What is the agenda of the EDA? One can look at the minutes and wonder at what they see. With the election coming up it is prudent to look at what the public servants are doing and determine a how effective they are. For instance one can look at the EDA minutes for Nov 21, 2007 and find it peculiar at how the EDA board determined that Mayor Blair Johnson CPA was awarded the bid for bookkeeping for Fairway.

In the minutes of November 21, 2007 it shows that Phyllis Anderson put in a bid of $40 an hour. Blair Johnson put in a bid of $200 a month. Then the board determined that "IF" 8 to 12 hours are already spent up there with Kim then Phyllis would cost $160 to $200 a month. They then voted in Blair Johnson as the lowest bid at $200.

This is really puzzling. In the first place they used the word "if" which means it is hypothetical. That would be OK I guess but why didn't they use the "if" word with Blair Johnson? If they are adding Kim's 8 to 12 hours to Phyllis's bid then why didn't they add Kim's hours to Blair's bid? They would still be paying Kim no matter if Phyllis or Blair got the bid wouldn't they?

It is also puzzling how Phyllis's bid could come in as low as $160 or as high as Blair's bid of $200. Now it seems to me that $160 is LOWER than $200. So then wouldn't that potentially mean that Phyllis was the lower bid? Why did they decide that Blair Johnson was the lower bid when they both had a top price of $200 but Phyllis has the possibility of being lower at $160? Why did they add Kim's hours to Phyllis's bid but not to Blair's bid?

Only three members of the board voted for this. Voting yes was Artie Arndt, Garry Swenson, and John Cunningham. Two of the board members were absent and there is no mention of what Blair Johnson or Scott Maas did with their vote. One could assume that Blair abstained from voting but that still leaves the question as to what Scott did.

See top of page two in image below.

Maas did vote in favor of the resolution and in fact was the person who made the motion.

What I actually find most interesting on the page posted is that Pamida was looking at other locations as late as November, 2007. In other words, they were basically looking for other locations to build a new store in Ortonville right up to their announcement that the current store would close.

The EDA met on Jan 10, 2008. The only documentation I have seen to establish this is the Agenda for that date and the agenda for February 6, 2008 item 3 stated " Approve Minutes January 10, 2008 (to be provided)." I had asked Mr. Lang for a copy of those minutes in mid July of 09. Mr. Lang asked Vicki Oakes to get them and she told me she couldn't find them and would have to talk to Mr. Lang. After three months they still have not produced the minutes of the meeting of January 10, 2008. See Missing Eahtonka Minutes (7th post down) One could almost get the impression that they were tag teaming it. Each one tossing it back to the other one so I am left standing there without any minutes to see. Those two do appear to work well together.

In that meeting is the decision of forgiving the loan to Sonny's. I could find no other mention of Sonny's in the following meetings. The Account Status showed that Sonny's owed $6,044.55 in Dec-Feb and then lists a balance of $0.00 on 3/3/08.

There is something else that is of interest that happened on January 10th, 2008. The EDA Secretary up and quit that afternoon without any notice. I was told it was quite unexpected. She has refused to speak about it. A reasonable person would wonder if there is any connection between the resignation of the EDA secretary and the meeting to forgive Sonny's loan that took place at noon. Mr. David Lang was her boss for about one month. What does he know about her sudden resignation? Ms. Vicki Oakes replaced the EDA secretary. I wonder if Vicki Oakes knows the reason the secretary quit or what force was behind it, if any?

Looking again at the minutes above for 11/21/07 you will notice that according to the minutes right after Mr. Watson discussed Sonny Arndt's loan and explained that it would not be in the best interest of the EDA to forgive it then Mr. David Lang is made director of the EDA on a motion by Blair Johnson and a second by Artie Arndt. (Sonny Arndt is the father of Artie Anrdt) Interesting that Mr. Lang is brought in as director of the EDA around the same time that there was a move to forgive Sonny Arndts loan.

This would appear to be be the timeline of events including the city of Ortonville minutes:

Sonny Arndt requests that the EDA forgive his loan.

Nov. 21, 2007 David Lang is brought on as Director of the EDA on the motion by Blair Johnson and seconded by Artie Arndt.

Dec 3, 2007 The City of Ortonville meets and Artie Arndt makes the motion to appoint David Lang as EDA Director. At the same meeting Blair Johnson moves and Artie Arndt seconds the pay increase for David Lang to step #8. (David Lang has been given this pay increase after being on the job for 7 months. David Lang attended his first City Council meeting on May 7, 2007) There is also a new resolution (07-140) for the City Clerk-Administrator Employment Agreement. See 9g and 12h

Jan 10, 2008 the EDA has a meeting and forgives Sonny's loan. (The minutes are missing.)

The EDA secretary quits on the same day as the meeting to forgive Sonny's loan.

Vicki Oakes is hired as the EDA secretary. (Vicki's husband Dan Oakes was on the council and worked with Artie Arndt)

Hmmmm, looks like it was a lively place at the EDA for awhile in 07/08