Winona Lake Council Were Unaware Complaint Filed Against Clerk
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
WINONA LAKE- Winona Lake Town Council members were unaware town council president Sue Gooding filed a complaint to the state against clerk-treasurer Retha Hicks prior to the filing.
Gooding filed a complaint on July 26 with the Indiana Public Access Counselor. In the written complaint, Gooding alleged Hicks had not provided her with documentation regarding donors’ names who have made financial contributions to the town.
During Tuesday night’s two hour council meeting, council members Joy Lohse and Bruce Shaffner voiced concern with the filing without their knowledge or prior discussion by the council.
Councilmen Randy Swanson and Terry Howie also said they were unaware Gooding was going to file the complaint prior to her filing.
Lohse made a rebuttal statement to the filing, and said she will send the statement to the Indiana Public Access counselor. After reading the statement, Lohse left the meeting and did not return.
Before reading the statement, Lohse informed the council a fall goose hunt on Winona Lake has been postponed from the fall to February 2012.
She also said a Lakes and Streams River Enhancement Grant is being applied for through the Department of Natural Resources to explore ways to remove sediment from Cherry Creek.
In the statement regarding Gooding’s filing Lohse said, “The action in contacting the State of Indiana is your own personal action, your self-created conflict.
“No group discussion occurred including full town council about your deeply disturbing personal level of frustration including your inability to bring the council together with the clerk-treasurer and town manager, which is your responsibility to reach a satisfactory solution regarding this self-created issue.”
Shaffner also expressed concern with Gooding’s filing.
“Sue, I am disappointed in your approach to resolving this conflict with town of Winona Lake employees as well as other council members,” Shaffner said.
“When we are held in a position on this council I believe we may not always like each other and that will happen from time to time, but it is necessary to work together and respect one another.”
Shaffner said he cannot respect Gooding for the way she is doing business.
Carolyn Shanklin, Winona Lake resident, asked Gooding to withdraw the complaint.
Gooding said “Sure I will, but the public access counselor’s office is not open now.”
Gooding said she will discuss the matter with the public access counselor.
Swanson said it is important to the town that it wants to honor the anonymity of the donors.
“I did study the report Retha gave us and the overwhelming majority of the numbered receipts did have names associated with them,” Swanson said.
“I don’t think anybody on the council was seeking that report or those names with the idea of going after donors or seeking money in an unseemly way that has been given graciously by donors to the town.”
Swanson said there was simply a vague sense of how the town might promote gifting to a worthy cause that will peak the interest of donors.
Gooding said she did not list the council in her complaint and it was her goal to identify people who had a strong interest in the town, not ring a doorbell and ask for funds, but find someone who would like to serve or chair a committee.
“I think there has been a lot of misunderstanding and I would like to apologize publicly,” Gooding said.
Hicks said on July 8 she sent out five years of the revenue, expenses and a donor fund report to the council.
Hicks’ husband, Jack, attended the meeting and spoke.
“You have degraded a person who has worked for the town for 18 years and you did it and you did it on purpose and you are a liar,” Jack said.
“You think you can make accusations without giving facts and degrade someone else’s reputation and you’ve accomplished what you set out to do.”
John Boal, Winona Lake resident, suggested the town have a working session to work through the issue.
In other business, the council reviewed bids for the Wastewater Collection System Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System and Wooster Road Pumping Station Improvements.
The council will take the bids under advisement, and town engineer Larry Long will provide a recommendation to the council.
Town Coordinator Craig Allebach said the town has received two bids for the 301 Fifth Street property that has been donated to the town. The bids were for $2,000 and $5,000. The current bid is $5,000 since it came in higher than the $2,000 bid. The town will accept bids until Sept. 30.
The council approved a $2,881 contract with Davey Resource Group to complete invasive species treatment for the town.
The council set a working session for the 2012 budget for Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. at the town hall.
Upcoming events in the town include Village at Winona Art Walk Friday, First day of school for Jefferson Elementary on Monday, Grace College students return Aug. 20, and the Antique Car Festival in the Village At Winona on Aug. 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
