[MissoulaGov] Committee Update 9-16-09

[Geoff Badenoch]

For the record, when Al Sampson was City Council President, Bruce Bender
or Joe Aldegarie was Public Works Director. Steve King was City Engineer
before he became Public Works Director.  As a further observation, if,
in fact, Al Sampson ordered Steve King or any other City employee to
perform an act in violation of City ordinance, it was obviously
inappropriate.  It doesn't rise to the level of a war crime, but someone
performing the duties of City Engineer is not required to perform an
illegal action and doesn't have the defense that an elected City Council
person "ordered" him to do an illegal act.  Even as President of the
City Council, Al Sampson didn't supervise City employees.  A Missoula
City Engineer was answerable to the Director of Public Works, and he to
the Chief Administrative Officer and that person to the Mayor.  Over
time recollections may not be precise but I would be concerned to have a
memory of such an inappropriate act laid out in public when the employee
didn't perform his duty to uphold City ordinances and the elected
official in question was not present to defend himself when the
information was stated publicly before a City Council Committee.  I'd be
interested if anyone sees it differently.
 
Geoff Badenoch
 
-----Original Message-----
From: missoulagov-bounces at cmslists.com
[mailto:missoulagov-bounces at cmslists.com] On Behalf Of Bob Jaffe
Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 11:29 PM
To: missoulagov at cmslists.com
Subject: [MissoulaGov] Committee Update 9-16-09
 
 
After lunch we started with Public Works.  We took care of a few other
items and then considered a request to order in boulevard improvements
at 401 and 417 Rollins. Back in 1986 there was a project that put in
curbs on this block. The public works department put in topsoil and seed
in the boulevard. The property was owned by then city council president
Al Sampson and he ordered the public works director Steve King to take
out the topsoil and put in road base to turn it back into a parking lot
in violation of city ordinance.  It's been that way since. Over the
years the neighbors have complained on and off about the junk cars and
trash being stored in the boulevard where the whole rest of the block
and neighborhood have grass, trees, and landscaping.  The motion to
require bigger curbs, topsoil, grass, and trees at an estimated cost to
the homeowner of $4500 passed unanimously. Clearly, there was a time
when the city council had a lot more power than it does now. Steve
pointed out that the meetings weren't televised or recorded then either.
 
 
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