[Vision2020] Question, V-Peeps . . .

Wed Oct 31 10:47:12 PDT 2012

It really is quite simple!

Does the city code apply to the city council or not?

As reflected below, the State Attorney General is willing to go along with the city's decision (based upon guidance by the City Attorney), whatever it may be.

Yet, the City Attorney ignores the issue.

BRING IT PUBLICLY BEFORE A CITY COUNCIL SESSION AND DISCUSS IT ON THE RECORD, OTHERWISE IT WREAKS OF A COVERUP . . . kinda like how the city council granted itself a monthly cell phone stipend (more on that later).

Seeya at the polls, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares"
http://www.MoscowCares.com

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students.  The college students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."

- Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)

On Oct 31, 2012, at 10:27 AM, Lee Rozen <lrozen at dnews.com> wrote:

> My point is: Where was your concern when this story was in the paper three times several months ago? It appears no one on V2020 has read this story. Note paragraph 6 in its entirety. Editorial that Tom posted was written before this story came out.
> 
> 
> AG's office declines to investigate Brown
> 
> *By Brandon Macz, Daily News staff writer | Posted: Saturday, September 1, 2012 1:00 am*
> 
> The Idaho Attorney General's Office this week declined to conduct an independent investigation to determine if Moscow City Councilor Tim Brown was eligible to keep his position after a request last week by the mayor and City Council president.
> 
> Mayor Nancy Chaney said she became concerned about the validity of Brown's Moscow residency after finding out through a July 20 Daily News article that Brown had acquired a Washington driver's license and registered his vehicles in that state. Brown said he had done so in anticipation of moving to his home in Spokane following the end of his term next year to be closer to his wife, who has lived and worked there for nearly two decades.
> 
> "It was somewhat unsettling," Chaney said Friday, "so I felt it warranted some further follow up."
> 
> City Attorney Randy Fife spoke with Brown on July 23 following the article and issued a memo to City Supervisor Gary Riedner stating he did not believe the city councilor had disqualified himself from serving on the council.
> 
> Brown told the Daily News in July he spends about two days a week between Spokane and Coeur d'Alene, but resides five days a week at a house his sister owns on the 400 block of Ridge Road in Moscow, which was left to her in their parents' estate. She lives in Virginia. While he doesn't pay rent, he said he covers utilities and other expenses.
> 
> To obtain a Washington driver's license, Brown had to confirm with the state his intent to reside there, Fife said. Brown has since regained a license and registered his personal vehicles in Idaho.
> 
> "In changing them back, then the opposite argument is made that he has the intent to be an Idaho resident," Fife said. "There's just not one piece of evidence that makes a difference (according to Idaho statute). The most important feature I would say, in my own opinion, in my own experience, is intent."
> 
> Fife said it was possible Brown temporarily disqualified himself from service by obtaining a Washington license.
> 
> "It could be," he said. "I'm not saying that Tim Brown ever was (disqualified). ... To me, I've given them an answer that I feel comfortable with. They could - if they want me to - have me file a declaratory judgment action. That means it goes to the courts and the courts would decide based on the facts whether Tim Brown had ever disqualified himself."
> 
> Because Brown is an elected official, Fife said he would require the City Council to decide whether a declaratory judgment action was necessary.
> 
> Eighteen days after Fife issued his memo, Chaney and Carscallen sent their request to the attorney general's office seeking a second opinion. In a letter from Brian Kane, assistant chief deputy attorney general, declined to respond to the request.
> 
> It is the attorney general's policy to only provide legal assistance pertaining to city government if requested by the city attorney, said Kriss Bivens Cloyd, AG spokeswoman.
