HEARTWELL SHUTS DOWN DEBATE ON SECRET AGREEMENTS; TORMALA CALLS MAYOR A COWARD

At this morning's meeting of the Grand Rapids City Commission, Mayor George Heartwell -- as promised yesterday -- responded to Commissioner Rick Tormala's criticism of his secret role in the now-bust "Mystery Development".  Waiting until the end of the session Heartwell made a statement.

Specifically at issue for Tormala was the fact that about a year ago Heartwell and two other city officials signed confidentiality agreements which obligated them to private interests to keep their plans for purchasing city-owned and other property at the southwest corner of downtown Grand Rapids secret from the City Commission and the public.  Apparently the public didn't include local bigwig Peter Secchia who advised Heartwell on how to handle this affair, including resisting attempts by the media to obtain public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.  Therefore, Heartwell used his public office to give certain people special access to information about the "Mystery Development" that was denied to the public.  Moreover, Tormala was concerned that the confidentiality agreements are now missing, and so there is no public record of exactly how Heartwell and the other city officials secretly committed themselves to private interests seeking to buy city-owned property.  To prevent this problem in the future, Tormala wanted the City Commission to pass a measure requiring review and record-keeping of such agreements by the City Attorney to safeguard the public interest.

Heartwell responded this morning by defending the confidentiality agreements.  He claimed it was necessary for him and the other officials to sign them as a matter of public interest.  He asserted that if the agreements hadn't been signed, the "Mystery Development" may not have come to pass (well, it didn't anyway) or may have significantly increased the project's costs (because the out-of-towners might have had to pay the locals more for their property?).  Heartwell didn't explain why these problems for the project's backers were necessarily problems for the public.  Nor did he explain why no one should be concerned that the confidentiality agreements are now missing.  He did add that if the City Commission wanted to bring forth information about the city's role in the "Mystery Development", it could do so, but as far as he was concerned the matter was closed.  Heartwell then attempted to adjourned the City Commission meeting.

At that point Tormala spoke up and told Heartwell that he hadn't given him an opportunity to rebut his defense of the confidentiality agreements.  Heartwell refused to let Tormala speak, stating that the meeting was adjourned.  Tormala retorted, "That's a cowardly thing to do."  Bowing his head and gathering his papers, Heartwell walked out of the meeting.  Tormala promised to raised this matter again.

Comments

[Reed]

WOOD TV had a story regarding correspondence between Heartwell and Sechia. They showed brief snippets of an email exchange but did not divulge the full message. Any chance you have been able to see this message and if so, anything of import? It seems to me that if Heartwell signed a confidentiality statement that he violated it by talking to Sechia.

[Phyllis Jennings]

Based on the latest news reports, it is very clear that Mayor George Heartwell and other top city officials violated the "confidentiality agreements" that they all signed (without any supposed input or review from the City Attorney's office).

In addition, Mayor Heartwell, an elected official, has also clearly violated his repeated promises of "transparent government". City Commissioners who go along with this nonsense are also clearly violating the public trust and should step down from public office now.

It is crystal clear that with the numerous violations of public trust that have occurred in this matter, the citizens of Grand Rapids deserve nothing less than a full-scale, independent investigation of everyone involved in this less than transparent deal.

[The Editor - Bridget]

Dear L.A.W. Readers...

It appears that last night, The Mayor and the committee met again last night and discussed in further detail the issue of the confidentiality agreement.

Commissioner Tormala was able to speak his thoughts and get across his point that was striken down in the early mornings meeting of the whole by The Mayor himself who did not want to devote morning air time for the issue to be addressed fully. Based upon the details that came out from this evening discussion, Commissioner Tormala has advised L.A.W. that progress was made.

It appears the Commission and City Attorney agreed with the facts and details presented by Commissioner Tormala and they have agreed with his findings so far. All parties have agreed to set up some new rules. Mayor Heartwell appointed Commissioners Tormala and Jendrasiak to chair a new group specific for dealing with future confidentiality terms and policy.

We congratulated Commissioner Tormala for standing up on this issue that affects not only the city commission, the city attorneys and interested local businesses but, also city residents as well.

A transparent government can only exist with attention and efforts of all. This is a good step toward future developments and to make sure they are handled properly.

And maybe next time, a development will actually happen instead of being simply a mystery that was easily solved had the evidence been reviewed from the start.

Regards,

Bridget Dupont-Tingley
The Editor

[Lounge Daddy]

"confidentiality agreements... necessary for him and the other officials to sign them as a matter of public interest."

ya - that doesn't make a damn bit of sense

[The Editor - Bridget]

Dear L.A.W. Readers...

Correction.

I said above that Tormala and Jendrasiak were appointed to the committee to address future confidentiality agreement rules.

I should have said Tormala and Schmidt.

I apologize for the mistake.

[Tommy Times]

Do you have anything about Secchia going over the dark side and joining a group to push for a Grand Rapids casino? It appears that a casino was part of the plans of at least one developer's (Moch, I think) plans for the property. (Not to mention that Faust's lawyer worked for the same firm for which casino lobbyist Jack Abramoff once worked.)