Note from John Duerk: I sent the original email to the mayor and a cc: to the city clerk, city manager, and the council.
Click here to see that message.
Date: Monday, June 25, 2007
Mr. Durek,
You seem to have a misunderstanding of what City Council minutes are for. Minutes are to have a record of what action is taken by the City Council, not to record everything that is said by Council members, staff or the public. Many communities only do “action” minutes. That is motions, seconds and votes – no comments at all. In DeKalb, we try to summarize Council comments as to the reasoning for the action taken.
Apparently you have not taken an interest in reading Council minutes in the past or you would be aware that I do not summarize comments from anyone speaking from the public, unless it is specific to an item appearing on the agenda for action. You may want to read Robert’s Rules of Order which is the guide I use when our Municipal Code has not specified otherwise. It states, “The name and subject of a guest speaker can be given, but no effort should be made to summarize his remarks.”
I find it very disheartening that you would address messages to other people in which you refer to my work as “a product of someone’s personal laziness, professional indifference, or political manipulation” in the same sentence that you refer to your displeasure with another person’s unethical tactics. Do you consider that to be an example of good ethics? I don’t, but I will try very hard to view it as a mistake in judgment that I can forgive. I do hope you can also find a way to forgive others for mistakes made.
If you have any other questions about the operations of my office, please feel free to contact me: 815-748-2095 of http://us.f827.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=djohnson@cityofdekalb.com
Donna Johnson
City Clerk
Click here to see that message.
Date: Monday, June 25, 2007
Mr. Durek,
You seem to have a misunderstanding of what City Council minutes are for. Minutes are to have a record of what action is taken by the City Council, not to record everything that is said by Council members, staff or the public. Many communities only do “action” minutes. That is motions, seconds and votes – no comments at all. In DeKalb, we try to summarize Council comments as to the reasoning for the action taken.
Apparently you have not taken an interest in reading Council minutes in the past or you would be aware that I do not summarize comments from anyone speaking from the public, unless it is specific to an item appearing on the agenda for action. You may want to read Robert’s Rules of Order which is the guide I use when our Municipal Code has not specified otherwise. It states, “The name and subject of a guest speaker can be given, but no effort should be made to summarize his remarks.”
I find it very disheartening that you would address messages to other people in which you refer to my work as “a product of someone’s personal laziness, professional indifference, or political manipulation” in the same sentence that you refer to your displeasure with another person’s unethical tactics. Do you consider that to be an example of good ethics? I don’t, but I will try very hard to view it as a mistake in judgment that I can forgive. I do hope you can also find a way to forgive others for mistakes made.
If you have any other questions about the operations of my office, please feel free to contact me: 815-748-2095 of http://us.f827.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=djohnson@cityofdekalb.com
Donna Johnson
City Clerk
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