[RP TownTalk] Wasteful & petty re-keying of Town Hall locks

Tue Jun 7 13:21:25 UTC 2016

I'm also upset that the Town Administration wasted $345 to re-key the door
locks at Town Hall following the resignation of my Ward 1 Council Member,
Jonathan Ebbler.  This was an entirely unjustified waste of money, as they
could have simply asked Jonathan to return his keys.

Re-keying was assuredly NOT the standard operating procedure for any other
council member vacating a Council seat, and is quite plainly a sign of
paranoia or vindictiveness (or both) against Jonathan.  When you add this
sad incident to the others targeting Jonathan (such as the Mayor's attempt
to deny him his seat after he won re-election in 2015), you can't help but
conclude that Jonathan has been a victim of petty political payback for
being an independent voice on the Council.

Dissent is good for democracy, and the proper response to dissent is not to
close it off or retribute against the dissenter, but to respond with
reasons supporting your own point of view.  Jonathan has been forthright in
laying out his concerns with the governing of our town, and his efforts are
appreciated by open government believers like myself, even when I don't
always agree with everything Jonathan says.

In contrast, the Mayor has not given a public accounting in reply to most
of the issues Jonathan has raised, including why $345 was spent to re-key
the Town Hall instead of simply asking Jonathan to turn in his keys when he
returned from out-of-state business. This changing of the locks was clearly
an affront to Jonathan's honesty and integrity (as if he would ever sneak
in and do something untoward). This is not the kind of professionalism we
want from our elected officials. I think that this $345 should be
personally reimbursed to the town by the Mayor who authorized it, and that
such a penalty should serve as a disincentive to any future illegitimate
uses of town power.

Ken Laureys
4718 Riverdale Rd.
301-661-6682
Laureys.Ken at Gmail.com

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Andrew Salgadoe <asalgadoe at yahoo.com>
> To: Jonathan Ebbeler <jebbeler at efusionconsulting.com>, TownTalk <
> TownTalk at riverdale-park.org>
> Cc: "varcher at riverdaleparkmd.gov" <varcher at riverdaleparkmd.gov>
> Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2016 20:43:22 +0000 (UTC)
> Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Emergency Rekeying of Town Hall
>

