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updatedthe gannett/town talk has an update to their story involving todays scheduled ethics board hearing on alexandria, la. city councilman myron lawson and attorney bridgett brown.
excerpt:Last fall, Lawson and Brown were charged with violations. Lawson was is accused of receiving rental payments from Brown for space in his office building during a time she held business relation with the city government and of voting to retain her legal services when it was prohibitive.
michael t. johnson together with partner s. aaron siebeneicher are the principals behind the pineville, la. lawfirm of johnson & siebeneicher.
Brown is charged with leasing office space from Lawson during a time when she entered into a contractual relation with the city in two separate occasions. The case was originally set for a hearing in January, but has been postponed several times.
On Thursday, English argued Michael T. Johnson, an ethics board member, who is from Pineville, violated ethics rules when he voted to recommend an investigation of Brown during the initial hearing, but later recused himself citing a conflict of interest.
Attorney Michael Dupree, who represents the board, said it was the first time he heard of Johnson’s alleged violation. Dupree and board members, including Chairman Henry C. Perret, Jr., said they recall Johnson properly recusing himself at every step of the way.
Board member Dolores Spikes also said she remembers Johnson has always recused himself on matters related to the city of Alexandria.
English introduced an official document, he said, evidences Johnson’s vote at the initial hearing. “We believe that this whole hearing in light of that vote is illegal and inappropriate,” ~ read more
"as i stand here so far they've not been able to show me anywhere in the charter, in state law, anywhere else where there is any such prohibition" ~ jock scott attorney for alexandria city councilmen
reverend david blunt (sp) "makes a plea" to the alexandria city council and sternly rebukes the city council telling of a premonition he had -- in which a new leader of a city was being pulled down by a board or a council "they were pulling him down." thus warning the city council the fate of those who do not follow but instead reject leadership.
myron lawson (l) and louis marshall
"no need for a special counsel because of the organization and structure of the charter"
OVERRIDDEN
local attorney greg upton addresses the alexandria city council [link to video time 5m50s] and says that he represents the "consensus opinion of a group of about thirty-five or forty individuals that have been meeting for approximately the last six weeks."
reverend david blunt "makes a plea" to the alexandria city council [link to video time 9m25s] and sternly rebukes the city council telling of a premonition he had in which a new leader of a city was being pulled down by a board or a council "they were pulling him down." thus warning the city council the fate of those who do not follow and reject leadership“I suspect there to be litigation of some form, I don’t know at this time who the filing party or necessarily who the opposing party would be,” City Attorney Charles “Chuck” Johnson said in a phone interview.
There is a variety of ways the case could go on. A “declaratory judgment,” for instance, he explained, could be the next step if is filed by the mayor or a member of the public.
click here to read more
The Alexandria City Council members revived a controversial ordinance to allow the council to hire its own attorneys, but the ordinance has been stalled by a court order issued today.
Mayor Jacques Roy filed a lawsuit as soon as the ordinance was readopted by the council by overriding the mayor's veto, prompting the 9th Judicial District Court to issue a temporary restraining order.
That means “it is enjoined from being in effect until further hearing and decision of the court,” Roy said in a phone interview after the meeting.
During today's council meeting, Councilmen Roosevelt Johnson, Myron Lawson, Louis Marshall, Everett Hobbs and Charles F. Smith Jr. voted to bring back the ordinance in an ongoing dispute some believe is hurting the city’s image.
The council overrode the mayor's veto of an ordinance authorizing the council to hire its own legal counsel.
Councilmen Harry Silver and Charles L. "Chuck" Fowler voted against overriding the veto.
Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy reacted swiftly Tuesday to a decision by five City Council members to override his veto of an ordinance allowing the council to hire its own attorneys by immediately suing to block its implementation.
Roy said he filed the suit as soon as the ordinance, which he had vetoed about a week ago, was readopted during Tuesday's council meeting.
The suit prompted the 9th Judicial District Court to issue a temporary retraining order, meaning the ordinance "is enjoined from being in effect until further hearing and decision of the court," Roy said after the meeting.
The ordinance, which seeks to allow the council to contract its own legal team independent of the city's legal department, has been the focus of disagreement about whether the hiring of such attorneys violates the City Charter.
click here to read more.
SHREVEPORT — After a prolonged eight-month process, a divided Southern University Board of Supervisors opted Friday to stand pat with local firm DeCuir, Clark and Adams as its legal representation.
