In a special called meeting Wednesday evening, January 7, the Monticello City Council passed a resolution to reject the bids submitted for economic development services on November 21, 2014; to declare economic development services as professional services; to authorize the publication of requests for qualifications for economic development; and to extend the current “contract” with Monticello Economic Development Commission to February 28.

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The City Council held a special called meeting 6 pm, Wednesday, January 7, for a vote to authorize special legal council to pursue mediation with Siemens, Inc., in order to dissolve the City’s contract with the company and to recover from Siemens damages and the City’s $7 million dollar financial investment in the water rehabilitation project.
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Based on the recommendation of attorney Cliff Gibson, Mayor Joe Rogers has turned the $10,000,000 Siemens Water Improvement Project over to the Arkansas State Police and 10th Judicial Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Deen.
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In a special meeting of the City Council, called by 3 of its members, Monday night, the topic of the “economic development” bid (and how it was handled at last weeks meeting) was discussed in depth.

At one point alderman Cedric Leonars described the groups earlier decision as, “Eight blind people up here that don’t know what’s going on,” referring to the council handling of bid contracts presented by MEDC and Mays & Associates for the city’s economic development.

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Mr. Cliff Gibson, a local attorney hired by the City of Monticello to assist them in resolving problems with Siemens Industries Corporation, addressed the City Council at their meeting Thursday evening.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Gibson had submitted a 13 page report on his findings thus far in his investigation of Siemens and its arrangement with the City of Monticello to refurbish the City’s antiquated water system.

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Dear Mayor Rogers and Members of the City Council:

We write to provide you with a status report on the subject matter. We encourage you to re-review our earlier correspondence on this subject.

You will recall that we wrote Siemens in behalf of the City on November 6, 2014, relative to several failures of Siemens’ earlier response to address the legitimate concerns of the City of Monticello respecting the project, and in which we called them to task for falsely accusing Mayor Maxwell of having directed that Sensus water meters be used instead of the Hersey meters specified by the contract. (more…)

Thursday night the Monticello City Council accepted the bid of the Monticello Economic Development Commission, better known as the MEDC, of $280,617 for economic development services to the city over P.F. Mays & Associates, LLC’s bid of $264,000.

The problem for that decision, (which has no correct answer) comes back to the way the contract was advertised in its legal annoumcement.
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At last week’s City Council budget committee meeting, the group discussed budget items that could be cost-shared with the county.

One of these items was the “man on the hill” at the transfer station.  This city employee operates the compactor the presses the (city and county’s) trash, after it is dumped from the trash trucks.

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For the first time in memory, one of the city of Monticello’s “service contract” had to organizations bidding for the same contract.

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Tornado sirens are currently being installed in the Monticello area, including the show areas near the library, hospital, and Old Troy Road water tower.

A total of 18 sirens will be installed, most on their own self-standing towers.

In response to many resident’s questions, The sirens will be tested weekly (silently), and audibly tested monthly or quarterly.

The City Council Budget Committee, composed of Al Peer, Joe Meeks, Claudia Hartness and Tim Chase, met with Vicki Tiner, City Financial Director, and members of her department, to discuss the City’s 2015 budget, and to review some issues with the 2014 budget.

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Members of the Monticello City Council Budget Committee met Tuesday evening, to consider budget requests from the various city departments for the upcoming year, and to discuss the overall state of the City Budget going in to 2015.

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Mayor-elect Zack Tucker will be taking office in approximately 6 weeks.

MLive spoke to Tucker about his leadership panel, such as police & fire chiefs, and dept. heads.

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Attorney Cliff Gibson wrote a response letter to Siemens, in response to their recent reply to his last letter, in reference to the manyquestion about a wide range of issues and legaalites in the city’s water project, being contracted with their company.

Here is a summary of Gibson’s letter. (The unedited letter, along with the response letter from Siemens are posted in PDF form, below)
Letter to Siemens Legal Counsel

Response Letter from Siemens’ Legal Counsel

Dear Mr. Shamash: (attorney for Siemens)
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Zack Tucker, former assistant to Mayor Allen Maxwell, won Tuesday’s mayor election over current mayor Joe Rogers and former city council member Thomas “Sonny” Thornhill.

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A Resolution was presented to the City Council, and approved, to condemn the property of Monticello Recycling, located at 231 East Shelton. The building, estimated to be over 100 years old, originally served as a cotton mill, but is commonly known as the “old Burlington Rug Mill.”

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The Monticello City Council met Tuesday evening, and discussed locations of the weather warnig sirens, passed a resolution authorizing the use of city property for the placement of weather warning sirens, and approved money to pay for the City’s Code Red weather warning system.

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Local attorney Cliff Gibson, recently hired by the City Council to deal with the depths of confusion involved in the $10,000,000 water improvement project with Siemens, has hired an engineer to work on the project with him.

Attached is the letter he sent to the City Council members.

Also included in the letter were the selected firm’s vitae and list of qualifications.

Dear Mayor Rogers and Members of the City Council:
Consistent with your engagement of our Firm, I have reviewed the qualifications of the City’s regular engineering firm, (more…)

On October 22, 2014, Cliff Gibson, the attorney hired by the City Council to represent the City of Monticello in their contract concerns with Siemens Industry, Inc. (Siemens), issued a letter to Siemens, outlining the City’s concerns.

The letter is addressed to Mr. Tony Ardillo. The following is a summary of that letter.

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Cliff Gibson at City Council Meeting

October 22, 2014

Dear Mr. Ardillo:

Our firm has been retained by the City of Monticello (City) relative to problems being experienced with the referenced Contract and the performance of Siemens Industry, Inc. (Siemens) thereunder. We write you now in behalf of the City.

Siemens’ Failure to Provide Legally Required Contractor Performance and Payment Bonds.

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Following last week’s “anywhere but here” reception by the City Council to purchase a section of land on the Whaley property to build a new, ecpanded, centrally located clinic, Mainline Health has withdrawn their proposal.

Here is the letter of retraction…

Dear City Council and Mayor Rogers,

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Allan Nichols, Director of Mainline Health Systems, addressed the City Council at their meeting at last week’s City Council meeting, to ask for permission to purchase property adjoining the new fIre station on North Main Street, for the purpose of building a larger clinic.

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The Monticello City Council met in a specially called session Tuesday evening, to decide whether to hire an attorney, Mr. Cliff Gibson, to represent the City in their dealings with Siemens, Inc., the corporation contracted for $10 million to revamp Monticello’s water system, with his stipulation that a private engineer be employed to assist him.

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Dear Mayor Rogers and Members of the City Council:

In response to the request of the City of Monticello to retain our Firm to provide legal assistance regarding the referenced matter, we advise that our Firm would be pleased to again be of assistance to the City and note that such continues the tradition of our Firm providing legal services to the City that dates back to and includes the administrations of Mayors Anderson, Rogers (first term), and Maxwell.
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After researching the issue of whether the mayor is allowed to vote at a city council meeting where the council members have a split voteof 4–4, city attorney Witt Barton has confirmed that Mayor Joe Rogers ……
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