Cronyism is alive and well in Troutdale

Troutdale resident John Wilson gave me permission to share the public comment he gave at the February 28, 2017 Troutdale city council meeting:

"I would like to talk about cronyism.  For those who do not know what this means, I will give you the definition:

Cronyism is the practice of partiality in awarding jobs and other advantages to friends or trusted colleagues, especially in politics and between politicians and supportive organizations.  For instance, this includes appointing "cronies" to positions of authority, regardless of their qualifications.

  Mayor and the council, you may be wondering why I would like to talk about this.  The reason is what took place at the Committee Interview and selection meeting a few weeks back.

 First, let me say I am not hurt, upset or angry that I was not selected, and if Glenn White and Zach Hudson want to keep the Citizens Advisory Committee from having a knowledgeable member on that committee,  it was their call.

 I attended the entire meeting and I am here tonight for the other citizens of Troutdale that gave up their evening in hopes they could give back to the community.  I had told Rob Canfield who was also there, that after Corey Brooks interviewed  he would be selected for the Budget and Planning Committee, no matter who else interviewed.

 There were many better qualified candidates to be on the budget committee, more qualified than all of the City Council and myself.  You have one candidate who had a Masters degree and works for the county preparing budgets.  They have done this for many years.  Glenn (city councilor Glenn White) is on record as saying he thought there may be a conflict since he did budgets for the county.  Glenn, you have had the applications since January, you had plenty of time to check, you didn’t because you already knew who was going in this seat.  This was a very empty  gesture on your part.
 

Almost everyone that applied for the Budget committee had a bachelors degree and worked in accounting.    Glenn do you remember  last year when you were insistent that the person selected should have a degree in accounting?  You are on the record as saying this.  What happened to the same philosophy this year?  (City councilors) Glenn, Rich, Zach and David you could hear crickets around the room when Tanney announced Corey as his selection for the voting seat and alternate.

   The best qualified are supposed to be picked, but instead the friend of Glenn, Rich, Zach, David and got picked.  This person campaigned with Zach, Rich and Glenn and was supported by Tanney. For qualifications,  the other candidates had college degrees and experience with budgets and planning. The only qualification Corey Brooks could offer was his association with  (city councilors) Glenn, Rich, Zach, and David.

  The people who came in applying for the Planning Commission  had  college degrees.  One had a Masters degree in planning and land use laws.  Did he get picked?  No. The same person that was picked for the budget committee was also picked for the planning commission-- Corey Brooks.  

I do believe that Corey Brooks is a good husband, Father, honest and a good member of the community but he did not rise above the others, others raised well above him.

 My belief is that he was picked for the budget committee and planning commission  so he will have some city experience under his belt in two years to run for office. Because he is friends of Glenn, Rich, Zach and Tanney, all the other applicants had no chance of being selected .

In other words--- cronyism. 

Mayor,  I believe that as long as these three councilors  and the chair of the budget and planning commission are around,  the application to be on one of the committees should include “ Unless you are friends with Councilors Glenn White, Rich Allen, Zach Hudson or Committee Chair Tanney Staffensen ,don’t apply for the Budget Committee, Planning Commission or Citizen’s Advisory Committee because cronyism is key to getting on them”.

 Mayor, I believe that a committee person should only be chair of one committee and should only be chair once in their 2 , 3 or 4 year tenure. I believe that I have proved my point tonight with what has taken place in the Budget and Planning Committees by the current chair and certain members of the City Council.  I would like you to look into this and hopefully make it happen.

 While the council and the selection committee are free to choose whomever they want, certain council members have demonstrated that they have no ethics when it comes to selecting the right people for certain committees.  I do believe that the middle schools teach ethics,  and would suggest that these city councilors go back to middle school and take those ethics classes. 

 I do not hold you Mayor Ryan or Councilor Lauer responsible for this,  as this is the first rodeo of this type you have been at.  I also do not hold Councilor Morgan responsible as he was not at this meeting.
 

I do hold Councilors Glenn White, Rich Allen, Zach Hudson, David Rimpa as well as Tanney Staffenson, the Chair for the Budget Committee and Planning Commission responsible for the cronyism that took place at this meeting."

Troutdale Council Continues To Ignore ADA Laws

  After Troutdale's City Hall was condemned  last year by the city's building inspector, the City Council moved its meetings to the city's City Conference Building (CCB) at 223 SE Buxton Ave.

Fellow Troutdale resident John Wilson recently asked City of Troutdale Building Official  Dick Bohlmann if the CCB's restrooms needed to be ADA compliant.

Bohlmann told Wilson they weren't, and haven't been ADA compliant since the city purchased the building in the early 1990's.  Bohlmann also told Wilson that Troutdale's recently condemned City Hall restrooms were never in compliance with ADA standards, despite being the meeting place for City Council Meetings, City Court sessions,  and Planning Commission meetings for many years.

Bohlmann also gave a short history of the CCB building. It was originally Troutdale's US Post Office. After the USPS moved to its new building in 1989, a church purchased the CCB. The church was given one year to make the restrooms ADA compliant as a condition of occupancy. But they never made them ADA compliant. Several years later, the City of Troutdale purchased the building. The City also failed to upgrade the building's restrooms to comply with ADA requirements.

Fast forward to a Troutdale City Council Meeting a few weeks ago. Wilson, speaking during the public comment portion of the City Council meeting, brought up the issue of the CCB restroom lack of ADA compliance and requested that the City Council direct city staff to bring the building into ADA compliance. Wilson asked how could the City require Troutdale residents, businesses, and developers to spend thousands of dollars to comply with ADA requirements when the City had ignored ADA laws for years.

 The City Council refused to appropriate funds to bring the CCB building restrooms into ADA compliance. According to Wilson, a source from the city government stated this could be done for around $5,000. Even now, the CCB building is used weekly by city committees and local clubs and groups including the YMCA.

The City Council has directed the City Manager to enter into multi-year lease agreements for a non-city owned building in downtown Troutdale for meeting space to hold their City Council, Court, Planning Ccommission meetings etc. 

The City Council has appropriated funds to bring this non city building's restroom and a wall ($5,000) into ADA compliance as well as another $10,000 in annual rent to hold their City Council, Court and planning meetings in.  This pencils out to approx. to 70 meetings a year at a cost of $214.00 per meeting (1^st year costs $15,000) the first year.  

Say Goodbye To Your Tax Dollars, Troutdalians!

 Troutdale taxpayers: Is this ok with you? $5,000 to make a city owned building's restrooms ADA compliant, versus  spending $5,000 to make a non city owned building ADA compliant in addition to 1st year costs of $15,000 in rent?  What other buildings in Troutdale are out of ADA compliance?

This belongs in the "It's easy to spend other people's money" category, if you ask me.

Say Goodbye To Troutdale Taxpayer Dollars

Original Estimate of Troutdale's Centennial Arch: $80,000. Actual Cost: Over $350,000.
Original Estimate of Troutdale's New Parks Maintenance Building? $700,00. Actual Cost? $1.2 Million.
Original Estimate of Troutdale's Sunrise Park Parking Lot? $150,000. Actual Cost? $210,000(so far).

When private companies make mistakes, they lose their own money and eventually go out of business. This makes private business owners cautious and careful.


However, when a city like Troutdale makes mistakes on things like building project estimates, there are no consequences. It's your money that's lost. And the city has no reason to be cautious and careful with your money, because there are no consequences when they waste your money. The city just spends more of your money. And it raises your taxes.  

What a way to run a city.