[RP TownTalk] FW: Public Service

Wed May 4 11:51:53 UTC 2016

Dear Audrey,

As I wrote you privately, the reason I didn’t respond quickly was that I
was in a state of shock and surprise about Jonathan’s resignation – I never
expected that.  He always seemed to be a take-it-to-the-bitter-end fighter
to me (though, as we can see from his continued posts to TownTalk, he *is*
still engaged).  I will miss his strong voice and demand for high standards
(I’d been missing it for a while).

I’m sorry that you think that this legislation was insufficiently
publicized.  I know that not many people watch council meetings on cable
any more, but I did announce that I was working on it almost four months
ago.  To try to reach the widest audience before I got too deep into
writing the legislation, I devoted my February Town Crier article to the
topic of the legislation (I learned campaigning that a lot of people read
the Crier).  No one contacted me during February about the legislation.  I
wrote a smaller note about it in my March Crier article, and then (after
introducing the legislation, and getting some feedback, particularly from
Bob Smith) I posted to TownTalk (where it was actively under discussion)
and, again to reach the largest number of people I could, wrote an article
in the April Town Crier with the same content as my “Q&A” with Bob Smith.
I devoted my May Town Crier article to responding to new comments on the
legislation.

The council has discussed (and had on the advanced agendas) this
legislation at nine town council meeting since January 4.  Jonathan didn’t
let me know he had issues with the legislation until after the March
legislative meeting, and even then he expressed only ambivalence.

I’ve sought out conversations with concerned citizens, and the offer I made
to you in March to have a one-on-one conversation with you about it is
still open, if you are interested.

I’m also sad to hear that you think this was a “done deal.”  You know that
less than a dozen people showing up at a council meeting and speaking out
can change the council’s course – there have been a few meetings during
just the last year where that has happened.

I wrote and advocated for this change because, looking ahead (and from the
inside), I was worried about the future of town government.  I thought, and
think, that this change will help to preserve our representative
government, and make it effective, for years to come.  Having a Mayor with
more time to listen to your concerns might even improve the small-town feel.

Peace,

Alan

On Tue, May 3, 2016 at 4:38 PM, Audrey Bragg <abragg7393 at aol.com> wrote:

