MONUMENT • Monument City Council has determined to not solely rent one particular lawyer, but in addition to contract one other to characterize city workers in an investigation of a doable marketing campaign finance violation.
Grant Van Der Jagt
On the council’s second of two particular conferences held inside one week, on Dec. 16 at Monument city corridor, it accepted a decision to rent Citadel Rock lawyer Grant Van Der Jagt to analyze issues referring to marketing campaign finance reporting for the Nov. 8 election from the Residents for Dwelling Rule difficulty committee.
At difficulty was whether or not the city violated the Colorado Truthful Marketing campaign Practices act when it donated $2,500 to the native Residents for Dwelling Rule Constitution difficulty committee.
By the point the decision was accepted 4-1, the council additionally accepted, on the request of City Supervisor Mike Foreman, contracting a second lawyer to characterize city workers over the course of the investigation. This was mandatory as a result of the city’s interim lawyer, Katheryn Sellers, served as counsel for the Dwelling Rule Constitution Fee, which created a battle for her on the matter.
The associated fee to the city to make use of two outdoors attorneys within the investigation is estimated to be $20,000.
Councilman and mayor-elect Mitch LaKind objected to the associated fee and requested why the preliminary investigation needed to be executed instantly, over the next two weeks, when a particular election wouldn’t happen for an additional 23 months. Van Der Jagt agreed a complete investigation ought to take greater than 15 days.
“A few of the testimony and issues like that might be fleeting. Sometimes, when the particular investigator is available in, the shredding begins,” Van Der Jagt stated. “You simply need to just remember to catch a few of that earlier than the proof is destroyed. So a few of it’s pressing and a few of it isn’t.”
Foreman requested what the expectation was for interviewing staff who had been on trip, since this time of 12 months the city runs on a skeleton crew. He stated city workers don’t have anything to cover, and that any questions might be requested in a public assembly, if wanted.
“We haven’t executed something fallacious,” Foreman stated. “Not one of the workers did, so if you wish to ask questions, we are able to reply them proper now.”
Foreman stated he would assign an worker to be the purpose of contact for the investigator. He additionally famous he can be on trip the following two weeks however might be reached by cellphone.
Mayor Professional Tem Kelly Elliott stated one in all her issues concerning the urgency of the investigation was that the incoming councilmembers might resolve to discontinue the investigation, despite the fact that mayor-elect LaKind has stated he’s dedicated to persevering with it.
Councilman Jim Romanello took a second to ask Foreman a handful of investigative questions. Requested concerning the city paying an bill from Tri-Lakes Printing for the creation of the 2A marketing campaign supplies, Foreman said he had no data concerning whether or not the interim city lawyer had given the inexperienced gentle to such an motion.
As for the 2A supplies in query, Foreman stated nobody among the many city workers was offered a “proof” of the supplies earlier than the bill cost had been approved.
Addressing residents who had introduced up issues throughout public remark concerning the potential value of an unbiased investigation, and famous the problem had been uncovered publicly and corrected, Van Der Jagt stated a whole lot of what was alluded to is “in all probability in giant regard true.” He added that if any procedures had been ignored within the course of, the investigation would assist the brand new council resolve tips on how to appropriate them.
As of press time, the city had not scheduled any further particular conferences concerning the investigation.