City of Scottville Is Having Issues

[Jasper]

Wow....A couple of City Commissioner's want to revamp or eliminate the City's Police Department.  Wow...the Mason County Press was going to go after a City Commissioner for violations of the "Open Meetings Act?  Seems strange an "online newspaper" venue's owner commented he was going after a City Commissioner for violation.

Another strange item for said owner of the "Mason County Press" was his post on assistance on how to recall a City Commissioner, with very detailed instructions.

So much for fair, balanced, and unbiased news reporting.  

http://www.masoncountypress.com/2015/07/15/scottville-public-safety...

[woodsman]

Opinion PLEASE..........  Riley remarks and no tickets is he opening up the City for a lawsuit by stopping speeders and not ticketing? NOT reporting to state to revoke drivers license when points are already high.  What if a person hits a person while speeding in Scottville and has been stopped for speeding before and the warning talk did no good. Just wondering I always think if I were on a jury how would I vote, as for Scottville and no ticketing policy,   GUILTY  

[Jasper]

woodsman....you bring up a very valid point. It is amazing the Chief of Police made this statement.  Think about the elderly gentleman on Beryl Street who has complained about driver's speeding, and nothing is done about it(warnings given by the SPD)??   The City of Scottville would be held accountable if something were to occur that injured a pedestrian, etc...The chief said so right??? 

It is beyond the point of almost laughable...Cannot believe the Chief of Police Riley of Scottville stated this.  It is on record now for everyone to observe!  

[shinblind]

What the hell is Kim Cole talking about?

The difference between $1.6 million and $1.4 million is $250,000 not  $30,000 as Cole stated. 

Did you hear him wrong Jasper or did Cole misspeak? It wouldn't be the first time the Sheriff was math challenged.

And hey Sheriff Kim as long as you got some spare pocket change ($30K) buy the boys on road patrol some boy scout compasses and have a scout  teach them how to use one. That way when they get stranded for 7 hours and their shift is over, they can head back to the nearest open road instead of taking off towards Wisconsin like the officer did this past winter.

[Jasper]

I do not know how to put a You Tube Video up here but if you want to see the video from the Scottville City Commission Meeting where Kim Cole makes this statement go to Face Book and plug in Ed Hahn.  There you will find Ed's Audio and Visual Recordings of the last Scottville City Commission Meeting.  It is at the approximate 1:12:45 mark where Sheriff Cole starts speaking about his budget, and his deputies, etc...

Listen to what Cole stated at the Scottville City Commission!  I still do not comprehend why their is such a huge amount of money paid by the taxpayers for the MCSO!  Compare those numbers to Scottville's PD!  

[Jasper]

Plus, the MSP provide coverage to Mason County.  It is mind-boggling to say the least.  Just wanted to add the following....  

Ed Hahn serves on the City of Scottville's City Commission and has recently within the last several months been recording the Commission Meetings, and putting them on You Tube.  

[Jasper]

shinblind....XLFD provided the link to the "you Tube" video I was referencing in his starter thread..."Spotlight on Scottville etc..."  Check it out....Sheriff Cole's explanation of the for the MCSO 's budget is towards the end of the video!

Your^^^^above post is hilarious and so true!!  

"And hey Sheriff Kim as long as you got some spare pocket change ($30K) buy the boys on road patrol some boy scout compasses and have a scout  teach them how to use one. That way when they get stranded for 7 hours and their shift is over, they can head back to the nearest open road instead of taking off towards Wisconsin like the officer did this past winter."

[Jasper]

If you caught the news on MCP and the LDN the Mayor of Scottville apologized for 'someone's' behavior at several of the last City Council Meetings.

Who exactly was "Mayor Maki" apologizing for?  Himself??? Mayor Maki  was rather "wishy washy" on this apologetic statement.  Mayor Maki himself demonstrated at several of the last Commission Meetings via body language..etc... his own negative behavior to certain Board Member's.

My pet peeve is people who apologize for other people.  There were no other Commission Member's apologizing.  Just the Mayor, but yet he spoke for everyone!

And, his statement regarding the "SPD" has been discussed and decided upon several years ago, and wants no further discussion.  How can the Mayor decide this??  

Does the Mayor of Scottville forget he works for the people, and not the other way around?  

In reading a very brief letter to the editor on MCP, it appears there is underlying issues regarding SPD.  Afterall, the City Manger's husband is a full-time employee of the SPD.  

My question is..why can Mr. Maki announce at this meeting held on August 3'rd in his "apology letter"  the issue of whether or not to continue having a police force in the City without having further communication from the Citizen's, or the other Board member's.  

Is this really how a Democracy works?  Seriously??    

[Jasper]

Imagine replying to your own post......As an afterthought was the Mayor's apologetic spiel even on the agenda?

Is there not an agenda for these meetings?  

Mr. Mayor Maki apologized for who knows who, but yet no one on the City Commission Board was allowed to comment after this.  Is this really how the system works??  Personally, I don't know.  But, dictatorship comes to mind!

I will reiterate...Is Mayor Maki allowed under the governance of the 'Public Meeting Act "allowed to speak without it being on the agenda for this meeting?

 

[XLFD]

Just a clarification, Mayor Maki made his statement at the beginning of the meeting (2:33 into the above video supplied by Commissioner Hahn at his youtube locale), even before the public comment, so technically, other commissioners and the public could have replied. 

The comments were unbelievably vapid and ridiculous.  To believe that the council solved the police issue two years prior is silly-- it should always be a debatable issue whether the SPD is worth keeping when the city has to have such unbelievably high taxes and water rates and yet cannot afford clerks or treasurers.  Mayor Maki oversteps his authority by apologizing for six of his peers who give no indication that he speaks for them, and looks ridiculous for doing so, much like Chief Barnett's "Shame on You" speech   (which can be seen at http://www.shorelinemedia.net/ludington_daily_news/news/local/video...)

[Willy]

I also found the Mayor's apology to be self serving and ridiculous. I saw no indication that any apology was needed. What the Mayor is trying to do is quash open discussions about concerns people have for how the police operate and if they are even needed. If the Mayor wants to apologize for something, he should apologize for issuing such a foolish apology.

[Jasper]

Willy,

If there was a like button I would so like your^^^^above post!

[XLFD]

Good psychological assessment, Willy.  These types of apologies are nothing more than a passive-aggressive attempt to control the conversation, quell constructive dissent, and paint any past and future dissenters as behind-the-bleachers rock-lobbers.

The sad thing is that most people not paying much attention may read the stories in the COLDNews and MCP and base their future impressions on it.