> I am surprised that no one has responded to this post.  I am very sad to
> hear that Jonathan Ebbeler has resigned his council seat.  I respected his
> opinion on the change of government and I go along with him that this issue
> has not been publicized enough to the town residents before a vote was
> taken.  When I first heard of the issue, it appeared that all minds were
> made up and this was going to happen like it or not.  From what I have read
> about the issue, it appears to me that hiring a town manager rather than
> having the elected officials make the decisions is more time efficient for
> them.  With this type of government, I question why we would even have a
> Mayor and Council and waste money on elections, stipends and anything else
> we spend money on.  I worry about the person who will run the town.  Will
> they be part of the community?  Will they live in town?  How will they know
> what the issues are in town if they live in Anne Arundal or Howard or
> wherever else they may be living?  I think this new form of government
> takes away from the small town feel of the community.  I understand that
> the elected officials have jobs and families and their time is a concern.
> However they knew that going in.  They knew that this was basically a
> volunteer commitment.  We, in society, have a need to help and most of us
> volunteer to make the world a better place.  That's what we do.  I would
> have liked to see a Town Meeting just to address this issue.  Heavily
> advertised so people would know.  I talk to many people in town and they
> don't have a clue.  I was very happy to listen to Mr. Ebbeler's opinion on
> this matter.  I think our town loses a good statesman who is not afraid of
> speaking up.  I have great respect for all of our elected officials and I
> know they work hard for our town.  I wish Mr. Ebbeler great success for the
> future and thank him for all he has done for our community.
> Audrey Bragg
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jonathan Ebbeler <jebbeler at efusionconsulting.com>
> To: towntalk <towntalk at riverdale-park.org>
> Sent: Mon, May 2, 2016 7:40 pm
> Subject: [RP TownTalk] FW: Public Service
>
> The message was being held due to the number of recipients.  Please read
> below
>
> *From:* Jonathan Ebbeler
> *Sent:* Monday, May 2, 2016 7:35 PM
> *To:* 'varcher at riverdaleparkmd.gov' <varcher at riverdaleparkmd.gov>; Alan
> K. Thompson <akthompson at riverdaleparkmd.gov>; 'David J. Lingua' <
> djlingua at riverdaleparkmd.gov>; 'Christopher Henry' <chenry3240 at verizon.net>;
> 'crichardson at riverdaleparkmd.gov' <crichardson at riverdaleparkmd.gov>;
> 'Alejandro Silva' <alejandro.silva.1955 at gmail.com>; '
> towntalk at riverdale-park.org' <towntalk at riverdale-park.org>
> *Cc:* 'Chief David Morris' <dmorris at riverdaleparkmd.gov>; 'LEONARD
> ADDISON' <laddison at riverdaleparkmd.gov>; 'Sara Imhulse' <
> simhulse at riverdaleparkmd.gov>; Jessica Barnes <jbarnes at riverdaleparkmd.gov
> >
> *Subject:* Public Service
> *Importance:* High
>
> All
>
> Whenever there is major news, I like many of you, wonder what the real
> story is.  I have always prided myself in 5 years of being in office of
> welcoming dialogue, being impartial, open, transparent, and never pulled
> any punches.  No one had to guess where I was on an issue or the reasons
> behind it.  I was always willing to jump in the fray to provide
> information, to debate, to listen, and to adjust my position.
>
> When I turned in my paperwork to serve a third term last year, I didn’t
> sign up for what came my way including the Mayor refusing to administer the
> Oath of Office to me two days after my daughter was born, or the latest
> failed attempt to declare the seat vacant and the Mayor’s admitted
> extensive lobbying efforts to remove me.  I did not sign up for a mid-term
> structural change in government that moves the Mayor from an observer to an
> active voting member who by representing everyone represents no one and
> removes his responsibility for the current financial and budget issues.
>
> Let me be abundantly clear on one point, this is not a matter of sour
> grapes.  I have said from the start that I have nothing against the form or
> structure of government, just in how it is being slammed down the throats
> of the town and with recent disclosures by the Mayor answers the ‘why now’
> and ‘why this way’ questions many of us asked from the start.  I fervently
> respect the democratic process and traditions in that even if I vote
> against something and am in the minority I move past it without holding
> political vendettas.  I am fine being the sole minority vote against the
> structure and I would have no issues if there was a more thoughtful
> approach towards the legislation.
>
> It is deeply troubling that the legislation never made its way into the
> Legislative Committee.  We have standing committees to deal with issues
> like this so that information is presented, shared, discussed, and
> refined.  Bypassing standing committees defeats the due process reason they
> exist in the first place.  It is also unprofessional and disrespectful to
> the deliberative body as a whole.
>
> Fundamentally, beyond moving the Mayor into a voting role on Council, it
> does one core and primary thing – it buries the responsibility the Mayor
> currently has for the financial matters in town.  The Mayor’s Executive
> Order, that had no legal basis according to our Charter, was premised on a
> supposed ‘fact’ that turned out to be less than truthful; our taxable base
> for FY17 is higher than it was in FY15 due to the overall aggregate growth
> in tax assessments in town .  The truth we continue to ignore is that we
> are running a structural deficit and balance our budget on phantom one-time
> revenue items like bond proceeds we may or may not collect while ignoring
> our long-term under/unfunded Pension and OPEB liabilities of $3mil.  It was
> disappointing to be removed as a Pension Trustee after bringing to light
> our significant liabilities despite being the only Councilmember with
> professional experience in this field.
>
> I am ok with losing a vote, having seats taken away from me etc.; I am not
> ok with being part of an organization that shifts blame of a financial
> situation from whom the law says is responsible, the Mayor and Council,
> onto professional staff that have no legal responsibility.  I am not ok
> serving in a position where requested information is obfuscated.  Knowing
