Topic: Vern Rasmussen
started by: bianca
Posted by bianca on Aug. 08 2010,9:18 pm
QUOTE
Rasmussen said he feels comfortable with the media and letting them know about various things going on in the city.
There may sometimes be time-sensitive issues because of business that may not be able to be talked about initially, but otherwise, he noted he thinks it’s important to keep the media in tune to what’s going on.
There may sometimes be time-sensitive issues because of business that may not be able to be talked about initially, but otherwise, he noted he thinks it’s important to keep the media in tune to what’s going on.
Like say...Tiger Hills?! That worked out well for us. 
QUOTE
He said he sees the media as part of the team — in that the city relies on the media to get their jobs done and vice versa. The Kehr's team, the vitality team and let's not forget the Chamber's team...just what we need Vern...another pocket man of the Chamber.
A vote for Vern Rasmussen is going backwards and is definitely a step in the WRONG direction.
I certainly hope Mayor Murtaugh can be re-elected even if he has had to suspend his campaign due to his wife...this has to be so difficult for this poor family. I hope they get to spend this precious time together and that she is comfortable.
Posted by City Worker on Aug. 09 2010,1:03 am
I know Mike really enjoys being Mayor of this city. I hope he can find the strenght to carry on. It will be tough since his wife has passed away. Mike I support you either way, if you bow out or throw your hat in. May God Bless your wife , Geri.
I just wish we had more people running for Mayor if Mike bows out.
Posted by alcitizens on Aug. 09 2010,1:25 am
I support Mayor Murtaugh for his 0% property tax this year. I know he will lead in future cuts rather than raising our property taxes.Thanks Mayor Murtaugh for your leadership..
Posted by bianca on Aug. 11 2010,9:02 am
QUOTE
Rasmussen said he feels comfortable with the media and letting them know about various things going on in the city.
There may sometimes be time-sensitive issues because of business that may not be able to be talked about initially, but otherwise, he noted he thinks it’s important to keep the media in tune to what’s going on.
There may sometimes be time-sensitive issues because of business that may not be able to be talked about initially, but otherwise, he noted he thinks it’s important to keep the media in tune to what’s going on.
Hmmmmm....Would this be one of those occasions?
How many more are there that we're not hearing about? Maker heard and told about this before the Trib, in another thread.QUOTE
New Albert Lea City Manager Jim Norman is the subject of a pending investigation into alleged misconduct, Albert Lea Human Resources Director Mike Zelenak confirmed Tuesday.
The Albert Lea City Council briefly reviewed the allegations during a special meeting Monday. The nature of the allegations is concerning the use of the city credit card during Norman’s relocation to Albert Lea.
The Albert Lea City Council briefly reviewed the allegations during a special meeting Monday. The nature of the allegations is concerning the use of the city credit card during Norman’s relocation to Albert Lea.
We're in trouble if Mayor Murtaugh doesn't want to be mayor and/or run due to his family situation...then....God help us all------>Vern Rasmussen=one giant step backwards.
Posted by alcitizens on Aug. 11 2010,10:03 am
QUOTE
Mayoral candidates:
Could you tell our citizens/taxpayers how you feel about Ellen Kehr’s SHIP coordinator paid county job and being a city councilwoman? Do you feel that there is a conflict of interest or not?
Even though the Tribune is a member of the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce, I was wanting more answers from the Tribune on this issue. Where is this money?
The SHIP grant is $190,000; if you go to < www.healthyfreeborncounty.org, > only $8,300 has been spelled out.
In the near future, another mayoral forum will be held, but the chamber decides what questions are worthy. Somehow, I don’t think it was wrong to ask at the last forum whether or not the executive director, Randy Kehr, and his wife’s numerous positions are conflicts of interest. Hopefully, the editor will allow the question here.
Is this right? What will you, if anything, do about it if elected as mayor? In Mr. Mike Murtaugh’s case, why wasn’t anything done?
Points to ponder for the citizens, taxpayers and mayoral candidates:
• The city statute statement that was used as a reason for Kehr to keep her position as a city councilwoman and/or SHIP coordinator for the county was written and hasn’t been amended since 1979. It mentions nothing about county jobs or county positions.
• Both Randy Kehr and Lois Ahern (who hired the unqualified Kehr being paid $22 per hour due to who she knows rather than interviewing anyone else for the position) are both on the Vitality Team, which can also apply for grants in which Ellen Kehr decides on.
• Ellen Kehr is the wife of the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Kehr is president of ALEDA and the Port Authority, which Dan Dorman proclaims that these two are not the same entity. There needs to be more transparency about these roles.
