10/05/2004 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 10/5/2004 financial condition and wants to start a review of what goes on at Springvale, what the financial condition of Springvale is, he thinks they absolutely have a right to ask for those records. He thinks there is an obligation on the administration's part to provide the information. Mayor Musial said, if the Law Director would provide that opinion in memorandum form, he would supply the requested documents. Councilman Gareau thanked the Mayor and said perhaps he could narrow his request. He is seeking this information as a member of Council and a member of the Finance Committee. Except for the budget hearings, there have been no meetings on Springvale. He has heard that Springvale may be $150,000 short in revenue this year. If true, that would mean Springvale will have a total shortage since 2002 of $900,000. He is truly and deeply concerned about what is happening there, and he is not willing to cue his position to the Mayor's task force. He has that job-it is part of his responsibility. It is part of the Mayor's obligation too, as under the Charter he has the obligation to keep Council fully advised as to the financial condition of the city. He is not sure that is happening as there has not been a meeting on a matter where we are about to go $150,000 behind. He would hope that the Finance Committee can immediately be apprised of this and can work on these issues together as opposed to his going 30 days without getting a response and then getting a response that says he is not going to get a response. Mayor Musial said his comments were so noted and, if Councilman Gareau was willing to narrow the request, he will attempt to satisfy that as quickly as he can. With regard to the task force and Springvale, Councilman Nashar commented that he would not want the task force to blame Marty Young for the decreased revenues. He took the time to check with other area public golf cowses and found that their revenues are also down this year. It is his feeling that the Mayor should have been talking to Marty Young long before he put the task force in place. Also, he does not believe it was a good idea to include the former owner of Springvale on the task force. Mayor Musial said he put the former owner on the task force and he was very knowledgeable in this area. Councilman Miller asked the Mayor what the task force was investigating. Mayor Musial said right now they are securing information in order to establish a base of information about the activities of the golf course and the various aspects involved with it. Councilman Miller inquired how often the Mayor had conferred with Springvale Mgr. Marty Young in the past two years. The Mayor said he had not met with him at all as he relied upon his director to do so. Council"man Miller asked the Law Director whether the task force has any authority at law to perform any investigation into the operation of Springvale. Law Director Dubelko said the Mayor has authority to form task forces of volunteers to assist him in looking at issues that involve the city. The task force is not a public body, and it is not subject to open meetings laws. The records that it creates are probably not public records, but he hasn't had an opportunity to look at a specific record created to give a final opinion on that. Councilman Miller asked if the task force has the authority to require people's attendance and does it have the authority to require production of documents or records. Law Director Dubelko said it did not. If the administration is requesting officials or employees to attend those meetings, the authority ~"~ is coming from the city official who directs their attendance, not from the task force ~,,