With nine votes versus four, Winston DeCuir Sr.’s firm, which has represented Southern since 1991, beat out Southern University System Foundation board member Brace Godfrey of the Baton Rouge firm of Godfrey and Schneider.
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Southern board Chairman Myron Lawson of Alexandria, who voted for Godfrey, laughed when asked about deciding to stick with DeCuir after such a long lawyer search. But Lawson said he is still pleased. ~ click here to download two page .pdf
alexandria, la. city councilman myron lawson"authorizing the city counsel to enter into a professional services contract with john w. scott and a professional services contract with toni martin to provide legal services to the counsel and services to the city of alexandria related to the alexandria home rule charter; the louisiana open meetings law; the legal affairs of the city of alexandria and to matters before the city counsel. to litigation and/or investigations related to or involving the city of alexandria. to the cleco lawsuit and its settlement and other matters including compliance with local, state and federal law, courts and fact finding gatherings on legal matters pertinent to the city counsel, its responsibilities and deliberations and general legal services."seconded by councilman charles frederick smith.
gannett/the town talk's karina donica reports:
excerpt:The decision to continue the hearings until at least August was made after board members heard from attorneys representing Lawson and Brown.
According to the Ethics Board, the charges concern allegations that: Lawson leased office space to Brown while she had a contractual relationship with Lawson's agency and the Alexandria City Council; and that Lawson participated on the vote of a City Council resolution in which Brown had an economic interest. ~ read more
looks like alexandria, la city councilman myron lawson has joined the myspace generation....who's tom?
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alexandria, la. city council public works / zoning committee
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city council meeting video clip
====**updated** at tonights city council meeting councilman fowler's resolution was brought up and city council president everett hobbs offered a substitute motion "that all council meetings starting today and in the future be aired on the access channel for a minimum of two weeks time at the following council meeting." seconded by councilman myron lawson.
councilman fowler asked "here in other words you're going to amend it not to show the june 12th meeting?" councilman hobbs replied that he was amending it to start today and councilman fowler cut in: "nah, i'am asking you if you're amending it specifically not show the june 12th meeting?" councilman hobbs replied "i'am amending it to start today and into the future."
a voice vote was then taken and councilman fowler asked for a roll call vote the yeas were myron lawson, everett hobbs, louis marshall and roosevelt johnson. voting no were harry silver and chuck fowler.
and there ya have it alexandria. if this doesnt prove to you that you have a majority of criminals running your city nothing will. the only question is what are you going to do about it?========
slide bar over to time 17 minutes 27 seconds for councilman fowlers resolution
city of alexandria, la. public works / zoning committee meeting 03 july 2007
at today's public works / zoning committee meeting councilman chuck fowler introduced a resolution: "declaring the special council meeting shall be broadcast for a period of two weeks on the government access channel immediately following the broadcast of regular council meetings in the future and to rebroadcast or broadcast the previous special meetings."
councilman harry silver seconded the motion and called for discussion. the resolution was met with strong resistance from the usual suspects.
in the meantime, the resolution is supposed to be brought up in tonights city council meeting. attend the city council meeting or watch channel four for more...====
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length 16:53James Bernazzani, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Louisiana, added: “The FBI has been clear that any individual, whether they be federal, state or local, whether they be elected, appointed or hired, who misuses their position for profit, will be vigorously investigated and brought to justice. The FBI, with our law enforcement partners, namely the IRS in this investigation, are fundamentally committed to work day and night to ensure that the people of Louisiana get the honest and faithful service of their officials.”
kalb: mayor roy vetoes city council's plan**updated see video: calling out the alexandria city council part 2
far right: charles johnson, middle: mayor jacques roy, left: coo kay michiels
ninth judicial district court judge harry randow issues preliminary injunction to prohibit the alexandria city council from hiring its own attorneys....city council's motion for a summary judgment denied.
Veto Expected"this is not just a political dispute between the mayor's office and the city council, this is a fundamental disagreement about the way our system of government is structured and the way that authority is allocated between the executive and the legislative branches...this cant legally be done because there is no mechanism in our city charter which allows this process. the legal division is run by the city attorney. all of the lawyers who work for the city are supervised directly by me...it's contrary to our home rule charter, it's contrary to the case law in this area, it's an unprecedented attempt to usurp the authority of the executive and we will never sit by idly and allow this to happen"click the link to watch video or go to www.klax-tv.com and navigate to the interview.