Tonya Lynch
Albert Lea
Could you tell our citizens/taxpayers how you feel about Ellen Kehr’s SHIP coordinator paid county job and being a city councilwoman? Do you feel that there is a conflict of interest or not?
Even though the Tribune is a member of the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce, I was wanting more answers from the Tribune on this issue. Where is this money?
The SHIP grant is $190,000; if you go to < www.healthyfreeborncounty.org, > only $8,300 has been spelled out.
In the near future, another mayoral forum will be held, but the chamber decides what questions are worthy. Somehow, I don’t think it was wrong to ask at the last forum whether or not the executive director, Randy Kehr, and his wife’s numerous positions are conflicts of interest. Hopefully, the editor will allow the question here.
Is this right? What will you, if anything, do about it if elected as mayor? In Mr. Mike Murtaugh’s case, why wasn’t anything done?
Points to ponder for the citizens, taxpayers and mayoral candidates:
• The city statute statement that was used as a reason for Kehr to keep her position as a city councilwoman and/or SHIP coordinator for the county was written and hasn’t been amended since 1979. It mentions nothing about county jobs or county positions.
• Both Randy Kehr and Lois Ahern (who hired the unqualified Kehr being paid $22 per hour due to who she knows rather than interviewing anyone else for the position) are both on the Vitality Team, which can also apply for grants in which Ellen Kehr decides on.
• Ellen Kehr is the wife of the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Kehr is president of ALEDA and the Port Authority, which Dan Dorman proclaims that these two are not the same entity. There needs to be more transparency about these roles.
Tonya Lynch
Albert Lea
Posted by bianca on Aug. 11 2010,1:32 pm
Thanks Tim Engstrom for printing this 
Posted by hairhertz on Aug. 11 2010,4:57 pm
Nicely done, Tonya. 
And a BIG THANK YOU to Engstrom for printing your letter. [anxiously awaiting the responses]
Posted by Alfy Packer on Aug. 11 2010,9:07 pm
What does Tonya's letter to the Trib have to do with Rasmussen? If there is a connection please spell it out for me using little words that I can understand. I'm not a Ras-man just don't see a connection other than both Kehr and Rasmussen are on the city council. If he had something to do with Kehr getting the SHIP job I would like to know. Also what is the linkage between this and his running for Mayor, which I would agree he needs to show how he would be qualified for the job before I would vote in that direction.
Posted by bianca on Aug. 11 2010,9:17 pm
Alfy-Did you read the article? It is for the mayoral candidates for which Vern is. QUOTE
Could you tell our citizens/taxpayers how you feel about Ellen Kehr’s SHIP coordinator paid county job and being a city councilwoman? Do you feel that there is a conflict of interest or not?
Posted by alcitizens on Aug. 11 2010,9:23 pm
Rasmussen is also on the Board of Directors at Port Authority/Greater Jobs Inc. with Ellen Kehr..
Posted by Alfy Packer on Aug. 12 2010,8:17 am
If I were Vern, I would ignore the question because it is not a city issue, his oppinion wouldn't change any thing and by answering he could have no oppinion that would benefit him. You should ask your question to members of the county board. Again I ask how does the SHIP appointment of Ellen Kehr have any effect on the Mayoral race. I don't see the linkage for either Mike or Vern!
Posted by bianca on Aug. 12 2010,12:16 pm
QUOTE
Section 3.08. - Signing and publication of ordinances and resolutions.
Ordinances and resolutions must be signed by the mayor or two council members, attested by the clerk and filed and preserved by the clerk. An ordinance must be published once in the official newspaper. A summary of an ordinance may be published in the manner provided by law. Resolutions must be signed by the mayor or two council members, attested by the clerk and filed and preserved by the clerk. Resolutions need not be published.
Ordinances and resolutions must be signed by the mayor or two council members, attested by the clerk and filed and preserved by the clerk. An ordinance must be published once in the official newspaper. A summary of an ordinance may be published in the manner provided by law. Resolutions must be signed by the mayor or two council members, attested by the clerk and filed and preserved by the clerk. Resolutions need not be published.
The mayor does/can have a role in this change and this should IMO change to include the county.
QUOTE
Section 2.06. - Incompatible city offices.
An elected officer of the city may not (i) be appointed city manager; (ii) hold another city office or be employed by the city in any capacity for pay; or (iii) hold a city office or be employed by the city for a period of one year after expiration of the officer's term of office.
An elected officer of the city may not (i) be appointed city manager; (ii) hold another city office or be employed by the city in any capacity for pay; or (iii) hold a city office or be employed by the city for a period of one year after expiration of the officer's term of office.
That's what I want from our mayor and/or the council.
