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Mounds View City Council
<br /> Regular Meeting November 15, 1999
<br /> Page 5
<br /> Council Member Marty stated he did not have the opportunity to attend Ms. Hickok's going
<br /> away party, as he was out of town, and he was sorry to have missed it. He stated Ms. Hickok
<br /> would be missed. He pointed out he had heard many things from her fellow staff members and
<br /> former staff members that once City Hall began to downsize, Ms. Hickok took on the
<br /> responsibility of someone else's job, in addition to her own, without receiving any additional
<br /> compensation.
<br /> Council Member Marty stated he applauded Ms. Hickok for remaining as long as she had, and
<br /> extended his appreciation for her great contribution to the City. He stated 29 people have left the
<br /> City, and at times are not being replaced, and if the Council begins to perform the administrative
<br /> work, things will really begin to decline. He advised the City required good, qualified people to
<br /> perform the jobs. He commented Ms. Hickok was hired for a job, and performed it for a number
<br /> of years, and then City staff downsized, and she performed two jobs. He indicated now, they
<br /> must attempt to find someone else to hire for one position, to perform two jobs, and there are
<br /> problems in other areas of the City, because this is not the first time this has happened.
<br /> Council Member Marty stated staff would not go the extra mile anymore, for fear of personal
<br /> attacks or questioned motives. He pointed out there have been a number of personal attacks on
<br /> City staff, and he would apologize also, for the same reasons expressed by Mayor Coughlin. He
<br /> noted a situation he had observed as an audience member, during which he thought to himself
<br /> that he was glad he was not a Member of the Council at that time, and did not have to get
<br /> involved. He stated, however, he was elected, and elected by the people to speak for the people,
<br /> therefore, he should have spoken up in defense of these unfounded accusations.
<br /> Council Member Marty stated he did not desire to hear any more personal attacks, slams, hazing,
<br /> or degradation on staff at Council meetings or through the newspaper. He took this personally,
<br /> in terms of communication, and he would have liked this to be communicated directly to him,
<br /> instead of reading about it in the newspaper. He pointed out the Council has made some inroads,
<br /> however, they have a long way to go, and this issue needs to be addressed. He advised the
<br /> morale of the staff, and the morale of the Council as well, is not what it could be.
<br /> Council Member Marty stated the Staff/Council Retreat the following evening would not be
<br /> televised, however, it begins at 5:00 p.m., and is open to the public, therefore, if anyone is
<br /> interested in attending, they are welcome to do so. He stated accusations have been made, and
<br /> you are considered guilty until you prove yourself innocent. He explained he would like to see
<br /> these issues confronted and resolved before they get to the point of being aired on television or
<br /> printed in the newspaper, as these are not proper forums for these matters. He added that he
<br /> hoped the Council would attempt to address this, as well as the communication issue, during the
<br /> Staff/Council Retreat.
<br /> Council Member Marty stated he personally applauded staff for all of their efforts. He
<br /> commented that prior to becoming a Council Member, he did not have a very high opinion of
<br /> staff. He advised, however, he has since become aware of the magnitude and caliber of work
<br /> staff performs, and the number of jobs performed by fewer people than were managing the City
<br /> 5 or 10 years prior. He reiterated he applauds the entire City staff. He added that many staff
<br /> members have become very creative in completing tasks that were previously performed by
<br /> more individuals. He indicated he looked forward to the Staff/Council Retreat the following
<br /> evening.
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