Editorial - It's YOUR money.

    Council members Mike Jewitt and co-conspirators Mark Orgeron, and Norma Crooks showed their true colors when they signed their names to a maliciously written document that contained factually incorrect statements about me, in order to hold a special meeting and remove me from the Planning and Zoning Commission. The townspeople really got a glimpse of what self serving, petulant children they really are, when they would not even let me speak in my own defense. After all, these are the same members of council who allowed Police Chief Gilbert as much time as he needed to address the allegations levied against him at the meeting only two days earlier.
    At the April 25th “special meeting”, Jewitt implied that I had been placed on the commission only to mitigate the damage from valid legal claims I have against town officials, and the special meeting was convened in retaliation because the bribe didn’t work.  Jewitt said, "I did so in the hope that involving her in the governance of the town, it would possibly help her to understand how the Town is run. It seems I was wrong." To Vice Mayor Jewitt, the guy who didn’t get enough votes to win the 2012 spring primary election but illegally usurped the office anyway, I say - I understand how Quartzsite is run Mike. I understand perfectly.
    Now I can’t legally tell you what I said about my claims to the council and staff when I was interviewed for the seat on Planning and Zoning because it was an “executive session”, but the damages inflicted on me by Quartzsite officials prior to my appointment and my demands to be “made whole” were all well known to the council members long before they chose to put me on the board, because they had received written notification of each one. They also knew I had personally pulled recall papers on four council members, before those very same council members voted to put me on P & Z. If they pretend to be surprised about being named as defendants, they’re trying to mislead you.
    If the council thinks that removing me from the Planning & Zoning Commission is punitive, they’re wrong. I volunteered only to help prevent them from doing to someone else what they have done to me. I have nothing to gain by serving on a non-paying volunteer advisory board. Clearly, they had no intention of listening objectively to my advice anyway. I did it out of civic duty, to be a public servant and see that things were done properly for the benefit of my community. The council was within their rights to remove me, I knew that when I volunteered. Who is being punished by removing me? The town. And when I say “town”, I’m referring to the people who live here, not the lukewarm bodies who occupy town offices or certain council seats. 
    The town has had the legally required opportunity to settle my claims, but they have not made any attempt. They choose instead to let things proceed to trial.
    Now, they have discovered that the “risk pool” is not going to cover them for the most recent claim related to false charges being levied against me last fall.  

This is likely because Bruno was notified in writing, back on September 27th "Under its coverage contract with AMRRP, the Town is required to cooperate with AMRRP in investigation or settlement of claims and defense, inclusive of all elected and appointed officials. AMRRP has the right to discontinue coverage of any claims in which Quartzsite's failure to cooperate prejudices our defense. There are numerous additional possible ramifications, not limited to the Town's relationship with AMRRP, if any of these concerns are validated." Bruno provided the council members with a copy of that letter. She failed to notify AMRRP (nonfeasance), but acknowledged she had been told I would sue over the false charges the very same day I was served with the court papers (which didn't even have a case number on them). She then notified the council of my intention to sue in an official memo dated October 25th, 2012. They breached their fiduciary duty to the people of Quartzsite.
    Quartzsite is an incorporated Town. Town attorneys were given extensive case law by Mayor Foster which holds that a corporate attorney works for you, the stockholders, not the employees of the corporation or the board of directors. Additionally, State Bar ethics cannons state virtually the same thing.That means that Councilmembers Jewitt, Crooks, Orgeron and Kelley, along with former Councilwoman Patricia Anderson, Community Development Director Steve Henrich, Town Prosecutor David Ward and Town Manager Laura Bruno, cannot and should not attempt to use the town’s attorneys or other resources to defend themselves against my claim, and should not use your general fund money to pursue what is clearly a personal vendetta against me. They need to hire their own legal council. If they run around town wailing about how I’m trying to destroy the town, tell them to be grown ups and accept responsibility for their actions. They each need to pull out their personal check book and pay me what they owe me for the malicious prosecution and harassment I suffered under their administration.
    It’s your money. They shouldn’t spend it to litigate a claim that any reasonable person would know was coming, when they took no action to correct the issue. If they’re not spending your money to filter your water, or fix your crosswalk signs, or build you a proper animal shelter, etc. then you need to send them a clear message and sign the recall petitions. Vote them out before they destroy our town. 

Councilwoman Pat Workman 's 2nd Ad Hoc

    A notice of possible quorum of the Quartzsite Town Council was not posted for Tuesday's "Ad Hoc" ethics meeting, yet all members of the Town Council were present while action that is to come before the council on October 9th was discussed. Councilpersons Carol Kelly and Mark Orgeron listened from the audience, as did the subject of the meeting, Councilwoman Pat Workman. This is the second such attack on Workman by her fellow members of council since she took office in June of this year.
    In a meeting where it was expected that members of the Ad Hoc would "review complaint and recommend action" against Workman, there was no actual discussion. Councilman Mike Jewitt read a report by an unlicensed "private investigator", and a prepared speech was given by Councilwoman Norma Crooks. It was not clear who had written their statements or how the participating members had come to a consensus over recommending that Workman be censured for an alleged breach of a "confidential" document.
    There was no evidence presented against Workman, no reference to any written legal opinion that the document in question was actually confidential, and no mention of any video or audio recording from Interim Town Manager Laura Bruno's office to substantiate the hearsay levied against Workman.
    Citizens left the meeting wondering how yet another private investigator was hired without official council approval and at what cost, in a matter in which the town manager herself was the custodian of the document.

Quartzsite Town Council puts Police Chief Jeff Gilbert back in!

   Despite being under a current investigation by the Arizona Department of Public Safety for drawing a weapon on resident John Jones, all members of the town council except Patricia Workman voted to reinstate scandal plagued Police Chief Jeff Gilbert to his position as acting Police Chief. The move came after an extensive executive session with attorneys for the Town in the Ed Foster special action, and a new conflict attorney hired by the interim town manager.

 They also voted (Workman opposed), that Councilwoman Patricia Anderson would be the meeting chair, and Councilman Mike Jewitt would be the vice chair, thus eliminating the possibility that Mayore Ed Foster will run the meeting when he is seated.

Prior to reconvening the meeting, the Town was served wth federal lawsuits by residents Michael Roth, and Jennifer Jones, as well as a new Notice Of Claim for running Jones name through the ACJIS background check without probable cause or related to an investigation. Jones husband John also served the town with a Notice of Claim for the same practice.

It is expected that more lawsuits will follow.