> Johnathon you owe the town $344. It was your responsibility to return the
> keys when you resigned.
>
> On Sun, Jun 5, 2016 at 8:35 PM, Jonathan Ebbeler
> <jebbeler at efusionconsulting.com> wrote:
>
> Mayor Archer –
>
>
>
> Why was it necessary to engage Ernie’s Locks in May at a cost of $344.95
> (invoice attached) for an emergency re-keying of Town Hall?  Wouldn’t it
> just have been cheaper to ask for my keys back?  I would have been happy to
> return them when I was back in town and able to do so.
>
>
>
> It seems decidedly unprofessional to spend $344.95 in tax payer money to
> do this.  It seems an odd thing to do.  We did not rekey the building when
> there were changes in Councilmembers, when Councilmembers resigned, or when
> one of our Councilmembers was arrested and later convicted of multiple
> felonies.  Other than my resignation, what prompted the need for you to
> make this request?
>
>
>
> Are there documents you had concern that I would see if I had access to
> Town Hall?  I can just request whatever I want via a Public Information Act
> request, although it was with some amusement I saw the denial of production
> of information unless I pre-paid the town $6200.  This behavior is not that
> of an open and transparent administration.
>
>
>
> Your continued silence on issues that matter to people is inappropriate.
>
>
>
> JWE
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Jonathan Ebbeler <jebbeler at efusionconsulting.com>
> To: "asalgadoe at yahoo.com" <asalgadoe at yahoo.com>, TownTalk <
> TownTalk at riverdale-park.org>
> Cc: "varcher at riverdaleparkmd.gov" <varcher at riverdaleparkmd.gov>
> Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2016 21:11:27 +0000
> Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Emergency Rekeying of Town Hall
>
> Andrew
>
> That is odd logic.  If you had paid attention during May you would have
> known I was out west for a funeral and assisting with estate issues when I
> resigned and was thousands of miles away.  The keys were in Maryland at my
> house.  By the time I had arrived back in Maryland I was already alerted by
> people in town about the ‘emergency’ rekeying to the extent of local
> businesses asking what was going on that this was required.
>
>
>
> Given that the building was not rekeyed when other CMs changed hands 5
> years ago, one CM was convicted of multiple felonies and sent to prison,
> another CM resigned less than 6 months ago, why would I assume that the
> Town Hall would be rekeyed by my resignation?
>
>
>
> If you care to debate me on something substantive or factual I welcome
> it.  As you have stated in other posts, the Mayor can do no wrong and that
> is fine – you are entitled to your opinion.  But the fact remains that the
> Mayor is choosing to remain entirely silent, continues to obfuscate, and
> refuses to debate the financial mismanagement of the town on the issues he
> brought into the public domain but now refuses to even acknowledge because
> the claims are not supported by evidence that has been shown ad nauseam.
>
>
>
> I will continue bring to the public’s attention patterns of behavior that
> illustrate abuses of power, non-transparency of government, and a lack of
> financial management competency.  I realize some in town will ignore the
> evidence, no matter how overwhelming, but what has been presented is the
> tip of the iceberg.
>
>
>
> Just so you are aware, every year I was in office I donated at least 200%
> of my $6k Council stipend to local charities and non-profits.  Last year I
> upped it even more to a total of $27,754.73.  This resulted in numerous
> scholarships and community programming that the entire area enjoyed and
> benefited from.  If you feel I owe the town for actions it unilaterally
> took without warning or provocation so be it; financially I have done my
> part for the town.
>
>
>
> JWE
>
>
>
> PS – it is ‘Jonathan’ or ‘Jon’ not ‘Johnathon’
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* Andrew Salgadoe [mailto:asalgadoe at yahoo.com]
> *Sent:* Monday, June 6, 2016 4:43 PM
> *To:* Jonathan Ebbeler <jebbeler at efusionconsulting.com>; TownTalk <
> TownTalk at riverdale-park.org>
> *Cc:* varcher at riverdaleparkmd.gov
> *Subject:* Re: [RP TownTalk] Emergency Rekeying of Town Hall
>
>
>
> Johnathon you owe the town $344. It was your responsibility to return the
> keys when you resigned.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
> <https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/mobile/?.src=Android>
>
>
>
> On Sun, Jun 5, 2016 at 8:35 PM, Jonathan Ebbeler
>
> <jebbeler at efusionconsulting.com> wrote:
>
> Mayor Archer –
>
>
>
> Why was it necessary to engage Ernie’s Locks in May at a cost of $344.95
> (invoice attached) for an emergency re-keying of Town Hall?  Wouldn’t it
> just have been cheaper to ask for my keys back?  I would have been happy to
> return them when I was back in town and able to do so.
>
>
>
> It seems decidedly unprofessional to spend $344.95 in tax payer money to
> do this.  It seems an odd thing to do.  We did not rekey the building when
> there were changes in Councilmembers, when Councilmembers resigned, or when
