....]

Former ex officio mayor Rick Jeffrey said he hasn't made up his mind yet, and his immediate successor, Lee Silvani, declined to comment altogether. Jeffrey did say it's important to let voters decide the matter, an apparent slap at the current city commission, which voted 6-1 against putting the measure on the ballot.

[Bull. The commission voted against putting the measure on the ballot. That was a very reasonable decision to have made. Why should the commission put a charter change on the ballot because a couple of citizens come before them and ask them nicely to do so? The procedure for citizens to get a charter change on the ballot is spelled out. We are to collect signatures so there is enough interest in the community to have the issue put on the ballot.] 

04-07-2001 - Mayor-ward petition drive to start

03-27-2001 - City No way to mayor change

03-24-2001 - Politics or power to the people?

03-22-2001 - Strong mayor sought for city

03-22-2001 - Lechner, city man have confrontation -  ..."I pointed down the hall and said, 'Now get the hell out of my office.' I probably shouldn't have said the word 'hell,' but he was just one of those people who wouldn't accept the answers I was giving him."...

Earle gives a different version, saying that "I expressed myself politely and respectfully, and was shocked by his inappropriate response."...

Lechner said the information Earle was looking for has been waiting for him at the law department the whole time....

Earle said he still hasn't received it.

 [Say, Earle, it is now July. Did you ever receive the info????]

02-20-00 - Feick Follies show lack of leadership -  Despite the best face being put out by maximizing basic successes, substantial progress is being sucked away by pettiness and ineffective leadership that starts from the top and trickles down.

02-20-00 - Costs keep going up at service complex  - ...change orders...

02-19-00 - Rebids plague Sandusky - Bids coming in more than 10 percent higher than estimates one reason for ongoing problems - ...officials in five other northwestern Ohio cities said they haven't had quite the same problems - ...

...Schade-Mylander Plaza, which had to go out for bids no fewer than four times....

Commissioner Ed Feick...In the past...he has blamed the rebids and other problems with those projects on the fact that city has no contracts with either of the architectural firms involved....

02-18-00 - Feick reappointed - Widman requested eight items from Feick that he did not request of the other candidates....

02-15-00 - Feick seat still empty - City administrators want to hear more about his qualifications - Valli and Vice Mayor Suanne Brown asked if the city was requiring more than is required of a candidate in a general election. [The appointment was for the Commission to make, not the city administrators....]

02-05-00 - Our opinion -- Feick latest chapter in city's cloak-and-dagger - ...the one aspect we're sure of so far in this sordid little tale is one that has bothered us for some time about the way business has been done at 222 Meigs St. 

02-04-00 - Five seek Feick's commission seat - ...but city Law Director Don Icsman has said it can't be taken back. [What is the law director's job? Is it to make decisions for the Commission or to ADVISE them?]

02-04-00 - Feick bid won't even be considered -...Law Director Don Icsman said he directed the city engineering department to deny Feick's bid without opening it. [Check our charter. The law director is not head of the city or the engineering department. Commission can throw out a bid on the ADVICE of the law director. Seems like the tail is wagging the dog here.]

02-03-00 - Ginty still opposes emergency legislation - "He [Icsman] didn't exactly address the question that I asked him, which is, what is the difference between an emergency as defined in the city charter versus an emergency as defined in Webster's Collegiate Dictionary," Ginty said.

Ginty said he is also concerned he usually gets material the Friday before a Monday commission meeting and doesn't have enough time to go over it.

"It seems like the staff is telling the commission what to do, and it should be the other way around," he said.

02-02-00 - Was Feick meeting illegal? Doesn't matter, Icsman says...The Sandusky City Commission's executive session last week during which Ed Feick resigned appears to be illegal, an Ohio sunshine law expert said. [It matters to me if the City is having illegal meetings, but it doesn't matter to our city law director?]

02-02-00 Services complex bids come in 20 percent above estimate - "We're going to have to go back and redesign it and see if we can lower the cost at all,"...

