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Fisher challenges ethics complaintThu, 08/27/2009 - 4:02pm
By: Ben Nelms
Senoia Councilman Jeffrey Fisher on Wednesday went on the record with his response to a ethics complaint filed by Heritage Pointe resident Don Rehman. The ethics hearing will be conducted Sept. 3 by the committee established by the City Council last week. Rehman in the 33-page complaint reported last week in The Citizen alleged a number of grievances, including the manner of Fisher’s comments to him at the July 20 council meeting when Rehman spoke with council about sight distance problems at Rockaway Road and one of the exits for the Heritage Pointe subdivision. Yet according to The Citizen’s notes of the meeting, Fisher suggested to Rehman that if he wanted to “expedite” resolution of the problem, it would help him to have a show of public support. In the ethics complaint Rehman also questions Fisher’s use of his city email address to communicate “two abusive, offensive and devastatingly harmful e-mails” which were written “in the hopes of humiliating and shaming me in the neighborhood in which I live.” Weighing in on the ethics complaint, Fisher on Wednesday offered a frank statement that addressed his position on the issues. “I believe all of the accusations that Mr. Rehman has made in his 33-page ethics complaint are grossly inaccurate, and his statements reflect a reckless disregard for the truth,” Fisher said. “Further, his citation of the City of Senoia Ethics Ordinance in support of these claims is artful and disingenuous. Although there are 33 pages of text in the filed ethics complaint, there stands no formal charge made. Simply put, this is nothing more than a dramatized grievance made public. These complaints are without merit and are a mockery of the government process and procedures.” Fisher also had his say on the emails cited in the Rehman complaint. “The very purpose for being issued an email account from the city is to converse with city officials and citizens alike,” Fisher said. “When you have a multitude of complaints about someone in an unofficial capacity representing a community you start asking questions. Especially, when that someone harasses and intimidates residents that disagree with him.” Commenting on the sight distance problems on Rockaway Road, Fisher said the city has already taken many steps to improve the safety of the intersection cited in Mr. Rehman's complaints, and “we continue to work with the residents of Heritage Pointe on traffic safety in that area.” The Senoia Ethics Committee will hear the complaint Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. at city hall. Committee members include Mendi McDowell, Bill Wood, Paul Ferguson, Debra Mello and Steve Ireland. In an issue related to the ethics hearing, Rehman on Aug. 24 filed an addendum to the complaint stating that the selection of Debra Mello and Mendi McDowell was inappropriate. Mello is Fisher’s next door neighbor and McDowell lives one street over from Rehman, the addendum said. Asked about the addendum, City Administrator Richard Ferry said Thursday that the selection of the committee occurred at a public meeting where the names from drawn at random and that the selection process conforms to the city ordinance governing the matter. Ferry said it is his belief that the ethics hearing will proceed as scheduled. login to post comments |