BTW, Thanks for asking 
Posted by Wolfie on Aug. 12 2010,1:04 pm
Dont assume I am attacking you but you need to reread that ordinance. Throughout that ordinance it says "city"job, "city" position, no where does it state county job, or county position. I can see what your getting at that Kehr is not qualified for the job and the hiring practice wasn't exactly straight forward. I would suggest that if you applied for the job and did not get it and You can prove it then a phone call to the Mn Dept of Labor is the route to go. I know the county has been sued for not following strict hiring practices, and I also know that the city of Austin has been sued for not following hiring practices. So It does happen and the little guy can beat the system. Afterall we can all show examples of someone getting ahead when they shouldn't just because of who they are or the fact that they are chief engineer on the brown nose express. Good luck, but as I see it Kehr is not in violation of the ordinance by holding a city job and a county job.
Posted by MADDOG on Aug. 12 2010,1:15 pm
Who checks, services and sells the fire safety equipment for the city?I know. That's an old wound and he's gonna give me heck.
Posted by bianca on Aug. 12 2010,1:40 pm
^Exactly! Conflicts of interest abound.I guess I'm not being clear enough with my "issues"
I would like the ordinance to change so that city council cannot have city and/or county jobs nor county commissioners have county and/or city jobs.
Ellen Kehr is allowed to stay on as a city council woman even though she has been hired by the county.
Wolfie-
This isn't a personal vendetta. I never applied for the job. No one did or was allowed to-she was the only one Lois Ahern interviewed and the only person that applied. Nor would I have applied myself, I love my job. The problem I have with that hiring process is that there were many educated kids/adults, possibly even unemployed, who were far more qualified for her position but didn't/weren't even allowed to apply.
My issue with the mayor/city council members are that they are the only ones in the position to change the ordinance concerning a city council woman being paid by the county.
She is the SHIP coordinator so anytime there is a vote for something the city needs to vote on concerning the SHIP grants/program she has to abstain. Why wouldn't we just replace her position with someone who could vote on it.
She holds positions in numerous boards, which are the same boards that are asking for grant money she's in charge of for various things. I want to know where all the grant money has gone? Both the city and county residents should want to know also. She has only accounted for a very small portion of the grants given out so far. Why? She oversees $190,000.00 would it be too much to ask where that money is going or should we all bury our heads in the sand and say, "here's a blank check write it out for anything you want." ?
On her website there is only 8500.00 accounted for yet back in May the Tribune reported $30,000 had already been given out thus far. How much has been given out now and where did it go? Did she have any personal interest in any of the grants written out?
I think the ordinance needs to change but more importantly when there is that amount of money out there to dole out I think the citizens have a "right" to know where it went and why?
Posted by bianca on Aug. 12 2010,1:43 pm
Maddog-How can he service the fire extinguishers and still be a city councilman? Does he do it for free? Otherwise, how is he not breaking the ordinance and/or able to stay on?
Posted by ICU812 on Aug. 12 2010,2:57 pm
Technically he is not an employee of AL is he? Is it a contract the city has with him? Or is it verbal?Is it anything other than he sells and services the things and happens to be on the council?
Posted by Gamer on Aug. 12 2010,11:44 pm
Bianca - Can you explain why it is you feel that it is a conflict of interest for someone employed by the county to hold the office of city councilor? I guess I don't see it because very few of the decisions made by the City Council will affect what happens on the county level.I guess I don't see any reason why anyone who is employed by the County should automatically be ruled out from running for a City office since they are two completely separate governing bodies.
By your reasoning, shouldn't Larry Anderson also be disallowed from holding City office because he is employed by the state? I guess I don't see the difference between the two.
I realize there are other circumstances as far as Kehr is concerned, I'm just speaking in more general terms.
Posted by City Worker on Aug. 13 2010,5:13 am
(bianca @ Aug. 11 2010,1:32 pm)
QUOTE
Thanks Tim Engstrom for printing this < http://www.albertleatribune.com/2010...omments >
Check out the comments on this one.
Posted by intheknow on Aug. 14 2010,8:18 am
Yes, Ellen Kehr and Lois Ahern blatantly disregarded standard hiring practices by not posting a position and only interviewing and then hiring without approval an unqualified candidate. And Vern should be asked if he supports that type of hiring process for city candidates.But a bigger question for Vern is about conflict of interest inside city hall with Tiger Hills - and the city finance director not paying her bills. What is Vern doing about that issue that he created by voting to subsidize the Moen's housing development.
How much money has the city given away to the Moen's? It is Likely a lot more than the 22,OOO scammed by Ellen Kehr and her backroom hiring deal.
Posted by City Worker on Aug. 16 2010,1:24 am
Good points.
Posted by gijoeman on Aug. 16 2010,3:08 pm
Hey Vern!