01-29-00 - Ethics cleansing? - ...and Al Mason, whose company, AKIL Inc., is also a frequent bidder. No questions have been raised about Mason's ethics.

Feick...is also upset that the executive session was called for personnel reasons, rather than to discuss proposed legislation.

John Feick..."They tell him he can't talk about something we might be involved in. How does anybody know what you might be involved in?"

 [The city charter differs from the Ohio Revised Code. It is more stringent.] 

City charter:

No member of the City Commission, the City Manager or any other officer or employee of the City, shall directly or indirectly be interested in any contract, job, work, or service with or for the City; nor in the profits or emoluments thereof, nor in the expenditure of any money on the part of the City other than his or her fixed compensation; and any contract with the City in which any such officer or employee is, or becomes, interested may, at the discretion of the City Commission, be declared void. [ boldface added by BFG- I think this is pretty clear. A City Commissioner cannot have any contract with the City or own part of a company that does business with the city.]  

ORC:

Each member of the legislative authority shall be an elector of the city, shall not hold any other public office, except that of notary public or member of the state militia, and shall not be interested in any contract with the city, and no such member may hold employment with said city.  [ boldface added by BFG]  

01-28-00 - Icsman Feick can't withdraw resignation - "The executive session was an illegal session, so anything that happens in that session is not binding," Feick reasoned. 

01-27-00 - Feick may not resign - although other commissioners said the resignation was not official. [Read the city charter and the Ohio Revised Code. It is the Commission and not the City Law Director who decides issues such as this one.]

01-08-00 - Feick wins Amtrak deal - The original dispute involved the city's Public Services Complex, a former warehouse undergoing renovation on Cement Street. Feick Contractors, which was eventually awarded the contract for the complex's first phase, submitted a bid that didn't include 11 overhead door openers and fought the city's attempt to get them installed at the contractor's expense. [If the overhead door openers are not in the specs for the job, the contractor doesn't include them in his bid. The contractor is not under any obligation to include items not in the specs. Why weren't the openers in the specs?]

01-01-00 - Fosco, Ginty ready to help guide city - Ginty's other main concern is passing things as emergencies, which under the city charter means they don't have to be brought up for second reading at a later meeting. He gave the example of the city seal, which the commission voted to change Monday and passed as an emergency.

"Ninety percent of everything this year was passed under emergency," he said. "Like this last meeting, when they changed the city seal. That don't meet my definition of an emergency."

12-29-99 - Downtown plaza work set to start - The city had tried to bid out the project three times before , getting no bids at all one time and one bid that was too high each of the other times.

12-24-99 - Letter -- Ginty owed an apology - The high cost of the new city complex has not gone over well. Property could have been acquired and a building built to the city's specification at far less cost. - Dale H. McCutcheon

12-14-99 - Demolition delayed for Brehm Building -After the vote, Commissioner Ed Feick asked for clarification on whether the commission was approving the contract award or the contract itself.

"You can award a contract, but then the contract must be written, submitted and approved,"Feick said.

Feick wrote a letter to the other commissioners before the meeting, claiming the city staff has repeatedly broken the law by altering contracts before getting commission approval....

Law Director Don Icsman said the city is entering into a contract in the legal sense by awarding a contract based on a project's bid documents....

Feick referred, in the meeting and in his letter, to a $93,000 expenditure at Dorn Community Park, which was not originally part of this year's work at the park. The commission was asked to pay the bill only after the work was done, he said. 

12-28-99 - City seeks deal with Maxie's But commissioners reserve right to object to liquor license renewal - The Maxies' lawyer, William Smith, said he was "surprised" to find the item on the agenda. "I have seen no prior discussion on that issue," Smith said. "These folks have been respectable business people in the community for over 30 years. I'm rather surprised a move like this would be made, particularly when we are entering good-faith negotiations at this time."

In other action, the commission approved a new seal depicting water, a fish,... [This was an emergency!]


Click here to see the real reason the city was having trouble with the sunshine laws.....

 


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