By:  Diane Benjamin

Why are Minutes missing from Liquor Commission meetings?  The LAW requires approval within 30 days or the next meeting.  http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=21&parent=9530

Citizen Bruce Meeks filed a Request for Review with the Attorney General and they agreed to investigate:  42623 FI Let

Meeks alleges:

• The 5/24/16 meeting did not have a quorum
• The only commission member present was Mayor Renner
• No action should have been taken on agenda items since a quorum didn’t exist
• The meeting wasn’t held at a convenient time or place

Last night the Council spent 17 minutes discussing the appointment of Geoffrey Tompkins to Board of Police and Fire Commissioners.  Alderman Hauman pulled the appointment from the Consent Agenda.

Tompkins quit the Liquor Commission Board for two reason.  He claimed he was too busy and he made comments about bar owners making too much money.

You should also know Tompkins served as Renner’s campaign Treasurer, yet Renner commented that he needed to appoint a Republican to the board.  Since Renner is an outspoken Democrat, is Tompkins really a Republican?  Maybe there is only one party!

Alderman Hauman first motioned to not appoint Tompkins based on his performance on the Liquor Commission.  She lost that motion 5-4, only Lower, Sage, and Schmidt agreed with her.  The other bleeding hearts declared everybody should get a second chance and then they voted to delay the appointment for no more than two meetings.

Renner claimed one vacancy had existed for two years, another since Judge Witte died this year.  He had resigned sometime before he died, but Renner tried to say an appointment was urgent.  He failed.  Alderman Hauman made a great point about just placing bodies in seats isn’t a good strategy.  Alderman Lower will search for a more suitable appointee among Republicans since the seat requires a GOP member be appointed.

Meanwhile, another violation filed by me is being investigated by the Attorney General.  I posted the details here:  https://blnnews.com/2016/06/27/illegal-emails-on-raising-liquor-fees/  This violation is emails between commission members to conspire in private.

Renner intentionally set the Liquor Commission at only three members.  It was not that small under Stockton.  Talk is swirling of numerous other violations by Renner since his meeting with ANY other member is a violation of the Open Meetings Act.  He thought he could be Liquor Tyrant with only three, instead every time he called, emailed, had lunch, or met with one member he violated the law.

See below – it’s not business lunch, it’s a violation Mayor!  Jim Jordan is a current Liquor Commission member – a long timer who should have known better.

When Tompkins quit, a new member was appointed by Renner, – Sue Feldkamp.  I hope she has taken the Open Meetings Act training and now helps to rein in the Tyrant.

Citizens can take the same training:  http://foia.ilattorneygeneral.net/

Since government doesn’t understand or willfully ignores the law, take the training.  They need to be held accountable.  Laws aren’t recommendations.

Renner seems to be writing his own laws.

I wonder if the Tompkins appointment by Renner was an attempt to get one of his supporters to deflect opposition when the AUDIO of the OMA meeting is released disparaging the police union?  https://blnnews.com/2016/07/12/mayor-judy-stearns-face-off-again/

Watch the discussion here, several Aldermen made some good points.  Some were embarrassed about discussing an individual in public.  Maybe they should have read the agenda earlier and pulled the appointment long before last night.  Did Renner really think nobody would object?  Just hit play: