Well guess what happened at the city council meeting of January 22, 2024? Four members of the council and our not so illustrious mayor voted to waste city (taxpayer's) money on what, IMHO are unnecessary junkets.
OK, here's what they did. First they voted to rejoin the National League of Cities. The current membership fee for a city of our size is $5,999. Now that gives us the opportunity to send a delegation to two of their meetings. One is held in March and is always in Washington, DC. The other meeting is rotated around the country in November. The November 2024 meeting will be in Tampa Bay.
When Mickey "The Mouse" Sandifer was a council member he went to all of the meetings. He also spent more time there than anybody else, and as such his expenses for attendance at these taxpayer paid vacations were usually the highest.
Here's a question that someone might want to dig into. If these meetings (and I'll concentrate right now on the one in DC) are so beneficial how come they've been cut back from four days to two days? On many occasions "The Mouse" would go out the night before and come back the day after. Other folks from Shawnee did not stay as long.
For the record, besides voting to break the 4-4 tie on rejoining this organization, "The Mouse" had the backing of the following council members: Ward 1 - Sierra Whitted, Ward 2 - Jeanie Murphy, Ward 3 - Kurt Knappen & Ward 4 - Laurel Burchfield.
Sidebar #1: While the discussion was going on Knappen made a comment to the extent that he did not feel "book reports" were necessary. Don't think that came up in the meeting. But it did come up in a phone discussion he and I had. I explained to him that at one time a suggestion had been made by a council member that those who attended these conferences should file reports as to what transpired. The purpose of the reports was supposed to be for the benefit of those who did not attend. Think I might push for that.
Sidebar #2: Unless I missed it, I can't figure out why the city attorney did not politely correct "The Mouse" on a procedural error. The council was supposed to go into an executive session and "The Mouse" kept saying they were going to "reconvene to an executive session". Heck, you recess to an executive session and then reconvene to the council meeting. I bring this up for two reasons. First, "The Mouse" touts his 16 years previously on the council and his "knowledge" of government. And second, because it is in the agenda.
Recommendation: Recess to Executive Session for the purpose of discussion of a personnel matter involving a non-elected official in accordance with K.S.A. 75-4319(b)(1), for the purpose of protecting the confidentiality of those communications and protecting the privacy interests of such personnel. At the conclusion of the Executive Session, the meeting will reconvene in the Council Chambers.
Recommendation: Conclude the Executive Session and Reconvene the meeting.
Kinda reminds me of what Leslie Winkle (played by Sara Gilbert) used to call Sheldon Cooper (played by Jim Parsons) on "The Big Bang Theory"........she used to call him.......'dumba$$' Heck, "The Mouse" can't even read the agenda..........does he suffer from BCD? Biden Cognitive Disorder.