- alexandria, la. city attorney charles "chuck" johnson.
the alexandria, louisiana city council's questionable ordinance was first reported from the blogosphere tuesday night from central la politics here and from wst... here.
today, the town talk catches up with cenla's blogosphere (see link) and publishes a story: "legality of city council's bid to hire lawyers is questioned."
the town talk was kind enough to acquire and post a .pdf copy of the ordinance:
hiring the lawyers would be legal, citing Roy v. Humphries, a 1984 case in which the Louisiana 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal stated that the Alexandria City Council could have its own attorney in an "extreme public emergency."according to roy v. humphries:
The public emergency in that case came at a time when Mayor Jacques Roy's father, Chris Roy Sr., was city attorney and then-Mayor John Snyder sued the City Council over a disagreement concerning a contract obligation to buy electricity from the Louisiana Energy and Power Authority.
January 7, 1983, the City Council declared an "extreme public emergency" existed in the City of Alexandria and retained Mr. Humphries to represent the Council. Ordinance No. 3-1983)no such declaration of "extreme public emergency" exits in the city of alexandria today. unless, of course you're one of the bridgett brown 5 city councilmen, who are currently being being investigated by the louisiana attorney general -- then we guess being investigated would be an emergency - to you only.
21. Motion to approve payment of legal expense for Herbert Dixon on ethics defense based on favorable decision of the First Circuit Court of Appeals, Docket No. 2006-CA-0950 – Dr. Stephen Chapman Pages 15-23 Click to view backupone would think that the city council would have already been advised of all this procedure because school board member herbert dixon's attorney was --- john w. "jock" scott one of the very attorney's that the city wants to appoint at taxpayer expense to represent them.
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24. Motion for the Rapides Parish School Board have our legal counsel pursue having the State Legislature reimburse the Rapides Parish School Board for these legal expenses that were incurred in exonerating Mr. Herbert Dixon for the debits - Dr. Stephen Chapman
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at 6:40 pm cdt ninth judicial district court judge harry randow signs a temporary restraining order stopping what mayor roy and others have convinced the judge to be the illegal behavior on the part of the alexandria, louisiana city council. earlier in the evening at 5:23 pm [video] the alexandria city council voted 5 - 2 to override the mayor roy's veto of ordinance 231.click --->here<--- for .jpg version====
kalb-tv's joel massey explains
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tonight on the six p.m. news kalb must have used two town talk stories for news. the first one was a story the town talk posted to their website at 12:34 pm cst captioned: "ethics hearing for lawson and brown postponed until march." [screen grab] kalb anchor dale hoffman, begin the bit by stating "published reports." we weren't able to record the "published" part but if you play with the video timer bar you can hear when mr. hoffman said "...reports."
although, whoever wrote the script for that bit was very clever in writing "reports" in the plural, the town talk story and a central la politics blog post "lawson & brown ethics hearing continued!" time-stamped 11:54 am cst are the only "published reports" to be found. furthermore, a search of the state ethics board website returns only the letters to councilman myron lawson and bridgett brown both dated 23 october 2007.
next is a wikipedia story. kalb must have culled this story from the town talk website as well. this morning the town talk has a story by mandy m. goodnight captioned "false information about pineville, bolton getting new principals spread online." [screen grab]
what kalb doesnt tell you is that if you go to the wikipedia entry for kalb-tv and click on the "revision history of kalb-tv" tab and then scroll down you will find that on for instance 10 and 19 april 2007 an ip# 12.5.1.207 resolves to a computer registered to ...media general. this would appear to be a violation by media general/kalb of, including but not limited to, wikipedia's neutral point of view policy.
the point of all this is that any reasonable minded person may easily conclude that media general/kalb uses gannett/the town talk original stories for news purposes -- when they want to -- yet how can media general/kalb explain their totally ignoring the 11 december 2007 gannett/the town talk story "traffic study for hospital plan 'comprehensive,' but not 'scientific.' [.rtf] about how the alexandria mayor and his chief of staff, kay michiels, misrepresented a "study" to the alexandria city council and citizenry?
that story was and remains a story of paramount importance to your average alexandrian. the only conclusion one can reach is that media general/kalb choose to blackout reporting on that because it would be detrimental to their corporate pal and major advertiser -- st. francis cabrini hospital.