> 
> "At this point, the city attorney hasn't asked us for legal guidance," she said.
> 
> Chaney said Brown "has shown through his lifetime that he's a committed member of the community."
> 
> "I felt an obligation as a representative of the city to at least make sure we were not confining this to an internal evaluation if higher oversight was warranted," she said, adding at this time she doesn't believe further action will be taken.
> 
> She added Kane spoke to her on the phone, and expressed confidence in Fife's research and determination.
> 
> Carscallen said he was confident Brown would be found eligible for service, and agreed to co-sign the letter to the AG's office to settle the matter.
> 
> "I don't think (Brown) was trying to hide anything. He's basically said what he's going to do," Carscallen said. "Anybody who thinks Tim Brown doesn't care about Moscow, they've got rocks in their head."
> 
> Brown said Friday he is optimistic the issue is resolved, and admitted acquiring a Washington license and registration before his term expired was a bad idea.
> 
> "My intent through this whole thing was not to move to Spokane until my term was over," he said. "My intent was to be a little proactive and get ahead of the curve and that aggressiveness ... I guess kind of came back and bit me on my tush. ... I'm optimistic that we've seen the worst of it, if it was bad at all."
> 
> Brown said he understand's Chaney's position, and does not hold any animosity against her.
> 
> "She's the mayor of the city and that's her job, or at least she thinks it's her job, so she's certainly entitled to that prerogative. I do not begrudge her doing her job," he said.
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> On 10/30/2012 5:25 PM, Joe Campbell wrote:
>> He's still a councilman! Is your point that three times is the limit for this issue? Seems like an issue until (a) he is no longer on council or (b) he moves back to Moscow.
>> 
>> Thanks for the references though! Joe
>> 
>> On Oct 30, 2012, at 11:49 AM, Lee Rozen <lrozen at dnews.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> Kind of old news, Mr. Hansen.
>>> 
>>> OUR VIEWCan Tim Brown keep his focus for 18 months?
>>> http://dnews.com/opinion/article_ac38f75d-dddb-50ca-8769-f96377fcc6c7.html
>>> 
>>> AG's office declines to investigate Brown
>>> Moscow mayor, council president sought opinion about councilor's eligibility to serve
>>> http://dnews.com/local/article_41f0c600-08c6-5edc-81e2-6863311c006d.html
>>> 
>>> Brown calls residency allegations false
>>> City councilor owns homes in Spokane, Coeur d'Alene; says he spends most time in Moscow
>>> http://dnews.com/local/article_bb80ab84-3dbf-5b89-b6d4-aad7be8b7a81.html
>>> 
>>> Lee Rozen
>>> Managing Editor
>>> -Moscow-Pullman Daily News, dnews.com, facebook.com/palousenews
>>> -360, inland360.com, facebook.com/inland360
>>> (208)882-5561 x 209
>>> (208)669-1590 (cell)
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Subject:
>>> Re: [Vision2020] Question, V-Peeps . . .
>>> From:
>>> Scott Dredge <scooterd408 at hotmail.com>
>>> Date:
>>> 10/30/2012 11:27 AM
>>> 
>>> To:
>>> <thansen at moscow.com>, viz <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>>> CC:
>>> jeannemchale at hotmail.com, fritzknorr at gmail.com, fprd09 at gmail.com, foc at friendsoftheclearwater.org
>>> 
>>> 
>>> It probably only matters if you disagree with his politics and / or his performance and thus you want him replaced.
>>> 
>>>> From: thansen at moscow.com
>>>> Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 09:20:47 -0700
>>>> To: vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>> CC: jeannemchale at hotmail.com; fritzknorr at gmail.com; fprd09 at gmail.com; foc at friendsoftheclearwater.org
>>>> Subject: [Vision2020] Question, V-Peeps . . .
>>>> 
>>>> Is it true that Tim Brown (member of the Moscow City Council) resides in . . . SPOKANE, WASHINGTON ? ? ?
>>>> 
>>>> It does matter, V-Peeps, because . . .
>>>> 
>>>> "Moscow Cares"
>>>> http://www.MoscowCares.com
>>>> 
>>>> Tom "a constituent who has lived within the city limits of Moscow, Idaho since 1992" Hansen
>>>> Moscow, Idaho
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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> 