Todays Complaint To Council.

From: "Cody Steelman" <codysteelman@embarqmail.com>
To: "George Fischer" <mayor@cascade-locks.or.us>
Cc: "Tom Cramblett" <tcramblett@cascade-locks.or.us>, "kevinbenson" <kevinbenson@cascade-locks.or.us>, "lmasters" <lmasters@cascade-locks.or.us>, "Tiffany Pruit" <tlpruit@cascade-locks.or.us>, "Don Haight" <dhaight@cascade-locks.or.us>, "Eve Zerfing" <ezerfing@cascade-locks.or.us>
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2011 11:13:08 AM
Subject: Association Complaint.

August 15, 2011

Michael “Cody” Steelman

P.O. Box 621

Cascade Locks, Oregon

                                97014

(541) 490-9273

codysteelman@embarqmail.com

Mayor George Fischer and Council.

                I am sorry that the Council is taking heat for me because of my complaint to the Volunteer Association.

                Understand that actions the Volunteers took in fact violated many laws which brought about that complaint.

                I sent the Council this complaint at the same time I sent it to the Volunteer Association.

                You have read it and out of those laws and in my opinion, when the Volunteers came to the Council meeting and threatened this City with the Statement, that they would not respond if the Chief was fired, this Council not pointing out at that exact time what my complaint covered and explaining it to the Volunteers let the situation spread to the point that they actually did stage a sit down strike in violation of the law.

                Now I read the paper and do some inquiring around town and I am sure you know the details but at this point those details should stay in executive session, but they are at it again.

                Now I have already been informed that you are fully aware of what led up to the Wednesday article in the Hood River News and the sudden change of leadership and if you do not know call me. But this does need to be addressed in executive session and should stay between Council and the Volunteer Association in executive session.

                I will leave it at this. I did not vote for this nor does the Charter grant the powers this Association thinks it has.

                When an Association for our City was not established by Ordinance or Resolution I have a Problem with that as you should.

                When an Association is not founded in accordance to State law. No articles of incorporation were filed with the State. No By-laws were filed with the State. No officers were filed with the State. No assumed business name for the Association was filed with the State; I have a problem with that as I am sure the State would.

                Then I assume this Association has a budget as they have dinners and award ceremonies require a budget and now they are taking donations and have t-shirts for sale and a portion is donated to the Association.

                If the City is budgeting for an unlawful Associations needs I would have a problem with that as you should.

                Anyway this would require this Association to have already filed and been granted an IRS 501 (c) tax code exemption and because this Association has not met this legal requirement I have a problem with that as I am sure the IRS would.

                Well if the City, the State and the Federal Government have not granted this Association the power to legally exist under the law can you tell me what power this Association really has?

                I’ll tell you what power I think they have and that is to get into a lot of legal troubles, with what could be some serious financial implications.

                Had they not ended their unlawful strike they could have been in some very serious legal problems and possibly faced criminal charges.

                Now it is on the record that this Association objected to who the Mayor appointed as Chief and turned around and voted for who they wanted to be Chief which is all three officers of the Association.

                As if it wasn’t bad enough for this Association to send the email to Council during their unlawful strike, an order forbidding this Council (who also happens to be their employer), to speak with any other employees without permission from the Association. Or the order that Council could only speak to the Association President or Vice President and now this latest action they now did this latest unlawful action. When is enough truly enough before this Council takes control of a department that fell for these very reasons?

                Now I did not vote for this and as I said our Charter and the laws protecting the Citizens from these types of abuses, the laws concerning employer rights, do not allow these types of abuses. As a matter of fact there is no law that allows these types of abuses of power to happen.

                The actions that this Association is taking must stop and it is the duty of this Council to put an end to this abuse of power from an Association that does not exist legally under the law or I as a citizen have a right to seek compliance with the law, through the proper authorities being the State Fire Marshall and the State Attorney General to begin with.

                Another abuse of power this Association is in violation of is the fire code oath of office and laws concerning Associations being; they are forbidden to be involved in political matters. These actions must stop.

               All these meetings between volunteers and Citizens I see hanging around the fire hall must stop. Not to mention the minute any Volunteer enters the Fire Station they become a liability risk for workman’s compensation. Should an incident occur and a volunteer or Citizen become injured there is the risk of liability to a suit of law against the City. These meetings must stop. The fire hall is not a club house but a place of business. If they want to have meetings they can have them in compliance with public meeting laws as government is required to do.

                I suggest that this Association be disbanded and dissolved.

                I would further suggest that if the volunteers still want; that a Committee could be established by Ordinance or Resolution. That the form of administration and the policies of this Committee be stated in this legislation. That the Committee complies with public meeting and records laws.        

                Now I am getting heat that has my right to serve on the City Services Committee in jeopardy.

                No actions I have taken against this Association were ever a representation of my being on the Committee, or was there ever an implication that my complaint was due to an action from the Committee. My complaint was from a Citizen after the Association voted to strike in violation of the law and there was no time to get this to the Committee to begin with, much less the time needed to go through the governmental red tape. So it was impossible to have been a Committee action or representation, not to mention the Committee had never had a meeting at that time.

                It was fully a citizen action.

                Now this latest situation I more than likely would have called an emergency meeting of the Committee to recommend an action to Council. But this Committee has been unlawfully held hostage. Much like this Council from those who support these types of unlawful actions as a normal part of our City government.

                So this email to you is not a Committee or member action, but a Complaint from a citizen.

                Now I understand the heat you are getting and this may just turn it up?

                But right now the Volunteer Association leaked the complaints I sent to them. Then they have someone who is not an Association member or a volunteer taking it out of context to use against me to make me look bad. So I apologize for any heat you may take for what I am doing and am going to do but it is time to go public on this matter. I have already released the email the Association sent to the Council and will be going public on the entire matter.

                These people are not going to take my seat away on a Committee I fought so hard to get established, waited as long as I have to get it off the ground and have it taken away from me for a right I had as a citizen. Not without a fight I won’t!

                In the next couple days you will be getting correspondence from me about why I should be on and remain a member of this Committee.

                But tonight you have a special meeting concerning the fire department and my concerns need to be addressed in my mind along with any discussions concerning the State of our Fire Department.

                Thank you again for your time.

                Michael “Cody” Steelman

                           Citizen