> one of our Councilmembers was arrested and later convicted of multiple
> felonies.  Other than my resignation, what prompted the need for you to
> make this request?
>
>
>
> Are there documents you had concern that I would see if I had access to
> Town Hall?  I can just request whatever I want via a Public Information Act
> request, although it was with some amusement I saw the denial of production
> of information unless I pre-paid the town $6200.  This behavior is not that
> of an open and transparent administration.
>
>
>
> Your continued silence on issues that matter to people is inappropriate.
>
>
>
> JWE
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Andrew Salgadoe <asalgadoe at yahoo.com>
> To: Jonathan Ebbeler <jebbeler at efusionconsulting.com>, TownTalk <
> TownTalk at riverdale-park.org>
> Cc: "varcher at riverdaleparkmd.gov" <varcher at riverdaleparkmd.gov>
> Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2016 22:15:23 +0000 (UTC)
> Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Emergency Rekeying of Town Hall
> Jonathan,
>
> Drop the one-way email fights, show up for council meetings, state your
> case, and then let it go. I don't like the nasty tone of your emails..too
> personal and unprofessional.
> Perhaps use that energy to support other candidates for council or mayor
> on the next round.
>
> Andrew
>
>
> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
> <https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/mobile/?.src=Android>
>
> On Mon, Jun 6, 2016 at 4:43 PM, Andrew Salgadoe
> <asalgadoe at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Johnathon you owe the town $344. It was your responsibility to return the
> keys when you resigned.
>
>
>
> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
> <https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/mobile/?.src=Android>
>
> On Sun, Jun 5, 2016 at 8:35 PM, Jonathan Ebbeler
> <jebbeler at efusionconsulting.com> wrote:
>
> Mayor Archer –
>
>
>
> Why was it necessary to engage Ernie’s Locks in May at a cost of $344.95
> (invoice attached) for an emergency re-keying of Town Hall?  Wouldn’t it
> just have been cheaper to ask for my keys back?  I would have been happy to
> return them when I was back in town and able to do so.
>
>
>
> It seems decidedly unprofessional to spend $344.95 in tax payer money to
> do this.  It seems an odd thing to do.  We did not rekey the building when
> there were changes in Councilmembers, when Councilmembers resigned, or when
> one of our Councilmembers was arrested and later convicted of multiple
> felonies.  Other than my resignation, what prompted the need for you to
> make this request?
>
>
>
> Are there documents you had concern that I would see if I had access to
> Town Hall?  I can just request whatever I want via a Public Information Act
> request, although it was with some amusement I saw the denial of production
> of information unless I pre-paid the town $6200.  This behavior is not that
> of an open and transparent administration.
>
>
>
> Your continued silence on issues that matter to people is inappropriate.
>
>
>
> JWE
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Andrew Ninnemann <andrew.ninnemann at gmail.com>
> To: "asalgadoe at yahoo.com" <asalgadoe at yahoo.com>
> Cc: Jonathan Ebbeler <jebbeler at efusionconsulting.com>, TownTalk <
> TownTalk at riverdale-park.org>, "varcher at riverdaleparkmd.gov" <
> varcher at riverdaleparkmd.gov>
> Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2016 18:22:15 -0400
> Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Emergency Rekeying of Town Hall
> I, for one, appreciate the transparency, honesty, and informativeness of
> Jonathan's emails. I have learned more about Riverdale Park via Jonathan's
> emails than any other medium.
>
> Andrew N.
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jun 6, 2016 at 6:15 PM, Andrew Salgadoe <asalgadoe at yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Jonathan,
>>
>> Drop the one-way email fights, show up for council meetings, state your
>> case, and then let it go. I don't like the nasty tone of your emails..too
>> personal and unprofessional.
>> Perhaps use that energy to support other candidates for council or mayor
>> on the next round.
>>
>> Andrew
>>
>>
>> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
>>
>> On Mon, Jun 6, 2016 at 4:43 PM, Andrew Salgadoe
>> <asalgadoe at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Johnathon you owe the town $344. It was your responsibility to return the
>> keys when you resigned.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
>>
>> On Sun, Jun 5, 2016 at 8:35 PM, Jonathan Ebbeler
>> <jebbeler at efusionconsulting.com> wrote:
>>
>> Mayor Archer –
>>
>>
>>
>> Why was it necessary to engage Ernie’s Locks in May at a cost of $344.95
>> (invoice attached) for an emergency re-keying of Town Hall?  Wouldn’t it
>> just have been cheaper to ask for my keys back?  I would have been happy to
>> return them when I was back in town and able to do so.
>>
>>
>>
>> It seems decidedly unprofessional to spend $344.95 in tax payer money to
>> do this.  It seems an odd thing to do.  We did not rekey the building when
>> there were changes in Councilmembers, when Councilmembers resigned, or when
