Kewanee mayor validates Neponset deal
By Mike HelenthalOf the Star Courier
Kewanee Mayor Gary Moore Wednesday declared the ambulance contract with Neponset valid and in full effect, pending a legal review by the city's legal counsel.
Moore spent the day poring through council minutes and reviewing recordings of the meeting in response to a challenge of the validity of the contract leveled by Councilman Mike Yaklich at Monday's meeting.
"(City Manager) Gary Bradley acted well within his rights" in finalizing the contract, Moore told the Star Courier Wednesday evening.
Confusion over the matter surfaced at the end of Monday's meeting when Bradley reported that Neponset had already made its first payment on a new contract that would extend Kewanee ambulance service to a 50-mile territory in and around Neponset.
Councilman Mike Yaklich said then he was surprised the contract had been finalized without a council vote, which he contends was a requirement when councilmen voted on the issue in May.
Other councilmen disagreed, saying the council gave the city manager the authority to "execute" a deal, wording that was reflected in the resolution the council voted on.
On Tuesday, Yaklich released a statement reiterating his concern over the manager's role in finalizing the contract, adding it to the drumbeat of allegations he's made of poor city staff performance in the last two years.
And on Wednesday morning, Moore initially said he agreed with Yaklich's assessment, based on the wording of the minutes, which said: "Mayor Moore suggested that we proceed with negotiations for a one-year contract which will then be reviewed and voted on by the council."
"Mike Yaklich is not wrong," he said after that review. "It should have come back to the council for a vote."
But after reviewing the video of the meeting later in the day, he said he changed his mind. He pointed to a moment in the meeting where he asks the clerk and city manager whether the "reviewed and voted on by the council" statement he had made was part of the resolution to "execute," and they said it was not. Moore said that means that council members voted to give the manager the authority to "execute" the contract with a 4-1 vote.
Moore said the audio is difficult to hear because there is background talking, but it was clear enough for him to change his mind. He also took the blame for leaving Yaklich confused on the issue.
"Mike's confusion was my fault," he said. "
The mayor said he's having the city's attorney review the issue to ensure his interpretation is correct.
Councilman Steve Faber said Monday that he believed the council was in fact giving final contract authority to the city manager in May -- though within the $25,000 parameter and with the caveat the contract be for one year to give the city time to assess its full cost.
"When it says 'execute,' you just do it," he said Wednesday. "The amount we set that night was a done deal. We already had the information, that's why it was awarded this way."
Faber said he has become frustrated with Yaklich's frequent attacks on city staff and that this episode was the latest example.
"Mike's just upset because he didn't get his way," he said. (Yaklich was the lone "no" vote in May, saying he felt the numbers showed that Neponset should be paying a higher rate).
Faber said the council's vote and the contract should be upheld as the mayor has stated.
"I will not vote on this again," he said.
Faber said Yaklich's frequent attacks on city staff make Kewanee look inept and that he continually makes public statements about them that should remain confidential.
For example, at the May meeting, Faber says Yaklich accused councilmen and staff of concocting a sweetheart deal for Neponset out of the public eye.
"There was no deal worked out before the council saw it," he said. "He owes the council and department heads an apology."
Regardless of the internal squabble, Mayor Moore said the city has to focus on working together and following its own rules and processes.
"There are protocols that need to be followed," he said.
Moore said he's been frustrated by the episode.
"Once again we have a lot of misunderstanding on what was agreed to," he said.
Moore said he was involved in the initial round of negotiations with Neponset and that the council had accurate figures as to the contract details being discussed. In fact, after negotiations, the city is receiving $2,000 more than it expected.
Fire Chief Kevin Shook researched Kewanee's cost for calls to Neponset, which average about 35 per year, in the run-up to the May meeting. He estimated it would cost about $17,000 annually to cover the new area, but recommended the city charge about $25,000 to ensure the city's costs were covered. The end result was a $27,000 fee that Neponset would pay in two installments.
The city has been covering Neponset's ambulance service for the past year at no charge after the village's provider pulled out.