04-09-1980 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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March 7. I `r80 TO: Honorable Mayor and Council Members of The City of Little Canada FROM: Mel and Joy Hamel and Family 3250 Twin Lake Road Little Canada. MN 551'0 REFERENCE: Citation 3 -3622, Dated 8 /7/79 Received 10/22/79 The reference citation listed against this family two charges which were and remain completely false. i That we maintained a public nuisance by keeping two pet goats. Our neighbors overwhelmingly rejected this position many months ago (See petition of 10/7/78). 2) That we maintained a manure pile for our pets. This is a completely false statement. The mulch material in question was viewed and approved on several occasions by our Honorable :Mayor Hanson and other Council members. A continuing attempt was made by this farnily to resolve the errors and misrepresentations contained in these charges. It finally became necessary to enlist legal services to defend against these charges and to maintain the freedom to exercise our legitimate rights. By its actions, whether intended or not. the Council has demonstrated an unwarranted partiality in this matter. A single complaining person was successful in enlisting the Council to further his unreasonable desires and, up to this time at least, without personal cost to himself. As the council might expect, I did select the only course remaining open to this family to assure an unbiased hearing. a jury trial, as regarded these charges. When the Council was again faced with the evidence (which evidence was already in their hands and has been for an extended period of time) that the charges were not defensible they were simply dropped without so much as an apology. I resent this kind of treatment especially from persons elected to serve. I considered the charges very serious and damaging to my family's long established image of service and its tranquility in this neighborhood. A considerable legal expense has been incurred by this family as a result of these unfounded and false allegations. I do not consider it proper that I contribute, through taxation, to the attack made on this family by a single complaining person who incidently, failed to appear as a witness at the trial as did also every member of the Council. I also do not consider it proper in terms of future relationships between this family and the Council that I st: .nd the expense of defending my family against erroneous charges which were summarily dismissed.