News

Divided Owosso Council votes down action on public safety petition

By MICHAEL PETERSON, Argus-Press Staff Writer

Wednesday, November 4, 2009 10:14 AM EST

OWOSSO - The City Council voted 4-3 Monday night to not take action on a petition calling for the dissolution of the director of public safety position, stating in its motion that the issue is an administrative decision - not a legislative one.

The Council also noted it still may eliminate the position in the near future.

“The question is: Does it make sense for a petition to make a decision on what is an administrative decision to fire an employee?” Mayor Pro Tem Mark Owen said. “Should an employee be able to be hired, fired or given a raise based on a petition?”

Mike Compeau has held the DPS position for the past five years.

The petition, circulated by resident and Council candidate Burton Fox, included more than the mandatory 1,576 signatures to place the issue on the ballot. The issue the Council considered Monday was whether the petition addressed a legislative concern, which is subject to a petition drive, or an administrative subject, which may not be addressed via a petition.

The Council accepted the petition at its Oct. 19 meeting and had 30 days to vote on its own to eliminate the position or to schedule a vote of the public on the issue if the subject was a legislative one. The Council decided at the time to table the issue, giving it time to explore its options and have legal questions answered.

The Council also said it is scheduling a public hearing at its Nov. 16 meeting to “consider an amendment to separate the department of public safety. Therefore, we will potentially take action on the goals set forth in this petition at a later date.”

Chris Eveleth, Benjamin Frederick and Joni Forster dissented from the decision. The vote took place after Council went into executive session for about an hour to review a written opinion from legal counsel on the topic.

Frederick said he felt holding a public hearing on the exact same topic as the petition was redundant.

“To me, this almost seems unnecessary,” Frederick said. “We could be potentially adopting exactly what the position asks us to do. ... It just seems like a faulty course to pursue.”

Owen said he believes the petition came about because residents became aggravated Council did not act on the issue sooner.

“I'm a little disappointed that we ever got here in the first place,” he said. “If we would have executed on this we would have avoided some of these problems. ... We are moving so slowly and there is a desire to see change.”

Mayor Mike Bruff said he hopes to hear the public's opinion of the controversy with the upcoming public hearing.

“We were dealing with a petition that was totally in favor of eliminating the position,” Bruff said. “Having the public hearing allows us to hear both sides.”

Members of the Community Radio Watch of Shiawassee County attended Monday's meeting to voice their support for Compeau.

“Over the years, (Compeau) has supported us and we support him,” CRW President Joe Ibarra told the Council. “We urge the City Council to make the right decision. This has happened in the past to other employees of the city and it is pretty sad that it has to come to this.”

CRW Vice President Rex Button III also spoke in defense of the director of public safety.

“I don't think his job should be left up to (the Council), it should be left up to the voters,” Button said.

- Contact Michael Peterson at 725-5136 extension 223 or mpeterson@argus-press.com. Post comments about this story online at www.argus-press.com.

Comment on this Story

Kc wrote on Nov 6, 2009 5:43 PM:

" It seems to me that the City council is a bunch of cowards. The position of Public Safety is not needed, and a waste of money. If they truly want the position, then they should find a way to pay for it, without using tax payers money "

Joe Citizen wrote on Nov 5, 2009 8:06 AM:

" I't seems to me that the city council is a bit nervous to empower the people. It might set a precedent. Citizens may actually realize that they do have a say in government matters. I think every home should have a voting machine. We should vote on EVEYTHING, as a community. Then I bet we will be better represented. It will also weed out the shady career poloticians who use the system for their own benefits, instead of The Peoples. "

Mark wrote on Nov 4, 2009 10:39 AM:

" Frankly this situation is a mess. I for one have wanted to see that position ended for some time. I also have been vigorously been pushing for other restructuring that seems to fall on deaf ears. I want to set the record straight. I am hoping the position will be eliminated at the next meeting and would have voted to do so if still on the council. The lack of action on several cost cutting measures is probably costing the city at least $50000 a month. It is time for action, not more talk. "

