<div>Ms. Kalasz,</div> <div>Thank you for the offer. I appreciate the willingness of city staff to encourage the use of my rights under Idaho Code 9-338. At this time, however, I do not wish to waste taxpayer funds with a frivilous public records request. Although, I may take you up on the offer some other time on some other topic. I think Omie Drawhorn wrote a fine, unbiased, article on the topic. I trust that she makes full use of the sources at hand when writing her stories. Thank you again for the offer. -Tom<BR><BR><B><I>Stephanie Kalasz <skalasz@ci.moscow.id.us></I></B> wrote:</div> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid"> <META content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)" name=Generator> <STYLE> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} </!
STYLE>
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:SmartTagType name="country-region" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="State" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="PersonName" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType> <STYLE> st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) } </STYLE> <STYLE> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Tahoma; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:blue; text-decoration:underline;} p {mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.EmailStyle18 {mso-style-type:personal-reply; font-family:Arial; color:navy;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </STYLE> <DIV class=Section1> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Mr. Ivie,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">If you are interested in finding out the facts t!
hat have
been found regarding the union issue, they can be obtained with a public records request in the Clerk’s office.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Stephanie Kalasz<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=2> </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <div class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT fac!
e=Tahoma
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> vision2020-bounces@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com] <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B>Tom Ivie<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Tuesday, April 25, 2006 4:28 PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:PersonName w:st="on">vision2020@moscow.com</st1:PersonName><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: [Vision2020] Council wont hear police union request </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></div></DIV> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">What is the problem with allowing the police to unionize? It's not like the law will allow them to strike, so let them unionize alread!
y.
<BR><BR><B><I><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">Tom Ivie <the_ivies3@yahoo.com></SPAN></I></B> wrote: <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <DIV> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 15pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Council won’t hear police union request </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><BR clear=all><BR clear=all></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=1><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">By Omie Drawhorn Daily News staff writer </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><BR clear=all></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=1><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Published: <?xml:namespace prefix = u1 /><u1:date Year="2006" Day="25" Month="4">04-25-2006</u1:date> </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><BR clear=all><BR clear=all><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:Ci!
ty
w:st="on"><u1:City><u1:place>Moscow</st1:City></st1:place></u1:place></u1:City> police want a union. That’s nothing new. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">City officials don’t want them to have it. That also is nothing new. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">After numerous attempts the police department is appealing once again to the City Council to recognize its union. High turnover, the pay for performance plan, insurance benefits and communication with the city are ! the officers’ main concerns. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Police thought this week they w!
ere close
to finally realizing their goal, but members of the Moscow Administrative Committee think they can address officers’ concerns without a union. The committee voted 2-1 Monday not to forward to the full council a formal request that the city recognize the Moscow Police Protective Association as a union. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Members of the Moscow Police Department unanimously support forming a police union, said Lieutenant Dave Lehmitz. But Administrative Committee members </SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><u1:PersonName>Linda Pall and John Weber on Monday rejected the request. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-F!
AMILY:
Arial">Councilman Aaron Ament voted in favor of the union. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">“We’re a bunch of cops,” said Cpl. Art Lindquist of the Moscow Police Department. “We’re doing our best to negotiate, but this is out of our league.” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">A union would provide the department with a permanent professional voice and a way to address grievances. “We want to be team players, we want this to work and we’re interested in seein! g what can be created,” Lindquist said. “But we’re looking for a permanent fix, we’re looking to the future.” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Lindquist said there are no guarantees how future councils would respond, no matter how the present council might handle business. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Mayor Nancy Chaney has had multiple conversations with the police department over the past few months and talked wi! th police departments in <st1:State w:st="on"><u1:State><u1:place>Washington</st1:State></u1:place></u1:State> and <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><u1:State><u1:place>Idaho</st1:place></st1:State></u1:place></u1:State> looking for solutions. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Chaney joined the Administrative Committee on Monday to address compensation, benefits and con!
tractual
agreements as about 10 police officers observed from the audience. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-: Arial"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Chaney proposed a return to the step and grade pay scale for officers with a 3.5 percent pay raise after each step and an increase in dependents’ medical benefits. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV></SPAN> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZ: 10.5pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">She also suggested getting rid of the department’s at-will employment policy in which employees can be fired at any time for any reason. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV></SPAN> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Ament was not satisfied.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">“That’s not enough,” he said. “The police have asked for a union, that’s what we’re dealing with. Let’s have an up or down vote on whether or not we want a union.” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Weber disagreed. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=1><SPAN style="5pt: "><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">“What we have is working quite well,” he said. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV></SPAN> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Pall called for finding common ground am!
id the
structure already in place. “We’re hoping to accommodate all you want without collective bargaining,” she said. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Ament said the existing system cannot address the problems. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">“If it could we wouldn’t be here right now,” he said. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">City! Attorney Randy Fife said council members will have to decide how much power they are willing to give up if they allow a police union. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><F!
ONT
face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">“I don’t love power so much that I couldn’t deal with a union to set their pay,” Ament said. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Chaney said she feared other city employees might follow suit and form their own unions, which would take the p! ower out of the hands of the City Council — which in turn would take power away from the taxpayers. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Lindquist asked if professional representation was in the cards. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">“The closer you get to
professional representation, the closer you get to collective bargaining and a union,” City Supervisor <st1:PersonName w:st="on"><u1:PersonName>Gary Riedner</st1:PersonName></u1:PersonName> said. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Ament refused to listen to suggestions if unionizing wasn’t part of the picture. “I’m not hearing the word ‘union,’ ” he said. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"> <div class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Omie Drawhorn</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 234, or by e-mail at odrawhorn@dnews.com. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center!
><FONT
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