I have been spending a lot of time going through the incomplete data that Mr. Lang produced. I will have more time to elaborate on it after the end of the year. I have found something of a curiosity though.

According to the Agenda for January 10, 2008 the EDA secretary resigned. The minutes are still missing. Neither Vicki Oakes nor David Lang have produced them. What is interesting is that on January 22, 2008 (just 12 days after the EDA Agenda notification of the secretary's resignation) the Ortonville city council met and on the agenda was the EDA Board Recommendation to hire Vicki Oakes at $11.50 an hour as temporary secretary. This was removed.

Minutes of Jan 22, 2008:
9.c. EDA Board Recommendation: To Accept the Resignation of Kim Danielson as EDA Secretary.
Motion by Randleman, second by Johnson to accept the Resignation of Kim Danielson as EDA Secretary.
All in favor. 5-0. MCU.
9.d. EDA Board Recommendation: To Hire Vicki Oakes as an Independent Contractor at $11.50/Hour as Temporary EDA Secretary – REMOVED FROM AGENDA


What is remarkable about that is there is no mention of the board discussing that. In fact in the following months there is no recommendation to hire Vicki Oakes.

At the next EDA meeting of January 23, 2008 Vicki Oakes is recognized as staff in the minutes. One day after the Ortonville City Council Meeting does not vote to approve because it was removed from their agenda Vicki is recognized as staff?

So what we have here is a resignation on January 10, 2008 with no minutes available. If the board discussed hiring Vicki they must have done so at that meeting. The question is "How can they hire someone the same day of the resignation?" Aren't they supposed to post the position? Isn't the public supposed to be notified so everyone can have a chance to apply? If they removed the "Board Recommendation" from the City Council meeting then how could they have hired Vicki Oakes? The council never voted on it as far as I could find. How did Vicki get hired? Was anyone else allowed to apply?

This seems highly irregular.

I do not have time to post the documents right now but will endeavor to get them up sometime this week. In the meantime you can check the link Ortonville City Council Minutes. See page 3 item 9.d They removed hiring Vicki as an Independent Contractor and yet she eventually gained the title "Community Development Coordinator." How is it that the previous employee only had the title of
"secretary?"

Mr. David Lang was made Director of the EDA by an Ortonville City Council vote on December 17, 2007

Ortonville City Council Regular Meeting Minutes December 17, 2007 Pg 3 of 6

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM COUNCIL COMMITTEES:
9a. EDA Board Recommendation: Assign City Administrator David Lang additional duties as EDA Executive Director.
Resolution 07-146, Resolution Assigning City Administrator David Lang Additional Duties as EDA Executive Director

Motion by Arndt, second by Johnson to adopt Resolution 07-146, Resolution Assigning City Administrator David Lang Additional Duties as EDA Executive Director commencing on December 17, 2007.

Dorry reported he had contacted the League of MN Cities for information regarding the number of cities that appoint their Clerk-Administrator as the Executive Director of the Economic Development Authority. He stated only 14 out of about 800 combine the positions. Dorry questioned whether or not Lang would have time to do both jobs. Lang stated he would have to restructure the staff or add staff to pick up some of his clerk-administrator duties.

Roll Call: Aye: Arndt, Oakes, Johnson, Meyer, Anderson. Nay: Dorry.
All in favor. 5-1. Motion Carried.

Could one in effect say that over a period of a few weeks David Lang and Vicki Oakes effectively took over the EDA?


The Agenda for the Missing minutes of Jan 10, 2008

Something else peculiar about this agenda is that it doesn't mention the discussion on forgiving Sonny's loan. See The EDA

The EDA stated in the meeting of Dec 29, 2009 that:

Sonny's Loan:
Watson was present to advise the board of the EDA's position on the lien for Sonny's building and the request from Sonny Arndt to subordination of the EDA's position. M/S/P: Nypen / Herberg moved to table this matter until further infomation could be gathered. Abstained: Arndt and Johnson

The next meeting was January 10, 2008 and there is no mention of Sonny's loan on the agenda. What happened?

Lady Hawk, you are disrupting the "we're in charge and we can do whatever we want cuz we know what's best" kind of high-handed, ramrod, "don't cross us" rule that goes on in Ortonville.
Everyone who was in the "know" thought the deal was sealed just fine, don't ya know. Rules....can be so inconvenient. Respect for people....which people? Some people "matter" and some don't -- you didn't know that?

Boy, the more you uncover, the more brazen and disgusting the situation gets. Keep speaking truth, Lady Hawk. People want to hear it...if they have clear consciences.
Thanks.
Zorro

Further review has brought up more questions. Scott Maas is the President at Minnewest Bank and on the EDA Board. Their were four liens against Sonnys and MinnWest Bank held three of them. The EDA was in second position and if they forgave Sonnys loan then MinnWest would move up to second place.




The only mention of Scott Maas' position as a potential conflict of interest that I could find so far is in November of 2008 which is about 10 months after Sonnys loan was presumedly forgiven on Jan 10, 2008. Considering Mr. Maas had been on the EDA for quite some time before that I wonder that a conflict if interest had not been found before.



One other thing that happened around the Jan 10, 2008 meeting is a letter written my Mr. Maas the next day.



I wonder why Mr. Maas wrote that letter the day after the meeting?