O’Konski resigns seat on council

Published 9:17 pm Wednesday, May 30, 2007

By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Donna O'Konski Tuesday night resigned as First Ward Dowagiac City Council member effective June 8.
"Due to changes with my employment, the addition of a grandchild this past year and the sale of my home," she wrote in a May 22 letter, "I regret that I must resign my position … It has been an honor and privilege serving on the City Council and working with the wonderful team of people that devote their lives to insure Dowagiac is a great place to work and live."
O'Konski was appointed to the council in October 2004 to succeed six-year member Jack Alexander.
In November 2005, she won election to the seat over Bob Mortimore and write-in candidate Ron Leatz.
Having accepted her resignation, the council has 30 days to appoint a resident to serve until the next general election in November, at which time the electorate will select a resident to serve the remaining two years of her term.
At least one Main Street resident indicated an interest in the appointment.
Leatz appeared before the council to renew his complaints of March 12 and July 2006 about boulevard speeding and truck traffic.
"I wish (Mayor Don Lyons) was here tonight," Leatz said. "Mayor Lyons told me that himself, the new city manager and I were going to get together and see if we couldn't solve some problems. Ninety days is a little long. I'm not blaming the new city manager at all. Lyons never followed through.
"The traffic is going to be even more unbelievable after they pave Main Street because they can go a lot faster without chuckholes. If we have to do (City Manager Dale Martin, who started March 26) and myself, fine. He can report to Don and Don can report to you guys. We've got problems on Main Street and nobody seems to want to solve them. A year ago I went to (Police Chief Tom Atkinson) and he told me his hands were tied. That's fine, I don't expect a police car to be there 24/7, but we don't ever get a police car. Even though Ameriwood's leaving, they're still going to keep the distribution, which means trucks. Harding's and Judd Lumber also get trucks every day."
Leatz indicated a desire to post a lower speed limit.
He said there are no specific speed limit signs "at all on Main Street," so trucks turn by Indiana Avenue and continue driving 35 mph.
Leatz commended Dollar General.
"They're intelligent. (Its trucks) take M-51 to Depot Drive," skirting the residential neighborhood altogether.
Another Main Street resident, Dave Ausra of 304 Main, inquired about the outcome of a meeting after the May 14 council meeting at which Angie Makay and other E. Prairie Ronde Street residents complained about neighborhood issues.
"Was there any movement going forward?" Ausra asked. "What can we do because we've got some serious issues in our neighborhood as well. My wife just moved here from Granger, Ind. We were married in October. It's kind of a little culture shock and she's wondering what I've gotten her into. I want to prove to her that this is a worthy community to live and grow in. It's been my home since 1972 and we're concerned. I'd like to be engaged and involved in any way possible to help remediate the problem and not just complain."
"We appreciate that," said Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Comstock, who conducted the meeting in the absence of Mayor Donald Lyons. "We tried to approve a rental ordinance and that didn't fly very well, so we are trying to address other issues."
Martin confirmed the second meeting is yet to take place.
"I've been working with the residents to coordinate a time when both myself and the city attorney can meet with that group and learn if we can make better use of ordinances we're not making use of that we can more aggressively pursue. The young lady who was appointed their impromptu chairperson works for the hospital and was very active in the move to the new health center. We've been exchanging e-mails and I'm waiting for her to get back to me with a list of appropriate evenings."
Why can't residents
clean up after pets?
Bob Mortimore asked the council about keeping dogs off Front Street downtown. "Why can't that be stopped?"
Comstock said, "They have to be on a leash. Would you rather have the officers busting people for drugs and violent crimes or would you rather have them sweep the streets and pick up dog residue? People are responsible to clean up after" their pets.
"But they don't," Mortimore stated.
"I understand that," Comstock said. "If you know of somebody who does that, you could turn them in to law enforcement."
"I've done that before," Mortimore said.
Martin said, "Sometimes the best thing that can happen is you see someone's dog making a mess, approach them in a friendly manner and say, 'You know, you're supposed to clean that up.' We need more residents to do that, and that's about the only way we're going to stop it."
"They say, 'Kiss this,' " Mortimore replied.
Howard Hall suggested using the surveillance cameras to catch culprits.
Mortimore added, "We owe the people who do the maintenance work at Riverside Cemetery a big thanks. They did a wonderful job up there this year."
Hall demands city
explain file on him
Hall resurrected a March issue. While doing a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request from the City of Dowagiac, he found information in a file at City Hall that he believes violates the rights of children and their parents.
Inside a file, located in the Dowagiac city manager's Office, labeled "Candy Corner/Howard Hall," was a list of names, addresses, phone numbers, emergency contact numbers, birthdays and parents' names of almost 40 Dowagiac students.
"The schools say it's the Dowagiac Police Department's fault. I check with police, they say it's the Dowagiac schools' fault," he said. "I believe this city owes not only me, but the 40 other people whose names and information were on these records an explanation as to why (former city manager Bill Nelson) was monitoring my children."
Quoting from a letter from the school district's attorney, Hall said the idea that police annually obtain the records "is not true. They got them last year. They didn't get them this year and the two years previous to that the Police Department didn't have them, either. The only proof I had that they got it last year was a handwritten note Officer (Susan) Worley wrote to the school asking for this information.
"I believe you should investigate and find out why he was doing this," Hall said, "and keep in his office in a file with my name on it. Yeah, it's public information, but you have to request it in writing, which he didn't do.
"Also, when you register your child for school, you have the opportunity to check a box that you do not want that information released. Ten people on this list checked to not have this information released, so Mr. Nelson was in possession of information … against the law no matter how he got it, whether it came from the Police Department or the school."
"The questions that you pose cannot be answered tonight," Martin responded. "You want to know why Mr. Nelson had the file and why the city did not conduct an investigation. The second or third day I was in my office, you came in and indicated to me that the file issue was a completely dead issue."
"Next council meeting can I expect answers?" Hall pressed.
"What kind of answer are you looking for?" asked First Ward Councilman Darron Murray. "Your answer might be that the city is not interested in looking into it."
"You should be," Hall said, "but the reason you're not interested is you don't want to implicate one of yourselves. These were in the city manager's desk in a file with my name on it."
"We will get back to you," Comstock said, cutting Hall off. "We're going to move on."