When you think you have heard it all, you just need to read the ARGUS LEADER to get another jolt of the ridiculous and pandering at city hall to make one look better or cover one's you know what. You just can't put lipstick on a pig, but I guess you can try.
The decision to clear the building of cameras was out of respect for Owen, Councilor Michelle Erpenbach said.
How nice of Councilor Erpenbach considering the fact that Owen didn't get much respect during the secret little process engineered by Erpenbach. She didn't even get the chance to stand up for herself. But hey, let's show her a little respect when we shove her out the door tonight. Clap, Clap, good riddance.
The mayor also said he sat in the executive session to lead the discussion about Owen’s position, not to participate.
“I have to facilitate these City Council meetings,” Huether said. “I’m a member of the council, but really, I’m there to facilitate or moderate those meetings.”
“My job was to facilitate the City Council meeting, and that’s exactly what I did. I facilitated the executive session as well to make it as professional and productive as possible,” Huether said.
Oh come on, now. He had to be in a personnel meeting to lead the discussion on an employee who doesn't even work for him? They needed him so it could be professional and productive? They can't be professional and productive on their own? I heard you could hear his raised voice out in the resource room during the executive session. Have we ever known the mayor to elect not to participate in anything? After all, it's his business acumen that is leading this city forward into the future.
He may be a member of the city council, but he is not one of the city councilors who supervises Owen or acts on her raises or decides if she is appointed or reappointed. To insert himself into this process is out of line and out of order. Oh, that's right, he was asked to participate by Erpenbach and Aguilar. They didn't have enough votes to call for a meeting so they asked him to do it as a favor to them. Maybe they wanted him there to just cover their you know whats. Then the blame for this whole thing and accountability could be spread around a bit.
I think it is interesting how the spin is going. I bet it has been nuts over at City Hall today trying to spin the nightmare they created last night. When you have to work this hard to control the spin it indicates something stinks to high heaven.
It's ironic that when the Council fires someone they evacuate a building and when the Mayor fires someone he holds a press conference. All in the name of showing respect to someone you just kicked in the gut.
KELO and the Argus just flock to the Mayor's bullshit. It's so pathetic. There is no hard news in this town that has any eat to it at all. I actually think KELO is the worst.
ReplyDeleteJennifer: How do you figure that these five Council People are wrong? Ask Owen, what do they allege she did wrong? My guess is that with this group voting together, she was not doing her job in some way.
ReplyDeleteWould you be happier if they let someone incompetent continue in this position?
Anonymous at 5:02 pm.......so how do you know that she was incompetent? Really, Darrin? You must be kidding!
ReplyDeleteNot Darrin. I did not say she is incompetent, my guess is that five votes on the Council think she was in some way? And, no I am not kidding, I have been thinking about it all day. I am bothered about it in a lot of ways. But, I can not reconcile the how you get the group that did to vote unless their was a good reason. I know many of them. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteI know it was a HUGE mistake to vote for MMM for mayor but I still will never vote for Staggers either when he runs again. There have to be better people in Sioyx Falls to elect for mayor and city council than what we have now. This mayor is going to drag everyone of those council members down with him before it's over except for maybe Jamison and Brown. the vote is still out on Anderson because he seems to blow with the wind.
ReplyDeleteDid you hear all the commentary tonight on KELO? Okay, there Is some lying going on here big time. It's really funny when the mayor slips up with his usual "I, me" statements and then says the council. This thing is beginning to stink to high heaven. Totally lost all faith in Erpenbach. She does not come across well here at all.
ReplyDeleteYou are so correct about it being inappropriate for the mayor to be at a meeting in regard to Ms. Owens, the only person who he doesn't control. She is an employee of the Council and the mayor has no say over her employment. Any person in this city could have been in there with as much authority as the mayor. I also have lost a lot of respect for both Erpenbach and Auguilar, and the word on the street is that they are have joined the ranks of Rolfing, Entemann and Karsky as the mayor's puppets. They are allegedly thinking what they did was right - but they know the mayor has fed them a line of numbers on the EC which are wrong, and Owens wanted the right info. The whole city is losing with this bunch of clowns.
ReplyDeleteWho's spinning? The author of this worthless drivel want us to believe that 5 councilors and a Mayor had no clue the drama they would cause and uproar with the media that would happen by their actions? To think that they didnt have thoughts about what would happen during this process is pretty dumb. Lets give them some credit for not totally being foolish enough to believe they could fire Deb and everything would go on as is without question. And where is the fired party Deb in all of this. If I felt I was wrongly fired from anything I would be on top of the mountain telling my story to anyone who would listen. Get a clue people. If you dont know the facts, then dont assume your opinions are facts of the events that took place without your knowledge. It is pretty funny to think that we elected all of these people and now we are finding out that they are suddenly the worst humans around. I'll continue to believe that they are pretty smart people at the end of the day and social media and blogs are full of small minorities and people who are good at knowing the right thing to do after the fact.
