Is the Ortonville City Attorney doing his job?

At the recent Ortonvile City Council Meeting anyone watching the City Attorney in action has to wonder, "What are we paying him for?"

Here we have a city council drag the Chief of police before the council on "Consideration of Charges and Allegations Against an Employee" and have the Police Commission attend too? Why wasn't it just looked into by the Police Commission?

Where was the due process? Where was the procedure? When Attorney Ron Frauenshuh asked the City Attorney Ash if he knew about the previous city determination against such action regarding a similar incident he sat mute. The City Administrator Lang stated that he had checked with the League of Municipalities and they said it was OK and the City Attorney approved it. Then the City Attorney admitted that he had not read "all" of the correspondence between Lang and the League of Municipalities before making his decision.

Isn't the League of Municipalities an insurance company? Is what we have here the City Administrator Lang getting his legal advice from some big city insurance company? Then do we have Lang telling the City Attorney that they approve it and does City Attorney Ash rubber stamp it on Langs request? Why are the citizens of Ortonville paying for a city attorney if the big city insurance company is running the show?

No big city insurance company is going to know all the ins and outs of a small town. They do not know all of the resolutions and laws. Who are they to be giving advise? What they know is to cover their backside to keep from getting sued. So, did this insurance company determine that it was OK for the City Council to drag Police Chief Horman in because they were ready with a defense in case of litigation? Who's best interest do you think they have at heart?

When Attorney Ron Frauenshuh answered all the charges against Police Chief Curt Horman and asked the question "Was there any violation of any law, policy or procedure?" he turned to City Attorney Ash.

What did the City Attorney do? Did he answer the question? No, he turned to the police chief and asked him if there was any law, policy, or procedure broken? That is who he gets his advise from? The City Attorney goes to the police chief for legal advise? City Attorney Craig Ash, the chief law counsel for the city, couldn't make that determination before the City Council dragged the police chief to the meeting to rake him over the coals?

What is he? A potted plant?

Is your job title:

Stir up trouble in Ortonville

Farmhand:

How can this posts be a way to stir trouble? If you were the victim of a witch hunt you would sit idly by? I doubt it! The purpose of the forum is to create better government and to sit idly by while injustices occur is part of the problem and most certainly not part of the solution!

If this witch hunt had happened to you, you would let others know. Let's support the victims of bad government!

Farmhand, perhaps you have forgotten where we live. This is America, the United States. We believe in free speech, the right to elect our government and the right to bear arms.

This site may not be for everyone, but because men and women all over the country are fighting for a good government with good public servants we all not only have a right to talk about our government, we have a duty.

It is a government of laws and no man is above the law, perhaps if you do not like the freedoms we have in this country we could find you a country where there is a less freedom.

You are now trolling because you are off topic.

The topic is, we can cut the city attorney position because we are getting all of our legal advice from the big insurance company from the twin cities.

Maybe thats the issue, having an insurance company provide legal advice.

I know where we live, and if its free speech, how come whenever a topic on here gets out of hand or someone says the wrong thing your immediately banned. But the people like you and ladhawk can trash people(like the city attorney) nothing happens.
If i get anything from you i would at least like an explanation on that question.

farmhand,

If you want an explaination here it is. Please listen and learn.

farmhand wrote:

I know where we live, and if its free speech, how come whenever a topic on here gets out of hand or someone says the wrong thing your immediately banned. But the people like you and ladhawk can trash people(like the city attorney) nothing happens.
If i get anything from you i would at least like an explanation on that question.

When a post is made people are to respond to the topic. An example is this thread. I posted the facts of the meeting and I also gave my opinion of the meeting. If you want to respond by saying how much you like City Attorney Ash to get his legal advise from City Administrator Lang and Police Chief Horman then you are welcome to do so. It is not appropriate to make negative digs at the person posting. You need to keep on topic. If you agree you say what you agree about. If you disagree you say what you disagree about.

Your posts on this topic are all trolling. Stay on topic or your posts will be deleted and you will banned. People are banned or their posts are deleted for not following the rules. We have rules so that there is order in our discussions.

One of the rules is no profanity or illusion of profanity. I was raised to believe that profanity is just a lazy mind trying to exresss itself forcefully. You have posted profanity in the previous post and that is not allowed. Edit it or your post will be deleted. If you continue to troll and you continue to use inappropriate language you will be banned. Behave like a respectable person and allow people to disagree with you without making derogatory comments about them and you are welcome here.

Posts are made about the government and the people involved because there is a responsibility to the public. Posts are made about other subjects that are of interest to the public, but that is not a license to say any thing in your head in an attempt to ruin anyone. The old expression "think before you speak" is good to remember. If you see something that is inappropriate then hit the report button and the admins will review it. Do not respond to the inappropriate post as that only adds to more posts being off topic.

I welcome opposing viewpoints that stay on topic.

I agree w/ your post Lady Hawk...what is our city atty here for? Isn't he there to provide legal advice...not to take advice from the city administrator or to be feed info from the city administrator? shouldn't he be familiar w/ MN law even tho he's from SD? Has anyone looked into the number of cases he prosecutes v. drops(or whatever they call it)?

Why can't we ask questions of what he does....or the city council or the city administrator....I even heard the word on the street that those allegations were to get back at Chief Hormann for his wife speaking at the city council mtg & putting the letter in the paper...has anyone else heard this? ...there..so much for free speach & asking officials to be accountable and a town w/ a heart! Really makes a person want to move here or live here..huh?

One would think that the people resonsible for enforcing our laws would also set the example. Why is it then that a Mr. Craig O. Ash has federal tax leins against him? Is this the Mr. Craig Ash that is city attorney for both Ortonville and Milbank? Mr. Craig O. Ash owes back taxes to the tune of $97,847.67

These federal tax liens are from 2002 through 2006. The most recent lien against him was documented on January 29, 2009 for $31,883.60 How does Mr. Craig O. Ash get away with not paying his taxes? Any other citizen would have the IRS down on them like a duck on a bug. Has Mr. Craig O. Ash paid his 2007 or 2008 taxes?

What we see is City Attorney Craig Ash who is given veto power over the Ortonville City Council (see Northside...why the secrecy ), City Attorney Craig Ash who happens to be Mr. Jim Larsen's attorney tell the Ortonville City Council that the Mayor had no conflict of interest being Mr. Jim Larsen's accountant when Mr. Jim Larsen asked for a $5 Million dollar Bond from the city, (See Jim larsen $5 Mil Bond) we see a City Attorney Craig Ash who sits by as the EDA Director and his assistant make policy without input from the city council, (See David Lang & Vicki Oakes) and we see City Attorney Craig Ash who doesn't even know that the City Administrator can't bring up the police chief on "charges" in front of the entire City Council and the Public. (See Police Commission) Only the police commission can do that. What kind of game are we playing here?

We make every effort to be sure that accurate information is posted on this website. It was noted above that Mr. Craig Ash had an outstanding Tax Lien. Below is Mr. Craig Ash's Tax Lien and the Release of Lien. Mr. Craig Ash's Tax Lien has now been paid. This confirms the accuracy posted on this website is true that the tax Lein existed and that the $97,000.00 was recently paid.

Lien
Lien2

Release.
Release2.