On the City Council Visitor Presentations issue

During the last several Maplewood Council meetings, there has been discussion regarding modification or elimination of Visitor Presentations during Maplewood City Council meetings. Speaking for myself, I wanted to provide a citizen's view on this question.

Options presented:
As I understand, one option presented was to remove Visitor Presentations totally.

Another option was to limit Visitor Presentations at Maplewood Council meetings to residents and business owners in Maplewood (I prefer this option).

Another consideration the Council could address is the possibility of liability for slander made by visitors during these presentations. In my mind the potential for law suits should seriously be considered based upon some recent comments.

Watching the Council Meetings on TV is great. However, many of the meetings have dragged on until all hours of the night. At a recent council meeting, Xcel Energy representatives waited until 11:00 P.M. to present their request for a special permit to stage brush & tree trimmings pending chipping and removal. As a resident, I would like to have seen this business addressed earlier in the evening.

Personally, I think a sign-up sheet with a topic of discussion should be made available before the meeting. Council members can opt to allow the presentation during "prime time" or give the requestor time at another meeting. I would like to see presentations limited to a single topic.

Just as important as an individual's right to free speech is residents' rights to watch the Council address issues affecting all of us.

So far I have expressed my own opinion. As Chairperson, I speak for the Maplewood Voters Coalition with this challenge: the Maplewood City Council should consider all options and come to some viable solution which protects everyone's rights.

Bob Schmidt

Let someone else do it

Is this your fondest dream or your worst nightmare?

[Washington DC Subway System]

No matter which answer you prefer, the question makes it clear that the decisions made by local governments are vital to your quality of life, your way of life.

Someone will make these decisions. It might as well be someone you help to elect.

A message from our Chair

Hello my fellow Maplewood residents. The year 2007 was very interesting and challenging. To the many voters who turned out in November of 2007, THANKS. Exercising your right to vote for the candidate of your choice is very important to any democracy. It is only with everyone voting will we see a true democracy of the people, by the people and for the people.

Bob Schmidt, outside our offices

Let's work together for Maplewood

It is obvious there were and will remain varying views on what is right for Maplewood, and who could best serve the residents. As Chair of the Maplewood Voters Coalition I am proud of the work put forth by MVC members, along with the efforts of unions and many residents both visible and behind the scenes who helped bring integrity back to Maplewood. We will continue to support your elected officials.

As we did in 2007, the MVC will continue to work with potential candidates, and we know there will be other excellent candidates stepping up in the future. Please feel free to give us an opportunity to get to know you and your IDEAS for Maplewood.

We look forward to:

• Identifying good candidates for Council and School Boards
• Developing these candidates in their goals.
• Endorse candidates we feel will best serve ALL residents.
• Advocate for their election
• Support residents and elected officials doing right by Maplewood.

In addition, IDEAS for improving Maplewood are always welcome.

Bob Schmidt
MVC – Chair
BobSchmidt@MVC08.com

Christeen Stone looks at 2008

As I reflect on the past two years in Maplewood I am so thankful for a new start in 2008. Just knowing we have five council members to make our decisions, as was intended, seems fabulous! There needs to be more real discussion of the long term direction our city needs to go, not just snap decisions as we had the past two years. It has been so awesome to see our new council's quick action to get Maplewood back on track. They have moved professionally in the right direction. Sad to say they can't help the good employees who lost their jobs, but they have certainly made our city a more pleasant place to work.

I never imagined the road we would travel when I joined the Maplewood Voters Coalition a year ago, nor all the wonderful friends I have made who share our goal of returning good government to our city.

We chose "Honesty " as our motto because we are all dedicated to doing what is best for our city. I am so grateful being a part of such a dedicated group of friends, working for good government. If you share our goals we would love to have you join us.

Maplewood is so special to me. When I moved here I was surrounded by beautiful farms. Now it is a fast growing city, but I love it. I have always had a passion for good government and democracy. My 20 years experience as an advocate at the legislature has been a real education in how democracy should work. Which is why the past two years have been so frustrating.

So Happy 2008!! We have democracy back, so let's stay involved, be aware of the blessing we have, and keep it. I feel very honored to be on the Board of the Maplewood Voters Coalition---

Christeen M Stone

Status report

As the Assistant to the Board of the Maplewood Voters Coalition, my role is to carry out the goals set by the board. In 2007 our primary goals were to

• help restore balance between the majority of Maplewood's citizens and their representation on the city council.
• bring the Roseville School Board election to the attention of those residents served by ISD 623.

putting the pieces together...

It went pretty well! We

• Organized through state registration, electing a provisional board and drafting a provisional constitution.
• Interviewed Roseville School Board candidates, endorsing five.
• Interviewed Maplewood City Council candidates, endorsing four.
• Published an informational brochure about our organization.
  
• Published a primary election voters guide reaching over 8200 homes.
• Held a well attended city council candidate forum.
• Held candidate Cave and the MFA, Inc. accountable for misleading lawn signs.
• Launched our Honesty! sign campaign.
• Aired two 90 minute documentaries on local access cable tv.
• Published a general election voters guide again reaching over 8200 homes.
• Maintained and improved our general, campaign, and documentary websites.
• Worked out our campaign finance reporting and other internal procedures.
• Gained the financial support of institutional and individual donors.
  
• Developed relationships with many residents.
• Became close friends.

That's a good track record for a new organization.

This year our hardworking board and friends will do much the same, only better.

Stephan Flister
Assistant to the Board, Maplewood Voters Coalition

Building depth after a strong rookie year

Welcome to the Maplewood Voters Coalition.

(Feb 6, 2008) Bear with us - for a few days the website will be in transition from 2007 to 2008.

Looking ahead

Like any good political organization, the Maplewood Voters Coalition is taking a rest after a successful role in the 2007 Maplewood City Council and Roseville School Board elections. But recess is soon over.

We will all be making a New Year's resolution to continue and deepen our work in the 2008 election cycle for Ramsey County board and District 622 School Board.

Check back in January! We will have archived the 2007 election pages, set up for the next cycle, and post our goals for 2008.

See you then!

Due Process update

Rob Fowler, attorney for Dr. Marlene Palkovich, has just released a transcript of his interview with Officer Steve Palma. Pending a more thorough update of our Due Process documentary, here is the end of the interview:

RF: Ok, Let me, I just have two left. Part of the investigation that was conducted left me with no documents or notes from your conversation with Mr. Bethel. He had relayed to me that you had stated definitely that you felt harassed by this phone call. So I want to ask you, as you sit here today, were you harassed by that phone call from Dr. Palkovich?

SP: I was not harassed. I was not a complainant.

[emphasis added]

This material was available at the special council meeting at which Maplewood City Attorney for Labor Relations Charles Bethel reported exactly the opposite. But the council majority refused to let either Mr. Fowler or Dr. Palkovich speak.

OAH complaint update

About ten days after the ruling was issued in our campaign practices complaint against Ms. Cave and the Maplewood Firefighters Association, Inc., Ms. Cave wrote to the Office of Administrative Hearings asking for reconsideration. The Maplewood Voters Coalition received Judge Heydinger's reply on October 30th. It suggests the appropriate appeals venue is the MN Court of Appeals [signatures and personal contact information redacted from both documents].