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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1972 12-13 Village council rescinds ruling on staff reports REVIEW a e council tuling disu. i3icj � sa . by Scott Carlson Maplewood councilmen voted 3-2 last "Because there has been an unfortunate allow for that opportunity he said. Thursday night to rescind their earlier pattern of printing articles taken entirely out of context from staff reports, with no But Mayor Axdahl disagreed. He ruling on barring the release of village staff reports to the press and public. reference, often, to whatever became of reiterated what he had told the Review in their recommendations. As a result there an interview. "We hear all conceivable Despite some open hostility which the have been comments from citizens that so points on an issue when reports are council fired at St.Paul Dispatch reporter -and-so staff members are pushing this presented, or when councilmen ask Jim Broede for alleged misuse of the or that development." questions and desire points of reports, John Greavu, Don Olmstead and clarification. We deliberately keep Harald Haugan all voted to return to the Wiegert continued, "I have received discussions open," Axdahl said. village's open news policy despite objections from all sides to this kind of misgivings by Donald Wiegert and Mayor article: from citizens of this community Axdahl said the thrust of staff reports Les Axdahl. who do not wish to be stirred up about has been to focus attention on individual something that didn't occur, from a staff opinions which are sometimes After bitterly discussing the ruling with Ramsey County Board member who misleading. Broede and some village residents for thinks we ought to fire the staff who wrote nearly 11/2hours, the council the reports (but who also indicates theyBut Broede responded, "On such issues reestablished its two year old policy only don't issue their staff reports to the as"236" housing which have been widely after making the following stipulations: press); from the mayor of Oakdale, who discussed,that over a three month period, in a letter states that because of for example, there has been a pretty ONE, that all staff reports be released to Maplewood's open policy that staff comprehensive representation of all sides the press no earlier than to the council, reports are available to the press, that of the issue." these reports are issued for public con- AND TWO, THAT the council hold a sumption (which is not their primaryAxdahl said the immediate impact of public dialogue with the press on the third purpose); from the Chairman of the many articles did leave that impression Thursday or second regular council Metro Council,who in a letter twice refers with him. meeting of the month to discuss any to a staff report as a press release (which problems concerning news coverage or they are not). Though Axdahl voted against rescin use of staff reports. �Crlt `��l The council has also set Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m. as the time to continue further discussion on the press policy and further refine its position. The meeting is open to the public. Broede requested that the ruling on the press policy be scheduled for the meeting and in his Nov. 30 East area column lashed out at the council for its decision. Broede called the ruling a means of "stiffling the flow of public information," and added,"in my opinion it amounts to a public - be - damned withholding of pertinent reports." But Wiegert, who Broede severely criticized, had a barrage of ammunition to fire back in a seven page critique and charged Broede had been misleading the public. "It was not a public - be - damned at- titude that discontinued furnishing him these reports - rather a concern that the public is being misled that resulted in a reversal of policy," Wiegert stated. : "Since these letters and comments were addressed to the council, not to a staff member, it is obvious that the council is being held responsible or ac- countable for them,"Wiegert said. "I feel somewhat like Mayor Cohen of St. Paul when stating his press policy: if he's going to be held responsible for them then he is going to issue the statement, not the department head." Later Wiegert several times accused Broede of"misleading the public" in his news reporting. But Broede said Wiegert's charges were "lies". "I admit that I make mistakes, but I estimate that over a year I write about 300 or 400 stories on Maplewood," Broede said."What percentages of my stories are you complaining about? Five, ten, one hundred,two hundred stories in a year?" Broede also told the council that several other communities issue staff reports and other materials for backgrounding purposes including North St. Paul - Maplewood school district 622, Stillwater, North St. Paul and White Bear Lake. His comment was in response to Wiegert who stated, "I am not aware that there is any other community or agency who regularly issues staff reports to the press: Ramsey County, St. Paul, North St. Paul, White Bear Lake, Roseville, Oakdale,School district 622 or 623,or even Forest Lake school district." (Broede is a member of the Forest Lake school board.) In bringing his case before the council, Broede said a constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press was at stake. At recent planning commission meeting Broede stated that he had trouble following a discussion concerning rezoning of land for proposed 3M ex- pansion. He also charged that staff personnel had refused to give him information or "answer what I considered legitimate questions" on material in staff reports because of the council's Nov. 16 press policy ruling. Broede stated it was his desire to "cover issues as they develop". Discussion at a council meeting would not 0 rescinds reports ding the council ban on release of staff reports to the press, he did dissent on the amendment to hold a monthly dialogue session at the end of the second regular council meeting on grounds that it would be censoring the press. In the final analysis it appeared councilman Greavu provided the swing vote which resulted in a rescinding of the council's ruling. Councilman Haugan had dissented in the council's original action to ban the reports from the press, taken nearly a month ago. And new councilman Olm- stead went on record in last week's Review favoring some workable solution. Greavu at one point in the meeting thought the press should not have access to the reports until the items came before the council at a regular meeting. However,he later agreed to rescind the ruling provided that the press would not have access to staff reports any sooner than council.