>> one of our Councilmembers was arrested and later convicted of multiple
>> felonies.  Other than my resignation, what prompted the need for you to
>> make this request?
>>
>>
>>
>> Are there documents you had concern that I would see if I had access to
>> Town Hall?  I can just request whatever I want via a Public Information Act
>> request, although it was with some amusement I saw the denial of production
>> of information unless I pre-paid the town $6200.  This behavior is not that
>> of an open and transparent administration.
>>
>>
>>
>> Your continued silence on issues that matter to people is inappropriate.
>>
>>
>>
>> JWE
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>> For more information about Riverdale Park, visit
>> http://www.riverdaleparkmd.info
>>
>>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Jonathan Ebbeler <jebbeler at efusionconsulting.com>
> To: "asalgadoe at yahoo.com" <asalgadoe at yahoo.com>
> Cc: TownTalk <TownTalk at riverdale-park.org>, "varcher at riverdaleparkmd.gov"
> <varcher at riverdaleparkmd.gov>
> Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2016 23:04:12 +0000
> Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Emergency Rekeying of Town Hall
> Andrew
> Respectfully the meetings conflict with obligations I have in running
> companies that are out of state.  I do not work local to the DC metro area
> so I am using the mediums I have available to me.   I have attempted to
> keep my posts factual. I suspect that the issues I bring up are bothersome
> more than the tone. Most people, myself included, do not thrive off
> conflict but where I see wrongs being committed I will shed light on them.
>
> Keep in mind that although you and others keep trying to shut this
> conversation down we have in the first time in Mayor Archer's tenure a
> contested election. This discourse does not discourage civic engagement,
> quite the contrary it encourages it.
>
> I am not going to wait a year and sit by as I watch elected officials
> engage in what I know to be financial misconduct and obfuscation. Please go
> back and read my posts. They are backed by hard evidence. If I got it wrong
> debate the facts. If your facts are more persuasive than what I've
> presented I'd be happy to agree to the veracity of your statements.  No
> one, yourself included, has presented one sentence of a factual argument
> that debates the aspects of financial and administrative mismanagement I
> brought to light.   I am not dogmatic, errors are made and explainable, but
> you are quite right this has been a very one sided argument unnecessarily.
>
> The Mayor and the Council are all adults they can speak for themselves.
> The fact they don't I find exceptionally telling. I say this as someone who
> has sat in the seat for five years and never once refused to engage a
> constituent question. If you find that appropriate so be it. We all have
> different expectations.
> JWE
>
> On Jun 6, 2016, at 6:15 PM, Andrew Salgadoe <asalgadoe at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Jonathan,
>
> Drop the one-way email fights, show up for council meetings, state your
> case, and then let it go. I don't like the nasty tone of your emails..too
> personal and unprofessional.
> Perhaps use that energy to support other candidates for council or mayor
> on the next round.
>
> Andrew
>
>
> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
> <https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/mobile/?.src=Android>
>
> On Mon, Jun 6, 2016 at 4:43 PM, Andrew Salgadoe
> <asalgadoe at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Johnathon you owe the town $344. It was your responsibility to return the
> keys when you resigned.
>
>
>
> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
> <https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/mobile/?.src=Android>
>
> On Sun, Jun 5, 2016 at 8:35 PM, Jonathan Ebbeler
> <jebbeler at efusionconsulting.com> wrote:
>
> Mayor Archer –
>
>
>
> Why was it necessary to engage Ernie’s Locks in May at a cost of $344.95
> (invoice attached) for an emergency re-keying of Town Hall?  Wouldn’t it
> just have been cheaper to ask for my keys back?  I would have been happy to
> return them when I was back in town and able to do so.
>
>
>
> It seems decidedly unprofessional to spend $344.95 in tax payer money to
> do this.  It seems an odd thing to do.  We did not rekey the building when
> there were changes in Councilmembers, when Councilmembers resigned, or when
> one of our Councilmembers was arrested and later convicted of multiple
> felonies.  Other than my resignation, what prompted the need for you to
> make this request?
>
>
>
> Are there documents you had concern that I would see if I had access to
> Town Hall?  I can just request whatever I want via a Public Information Act
> request, although it was with some amusement I saw the denial of production
> of information unless I pre-paid the town $6200.  This behavior is not that
> of an open and transparent administration.
>
>
>
> Your continued silence on issues that matter to people is inappropriate.
>
>
>
>
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