HOW WILL THE TAXPAYERS OF LITTLE FALLS BE REIMBURSED THIS MONEY THAT WAS MISUSED???

The following information is from the minutes of the Sister City Committee that I think are problematic and VERY SUSPICIOUS OF BENDING THE LAW IF NOT VIOLATING THE LAW.


IMPORTANT TO NOTE AS YOU READ THE FOLLOWING THAT BY MAKING THIS ISSUE (and a variety of other important public concerns) PUBLIC, by presenting MY CITIZEN APPEALS, PETITIONS, PUBLIC FORUM COMMENTS, AND AGENDA ITEMS OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS, IS WHAT LED UP TO MY ILLEGAL ARREST ON June 7, 2013 for exercising my RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS.

What is really astounding to me is that ANY CITY ATTORNEY and city administrator would have been so inept to have allowed this committee to be set up this way.  Inquiring minds might want to research who was the city attorney and who was the city administrator when this committee/law was enacted.  It would have been 1989 and possibly Rich Carlson city administrator and Peter Vogel city attorney. 



THEY REALLY DON'T LIKE ME BLOWING THE WHISTLE ON THEM. That is precisely why it is so important for me to do so.

From the SISTER CITY minutes.....

January 30, 2001    WINE TASTING EVENT...We agreed that future profits from the Wine Tasting event be placed directly on account with Tom Peterson at Falls Ballroom so they will be there when we need them.  This procedure will avoid the city's usage law. (present at this meeting Denis Dolan, Rhonda Schmidt, Sue Benson, Richard Carlson(former city administrator) There was no quorum.

March 5, 2001...DEPOSITS...Because city funds cannot be used to purchase liquor, we need to FIND SOME PLACE TO DEPOSIT OUR PROFITS FROM FUNDRAISERS.  Tom Peterson from the Ballroom has agreed to HELP US IN THIS MATTER.  We will ask PETER VOGEL(former city attorney) to attend our next meeting to STUDY THIS MORE. (present at this meeting Denis Dolan, Janelle Peters, Joanie Bellig, Richard Carlson)

June 7, 2001....Old Business....Discussion of location of SEPERATE FUNDS: Dennis will talk to Peter Ginder Vogel and get his advice.  Apparently if we do not sell liquor we should not be LIABLE. (Present: Denis, Sue, Joanie, Rhonda, Dale, Rich)



I have to tell you this does not sit well with me....I smell rats in the woodpile. This is APPEARS TO BE a prime example of a LAWLESS COMMITTEE, CITY ADMINISTRATOR AND CITY ATTORNEY.  This city has believed they could get by with all this poofy party favoritism and violating their own ordinances and nobody would ever tell on them. 

In a letter dated Wed. Dec. 4, 2013 Toni Wetzel(City of Little Falls attorney) writes to Irene Kao(League of Minnesota Cities attorney,

"Hi Irene, I have a meeting with our sister city group tomorrow and they had a few questions that I wanted to run by you.  Even though our sister city is a city committee, they had an account at the bank held under one of the director's social security numbers.  they put the money that the city allocated to the committee in it and then also put their fundraising funds into it (they have been told that they can no longer fundraise).  They are considering forming a non-city related group on their own so that they can fundraise.  But, they want to know what to do with the funds that are currently sitting in that account.   Can they keep it and use it for the new entity or does all or part need to go back to the city?  If you can let me know your thoughts, I would appreciate it."

From a letter dated December 4, 2013 addressed to Toni Wetzel from Irene Kao(League of Minnesota Cities attorney) ....



"Toni,  Sounds like you have a lot going on here. Here are my thoughts.  I have concerns that there is a bank account that (appears to be) not with the city, but with a private individual.  The funds that the city has allocated to the Sister City committee and the fundraising funds(which presumably were given because it was thought to go to the city, even if for the Sister City program) need to be in a city account.  THE MONEY IS CITY MONEY, AND IT BEING IN A PRIVATE ACCOUNT COULD LEAD TO POTENTIAL MISUSE OF CITY FUNDS.


Regarding the sister city committee wanting to form a non-city related group(which I assume would be a non-profit), I want to be clear that it would not be the city creating the group, but private individuals doing so.  With that being the case, this group could be created to fundraise and donate money to the city for the sister city program(similar to the Chamber of Commerce that might donate to a sister city program).  However, the reverse is not true.  City funds couldn't be given/donated to the group, unless there is a public purpose.  Based on the  Attorney General previous opinions, this does not appear to be a VALID PUBLIC PURPOSE.   Based on The Attorney General previous opinions, this does not appear to be a valid public purpose.  The Attorney
General had found that donations to the Boy Scouts and the Red Cross are improper public expenditures.  For more on this, see the League's Public Purpose Expenditure Memo, specifically on page 7 (click on the blue ink.)  Therefore, the money would need to stay with the city if a separate "group"/nonprofit were created."

