FROM THE DESK OF PATRICIA WORKMAN
April 22, 2013
Dear Ms. Bruno:
Today I received, through the Town in-house mail system, an argumentative essay (of sorts). It was presented to me, in a sealed envelope, at the Town Clerk window by a member of your town staff, “Susie” or “Tina”. It was not sent through the U.S.P.S. The enclosure (essay) was neither dated nor was it stamped as received into the Town’s public record, by the Town Clerk. The one-page enclosure was not specifically addressed to me or to anyone. To whom it was/is intended I could only presume by reading the page from beginning to end. Those the essay is meant to in?uence must be inferred from the totality of the contents of the one-page essay. I assume you as Town Manager authorized the distribution of this essay through the Town’s in-house mail system, if not please advise me as to how it came to be distributed as in-house Town mail. The essay appears to be signed by Michelle Lukkasson.
As I am sure you know, Michelle Lukkasson is an appointed Director of the Town Council to the Town of Quartzsite Municipal Property Corporation, therefore, this correspondence needs to be at least stamped and received as part of the Public Record of the Town. Certainly, we would not want it to appear that Ms. Lukkasson has exercised, under color of law in her appointive position, an attempt to lobby the Council through use of Town resources or the in-house Town mail system in her capacity as a Town of Quartzsite Municipal Property Corporation Director.
The first paragraph of the essay reads as follows: (I am attaching a copy of the original envelope and enclosure with this memo to you)
Ok. Here we go again. I can sense from item 6 on the agenda that we as a town, you as our council representing this town are at it again. It appears that you will not be in executive session to discuss a raise for our chief of police, or even the idea of a press release and public apology for our Chief of Police for everything that he has been drug through, but rather, you will discuss the idea of getting rid of him. Me as a one of your constituents can only ask why. I see what has gone on in this town the same way that l am sure most of your constituents do and I am sure they are scratching their heads too.
The second paragraph reads: Our chief of police has been so thoroughly investigated by every agency in this state, along with the most recent money spent by our town to hire a private investigator to look into the matter of a complaint filed by some resident who was arrested. All reports in and all complaints are unfounded…huh….and now you want to go to executive session to discuss his dismissal….. And just what do you think this will accomplish? The reason for the strife in our community is plain and simple….the bullies continue to win….They raise a stink, you guys respond and the most consistent man in your town’s employ, who stands on the line of right continues to be attacked. Removing him does not solve the problem because the bullies are still here. If you can even find a new Chief of Police, the bullying will continue….and nothing changes…
The third paragraph reads: Quit being reactive and start be proactive!!! I would like to see this council take some positive action and spend what money you think you have to buy out our Chief and use it to solve the problems that create these kinds of issues. Instead of buying out Chief Gilbert, perhaps you need to start offering some money for the permanent departure of those who create these problems.
The fourth paragraph reads: If you even think that you have the arrogance to do something like this, you underestimate the support this community has for our Chief of Police. He is the cornerstone of this community right now. Who else renders the support that he does. If I were Chief I would hope that you offered him a buy-out and I would take the money and run while there is still money to take. It does not take a rocket scientist to see the direction our financial situation is headed. it won’t be long before the Town of Quartzsiteis not in the news anymore because the Town of Quartzsiteis going to be gone. No money, no town! ! The bullies win and the county gets what it wants and you as a Council facilitated it. Good for Patricia Anderson to resign…she saw the writing on the wall!
The last, and fifth paragraph, reads: I am only one voice, but l can assure you that there are many people out there that think and feel the same way. You would be smart to remove this item from the agenda, do your jobs as council people, taking care of the real problems of our community and leave our Chief of Police alone to do the fine job that he continues to do. Don’t you get it.. He is not the problem!
===================
Ultimately, the essay by whoever concocted it is Council correspondence in that it was distributed by the Town to me, and therefore became thereby a public record of the State ofArizona. We must be ever cautious as far as maintaining accurate Town public records, so I submit this to the Town Clerk to be distributed to you.
Ms. Bruno, I am confident you recognize the above signature as that of Michelle Lukkasson or it is a seriously clever forgery. Would you please identify the source of this essay and how it ended up placed into my hands?
Patricia Workman
cc: Town Clerk, Town Council members
Please reference Attachment/Page 4
=========================
Page 4: Ok. Here we go again. I can sense from item 6 on the agenda that we as a town, you as our council representing this town are at it again. It appears that you will not be in executive session to discuss a raise for our chief of police, or even the idea of a press release and public apology for our Chief of Police for everything that he has been drug through, but rather, you will discuss the idea of getting rid of him. Me as a one of your constituents can only ask why. I see what has gone on in this town the same way that l am sure most of your constituents do and I am sure they are scratching their heads too.
Our chief of police has been so thoroughly investigated by every agency in this state, along with the most recent money spent by our town to hire a private investigator to look into the matter of a complaint filed by some resident who was arrested. All reports in and all complaints are unfounded…huh….and now you want to go to executive session to discuss his dismissal….. And just what do you think this will accomplish? The reason for the strife in our community is plain and simple….the bullies continue to win….They raise a stink, you guys respond and the most consistent man in your town’s employ, who stands on the line of right continues to be attacked. Removing him does not solve the problem because the bullies are still here. If you can even find a new Chief of Police, the bullying will continue….and nothing changes…
Quit being reactive and start be proactive!!! I would like to see this council take some positive action and spend what money you think you have to buy out our Chief and use it to solve the problems that create these kinds of issues. Instead of buying out Chief Gilbert, perhaps you need to start offering some money for the permanent departure of those who create these problems. If you even think that you have the arrogance to do something like this, you underestimate the support this community has for our Chief of Police. He is the cornerstone of this community right now. Who else renders the support that he does. If I were Chief I would hope that you offered him a buy-out and I would take the money and run while there is still money to take. It does not take a rocket scientist to see the direction our financial situation is headed. it won’t be long before the Town ofQuartzsiteis not in the news anymore because the Town ofQuartzsiteis going to be gone. No money, no town! ! The bullies win and the county gets what it wants and you as a Council facilitated it. Good for Patricia Anderson to resign…she saw the writing on the wall!
I am only one voice, but l can assure you that there are many people out there that think and feel the same way. You would be smart to remove this item from the agenda, do your jobs as council people, taking care of the real problems of our community and leave our Chief of Police alone to do the fine job that he continues to do. Don’t you get it.. He is not the problem!
(Signature)
==============