ReplyDeleteIf the vote was in favor of her being dismissed she obviously has done something wrong. None of us know and will probably never know what has happened behind closed doors and should stop assuming things. I 100% agree with the last comment (10:21pm).
ReplyDeleteOh, it is easy to speculate. Who knows what she did, doesn't matter until we hear it from the horse's mouth, which we eventually will. One thing is clear, from a person who attended the closed sessions told me, "She did nothing illegal, by my account." which is a relief. I would hate for Owen's outstanding tenure as City Clerk to be tarnished by that. So she broke a few rules when it comes to protocol? Who cares? I wore a hat to a city council meeting and Rex Rolfing had a cow. These are the kinda people who vote to fire talented employees over itty-bitty sh*t. My assumption is they felt threatened by her knowledge. Kinda sucks when a smart woman shows up to your sausage party and makes you look like a Vienna weiner.
ReplyDeleteBut the real reason I am here is to ask Jen a question,
As HR director was it common or uncommon for an employee not being able to defend themself in a hearing like this? If they felt Owen did something wrong, fine, have a hearing by all means, but why wasn't she able to defend herself? As someone said to me the other day, "The city isn't known for due process." It seems to me that Debra was denied this.
Inquiring minds want to know.
"And where is the fired party Deb in all of this. If I felt I was wrongly fired from anything I would be on top of the mountain telling my story to anyone who would listen."
ReplyDelete*******************
Debra said the following to those of you thinking she should be screaming from a mountaintop.
"There are things that are pending with the city and other employees, and I want to be respectful of that process and let those things come to an end before I comment."
Debra will comment, once the smoke clears, thru her attorney. Just hope your "team" of city attorneys are up to the task. Based on their history, I'd say no chance.
Polly Amalo
@South Dacola, civil service employees are afforded due process rights in any disciplinary action. Twice actually, once when the discipline is actually being meted out and when and if they file a civil service appeal. Debra Owen is an appointive official and not covered by civil service which means she served at the pleasure of the elected body and could be terminated at-will. However, it is interesting to me that she was not afforded the professional courtesy and opportunity to address her accusers. She was available and willing to speak to them from what I was told. They chose not to allow her to speak on her behalf at these executive sessions. I was surprised to learn that and don't understand why not. Councilors Erpenbach and Aguilar conducted the investigation and called for the special meeting to discuss their findings with the entire council. In my opinion, she should have been afforded the opportunity to speak before the city council before they fired her.
ReplyDeleteI was in the Council chambers when the vote to terminate the City Clerk happened....
ReplyDeleteMy impression....
It was the culmination of a long-term witch-hunt.
How respectful is it to not only disallow Owen to address her accusers but also to boot her husband out of the meeting?
ReplyDeleteA long time ago, I walked away from a management job becasue the place was run by a corporate psychopath;
ReplyDelete"Psychopaths have a profound lack of empathy. They use other people callously and remorselessly for their own ends. They seduce victims with a hypnotic charm that masks their true nature as pathological liars, master con artists, and heartless manipulators. Easily bored, they crave constant stimulation, so they seek thrills from real-life "games" they can win -- and take pleasure from their power over other people."
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/96/open_boss.html
Anyone else feel we now have one of these people running our City?
Very interesting comment on psychopaths. Looking back on MMM's behavior before and after his election, this description is chillingly accurate.
ReplyDeleteWhen you don't allow someone to defend themselves it gives the appearance of a railroad job. I heard the people at city hall really hated her. Well they finally got her and all in secret too.
ReplyDeleteI think this business is going to be damaging to this mayor beyond repair and it may very well spill over to Aguilar and Erpenbach too. Entenman, Rolfing, and Karsky were already damaged goods for being the Mayor's water boys. Going to be an interesting EC vote and elections next year for this City.
ReplyDeleteI did a link on my blog about this awhile back, but I think I took it down, but yes, chilling:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.helium.com/items/676006-definitions-of-the-behavior-that-indicates-sociopathic-tendencies
Corporate psychopaths will quickly assess other employees and place them into 3 distinct categories:
* The people who will protect and help them...
* The people who could mess their game up...
* The people who can be used by them achieve their goals otherwise known as victims.
It is an interesting read, that is for sure.
Scott, I think you hit the nail on the head with this one.
ReplyDeleteThat must be why so many people are afraid to call him out. They don't want to fall into the category of "People who could mess up his game" and face his wrath. For those who have been privy to it, it's not a pretty sight.
ReplyDeleteAsk about his temper tantrum at the corner of 26th and Southeastern.
ReplyDeleteI have been on the receiving end of one of his angry phone calls for not doing what he asked of me even though what he asked was against the bylaws of my organization and would have caused me to lose my position~ I still have nightmares~ I avoid this man at all costs~ which only aids him not me as I have to live in the city that he is messing up!!!
ReplyDelete