In a letter written to Dan Vogt(Little Falls City Administrator) from Toni Wetzel(City Attorney) dated January 9, 2014.....

"They don't seem to be able to answer anything specifically on point.  It is all "it is likely" or "it appears" etc.....That is exactly why I would prefer it if the city had minimal if NO INVOLVEMENT IN THIS ANYMORE. Since we can't get firm answers, it is hard to know that what we are doing is right, wrong or somewhere in between.  Most cities link their sister city to economic development....I just don't see how we could really prove that there is an economic benefit or even potential economic benefit that over rides the cost.  We could say cultural enrichment for the community, but the community's involvement appears to be SEVERELY LIMITED TO A VERY SMALL GROUP(when the community has been invited, nobody showed up except the ones already involved).  Other cities run exchange students back and forth ....but we have never done that either.  I think if it really comes down to it, we will have a DIFFICULT TIME SHOWING HOW THIS PROGRAM ACTUALLY PROVIDES A PUBLIC BENEFIT TO THE CITIZENS OF LITTLE FALLS AS A WHOLE."

In a letter dated April 6, 2014 from Dan Vogt to Department Head and Committee Chairs....titled FUNDRAISING/SOLICITING DONATIONS.....

"In October-November of 2013 discussion was held with the League of Minnesota Cities(League) and the City Attorney regarding the ability of the City or City Committees to fundraise and/or solicit donations.  The City has been advised by the League and the City Attorney that there is no provision in State Statute that allows fundraising by Local units of government including the City itself or City committees.  This does not prevent individuals or businesses from making donations to the City, it just prevents EMPLOYEES OR CITY COMMITTEE MEMBERS FROM ACTIVELY SOLICITING DONATIONS/ OR HOLDING FUNDRAISING EVENTS. 
Committees or groups of individuals can form on their own if they choose, and hold fundraising events or solicit donations, however they cannot infer the City is involved in the event in ANYWAY.  The city would not provide legal or tax advice in this situation."





City of Little Falls Policy number 15 Use of Arts and Craft License Fee, (Sister City Committee/Parking Lot Fund) 

Background....The City of Little Falls has established a license fee for the Arts and Crafts Fair.  The purpose of this fee is to offset cost to the City and it's residents for the inconvenience many experience during the Arts and Crafts Fair.  Based on this premise, the City Council hereby designates moneys from the revenues of the Arts and Crafts License Merchant and Food/Beverage Licenses for the benefit of the downtown community and our Sister City relationship with Le Bourget, France. 

Policy Statement.... 1. $3,000.00 of Arts and Crafts License fees, collected annually, shall be deposited in the Sister City Committee Fund.  These funds are to be used for visits of residents from Le Bourget, France to Little Falls, Minnesota.  Funds in this account cannot be used to fund exchanges of Little Falls residents to Le Bourget.

2. The balance of all Arts and Crafts License fees, not designated for the Sister City Committee's Fund, shall be placed in the Parking Lot Fund. 






ORDINANCE NO. 61 SIXTH SERIES (in part)  REVISIONS BEING MADE FOR COUNCIL TO ACCEPT ON SEPT. 2, 2014 COUNCIL AGENDA.

The City of Little Falls Ordains:

Section 1. Little Falls City Code, Chapter 2, entitled "Administration and General Government"; Section 2.30, entitled "Sister City Committee", is hereby deleted in it's entirety. 

Section 2. Little Falls City Code Chapter 1, entitled "General Provisions and definitions applicable to the Entire City Code, Including Penalty for Violation", and Little Falls City Code Chapter 1, Section 1.99 entitled "Penalties for Violations", and little Falls City Code, Chapter 2, Section 2.99, entitled "Violation a Misdemeanor"; are hereby adopted in their entirely by the reference as though repeated vertatim herein. 

Section 3. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect seven[7] days after its passage and with it publication. 


So the question I will pose during the public forum comment time on Sept. 2, 2014 in part will be HOW WILL THE TAXPAYERS OF LITTLE FALLS BE PAID BACK FOR THIS MISUSE OF PUBLIC FUNDS?     AND WHAT PENALTIES WILL BE PAID AND BY WHOM?    It would appear as though the city is pulling what seems to be a "fast one" again....in other words....changing the LAW TO SUIT THEIR OWN PURPOSE OR AVOID ANY PUBLIC EMBARRASSMENT OR PENALTIES FOR VIOLATING THEIR OWN ORDINANCE. 

Doesn't it to you?