> about, and not disclosing a financial situation for months, and introducing
> legislation that by its merits shifts who the finger gets pointed at for
> financial troubles is fundamentally not how leaders lead.  They Mayor and
> Council are solely responsible for the budget, not professional staff.  If
> we created the problem, we should fix this.  The reason and rationale
> behind ‘why’ we need to do this are specious.  The Town Administrator is
> already, by law, our Chief Operating Officer.  The Mayor should have
> allowed her to do her job and not micro-managed the day-to-day operations.
> The Mayor should have done what our Charter requires, and paid more
> attention to the Mayoral responsibility of the financial management of the
> town than passing legislation that creates an inherent scapegoat.
>
> I am, however, not ok having my reputation impugned through no fault or
> actions of my own.  During the Jey’s Auto legislation, the Mayor hid
> information from Council and reported to the public that despite his best
> attempts to negotiate a deal, the land owner refused to either accept our
> offer or provide a counteroffer.  The landowner, during a meeting when this
> was reported, got to his feet and called us all liars.  He is right.
> Council was lied to, the public was lied to, Jey was lied to.  Jey
> negotiated and very fairly countered $650k to our $500k.  Real Estate
> agents are required by law to present every offer made to their clients, it
> was troubling that the Mayor made a unilateral decision that because our
> offer was not accepted, decided that no counteroffer needed to be
> disclosed, going even further to claim none was made; until of course we
> were all called liars.
>
> It is deeply troubling that despite a clear policy directive and five
> years later, through 4 unanimous votes on Resolutions/Ordinances in
> 2011-2013, the Mayor has yet to implement what the vote required –
> acquisition of the land.  This is, of course, a policy choice.  We can have
> a brand new Town Hall or we can act to do something about derelict
> properties.  We cannot do both without a significant tax hike.
>
> It is troubling that although I did what was required by the law in terms
> of getting resolution after resolution passed, the Town Hall process did
> not follow the law.  Resolution 2009-R-10 required a committee be created
> to evaluate the possibility and potential of this expansion and draft a
> report with consensus opinions for Council by May 2010 with vetted options,
> locations, etc.  Public Hearings were held, but staff can produce no such
> report.  We have proceeded forward blindly since then.  We did however,
> move very quickly in 2010 to put the policy of rebuilding Town Hall into
> motion;  if only the same expediency was supported by the Mayor on Jey’s
> Auto maybe Riverdale Park would not be the only major municipality without
> significant redevelopment on the Route 1 corridor.  It is quite frankly
> embarrassing that a municipal building that costs millions is a bigger
> priority than improving the economic health of our town.
>
> For me however, the final decision came when I read through a lawsuit
> filed against the town last week by Gregs Towing.  In it, there were
> significant accusations of unfair business dealings and overt charges of
> racism.  The local business and procurement legislation I authored, was
> created and implemented to avoid this exact situation.  We just settled one
> lawsuit with Gregs Towing.  I cannot and will not be associated with a town
> government where charges of racism are made.  I want to be judged through
> the actions and deeds of myself, not those of an administration I have some
> significant concerns with and no longer trust.
>
> Moreover, the Mayor and CM Thompson met with UMD officials without any
> professional courtesy to inform or invite me to a meeting that has clear
> implications to my role as Chair of Economic Development.  Despite the
> obvious policy differences with the Mayor, I have always routinely kept the
> Mayor and all members of the Economic Development Committee and Council
> informed as to progress being made.  I sincerely hope that the town does
> not lose potential deals that are 100% lined up at this point, just
> requiring the town to say yes to grant requests for monies already
> appropriated in our current budget:
> 1)      Bikram Yoga wishes to expand to take up 100% of the 2nd Floor
> 2)      Town Center Market wishes to expand and improve their Patio for
> seating
> 3)      Janish Brewery wishes to open a Brewpub at Town Center
>
> These are deals and relationships I have worked hard to make happen over
> the last few years, there is nothing for the town to do further other than
> to say yes to the grant requests.  Please do so in this budget year.
>
> Every decision, every vote, every policy, every piece of legislation
> written was done so with the interests of the town in mind.  I have always
> tried to do the right thing despite any disagreements.  In the 5 years I
> have been on Council, there has been a significant change in the trajectory
> of the town for the better.  That being said, it is time for some fresh
> people and ideas and this doesn’t mean a Councilman Archer or Mayor
> Thompson.  It is obvious to me, with the lack of direct engagement by CM
> Thompson on his legislation, and the continued dismantling of most of the
> things the Mayor knows I care about, that my effectiveness would be limited
> at best for the next year.
>
> I have no interest in sitting in a seat to keep a title.  I sat in the
> seat to make a difference, to change policy, to change the direction of the
> town.  When the legislation I authored is being reversed and with little
> hope of being supported on future efforts, I would prefer to focus my
> energies on things that matter to my businesses, my family, and other
> organizations I support rather than beat my head against the wall for the
> sake of calling myself a Councilman.  I sincerely hope that those
> interested in public service come out and challenge for the seats next
> May.  I have enjoyed my time serving the Town of Riverdale Park but my wife
> and I have decided to move onto bigger challenges elsewhere.
>
> Effective 8pm EST on 2 May 2016 I resign the seat of Councilman, Ward 1 of
> the Town of Riverdale Park.
>
> The Honorable Jonathan W. Ebbeler
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