Anne wrote on Nov 4, 2009 12:29 AM:

" The voters have spoken. The dead wood is history.

http://www.shiawassee.net/20091103election/electionsummary.shtm "

Concerned Citizen wrote on Nov 3, 2009 10:46 PM:

" My comment to Mayor Bruff's statement in the newspaper condeming those who are petitioning the public safety directors position.
Mayor Bruff you are correct in saying that Mr. compeau's position is a hired position and not a elected one. So in saying this, we as citizens may need to look a little deeper at the elected officials who run the public safety directors position. We may need to start from the top down, to find the underlying problems that our city has, when they actually start at the top. So you were correct in saying that our citizens actions were incorrect, and in my conclusion we need to start at the root of the problems and work our way down, to the public safety director.
Lets face it this city's agenda is only to make the political social circle happy. Is it common practice for an assult victim to go to the Owosso police station during business hours, and wait 45 minutes with an concussion, to be seen by any officer? When Mr. Compeau strolls over to the candy stash asks why the victim was their and continues chatting with the front desk clerk, not retrieving any officer. In conclusion the assult victum left because she had a concusion and no police officers came out to help her.
Mr.Compeau you are doing a fine job as director, do you direct your third shift officers to sit at west town shell for hours every night with their engines running, I want a job working for you. "

CjP wrote on Nov 3, 2009 9:30 PM:

" This council wastes so much time "analyzing" things that they can't get a decision in place before the next issue bites them in the a#@ - so that they can go "analyze" it. They are the epitome of government bureaucrats.
Owosso should make them EACH publish a Resume' listing the items that they've actually ACCOMPLISHED while in office.

Questions: Is the attorney that is always being asked for "opinions" on a retainer, or is this council just building up a nice bank account for him? "

Lame Government wrote on Nov 3, 2009 4:15 PM:

" This council will do nothing to save money. They are the builders of Pyramid Parking lots while kids drown in the dust of Holman Pool. "

bill wrote on Nov 3, 2009 4:09 PM:

" The point is that the petition was ment to show the city council that the residents of Owosso are fed up with the way their tax dollars are spent, over the years we have eliminated one cop, closed the holmen pool, and have streets that are like one cant drive down due to the fact that they are in such bad shape. As a resident I want the fat cut not the meat, get rid of this position that sits behind a desk and not a fireman, or police officer! "

Another violation wrote on Nov 3, 2009 4:08 PM:

" Just exactly what part of the Open Meetings Act - and I mean Section and Paragraph - did the Council site for going into Executive Session. A legal opinion is not enough. It was not a personnel issue, they said it was an administrative issue. It did should not have been about the employee of that position, but the position itself.

Looks like there needs to be an investigation into an illegal closed meeting.

Those who brought the petition forward, should have and deserve the right to know what that opinion was; the details of any errors they may have made in their approach, if any; and, comments made by those who are supposed to represent them. "

SAPPHIRE wrote on Nov 3, 2009 2:36 PM:

" We were upset because EVERYTHING is suppose to be about our CHILDREN, yet the couldnt afford to open the ONLY thing Owosso had to offer to our children during the summer months and then they turn around and do that SILLY sidewalk project downtown, which to me is a HUGE WASTE OF MONEY. Where in the world do our CHILDREN COME FIRST!!! Cutting school fundings is just a major issue I have with Michigan. No wonder people are leaving Michigan. I know states that have NO LOTTERY have built new schools....maybe our officers need to go to those states and see how they spend their money. Michigan makes NO SENSE TO ME, especially the city of Owosso. They spend money foolishly in my opinion. "

wondering wrote on Nov 3, 2009 2:04 PM:

" This is just great.....didn't the City attorney permit the petition to be circulated? If it is illegal, the council needs new legal advice. The state attorney general needs to be contacted....ASAP. "