Red Wing Mayor Egan exposed

February 6th, 2013

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Red Wing’s Mayor Dennis Egan is in pretty deep, and it’s getting deeper.  The Red Wing City Council will address the discovery that he’s a frac sand toady at the Monday City Council meeting.  That’s good to hear.  And they need to hear from those of us who are appalled at his duplicity.

URGENT – TODAY – contact the Red Wing City Council members and forward this Red Wing City Council contact info to friends, neighbors and family in Red Wing.

sebion3@gmail.com, lisa.bayley@ci.red-wing.mn.us, deanhove@charter.net, michael.v.schultz@charter.net, peggy.rehder@ci.red-wing.mn.us, ralph.rauterkus@ci.red-wing.mn.us, marilyn.meinke@ci.red-wing.mn.us

And don’t forget to copy: dennis.egan@ci.red-wing.mn.us, kay.kuhlmann@ci.red-wing.mn.us

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Red Wing Mayor to represent silica sand industry

Sand storm heads toward Capitol

Mayor Egan – the voice of frac sand mining!

Red Wing Mayor Egan leads Minnesota Industrial Sand Council; citizens wonder who he’ll serve

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In the STrib today:

Red Wing’s mayor gets second job with frac sand lobbying group

(I liked the first headline better: “Red Wing’s mayor signs on with frac sand lobby”)

His work to promote fracking is a conflict of interest, residents say.

Red Wing Mayor Dennis Egan has been hired to run a new lobbying and trade group for the frac sand industry, triggering consternation in his hometown just as it begins considering what position to take in a sand-mining debate that is emerging at the State Capitol.

Egan said Tuesday he sees no conflict of interest and won’t step down while he works as executive director of the Minnesota Industrial Sand Council.

But Red Wing City Council President Lisa Bayley, a lawyer, said she has received many “complaints, questions and concerns” from residents about the mayor’s new job as a paid advocate for an industry that is at the forefront of local ferment.

The situation comes as the sand-mining industry is raising its profile at the Capitol amid a boom in silica mining to supply the oil and gas industry with a vital ingredient for a drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing.

The sand council, a consortium of aggregate, trucking and petroleum companies with interests in frac sand and gravel, has hired Twin Cities law firm Larkin Hoffman to lobby its cause. Egan, a professional lobbyist, also has registered in St. Paul to lobby for the sand council.

But Egan’s decision also occurs as debate rages up and down the Mississippi River corridor over the sand boom. In the past four years, more than 100 mines and processing facilities have been permitted in Wisconsin and Minnesota in a rush largely controlled by local units of government.

Bayley said the council will discuss the matter Monday at a regularly scheduled meeting.

“If the facts are as we think they are, it could prove to be a very serious matter,” she said, declining to elaborate.

Egan said he talked to City Administrator Kay Kuhlmann before signing his employment contract last week with the sand council. He declined to say how much the group is paying him.

“She didn’t raise any red flags at that time,” said Egan, who was re-elected in November to a four-year term.

Kuhlmann did not return a phone call Tuesday afternoon.

Egan said there are no applications pending before the city for frac sand facilities. The city ordinance that will regulate the industry was “put to bed” in October, and the sand council shares his position that “mining the bluffs on the Mississippi River is not a good idea.”

“In my mind, there’s not a conflict,” Egan said.

Bayley and fellow Council Member Peggy Rehder, however, said the frac sand debate is very much alive in Red Wing. The city is dealing with truck traffic issues and barge loading of frac sand from the city-owned bulkhead, or dock. Part of the agenda for Monday’s council meeting, Bayley said, is to discuss what position the city should take on frac sand issues that crop up at the Legislature. No bill has been introduced so far regarding frac sand mining, but there has been talk behind the scenes of possible statewide involvement in the issue.

“The issue of local control is very important to us,” Rehder said.

Throughout southeastern Minnesota and as far north as Scott County, local officials are trying to balance worries over air quality, water pollution, water depletion, truck traffic and noise against jobs and other economic benefits that the sand mining industry offers. Egan said part of the sand council’s mission is to advance the best practices for mining, processing and transportation.

“It’s not across the board that people are opposing” the frac sand industry, Egan said. “This group acknowledges there are issues, but that they can be dealt with.”

Rehder said she wants the city attorney to issue an opinion for the council as to whether the mayor has a legal conflict of interest. Rehder is a former lobbyist who worked in Washington, D.C., and who used to represent Hennepin County.

“Would I ever be a lobbyist and hold public office at the same time?” Rehder said. “No.”

She said Red Wing is “in the heart of frac sand mining country” and people are “very concerned” about Egan’s new position.

Tony Kennedy 612-673-4213

And in the Rochester Post Bulletin:

Red Wing mayor to represent silica sand industry

The peculiar situation has riled some.

Egan, who took office in 2011 and was re-elected in 2012, signed a contract Friday that installs him as executive director of the newly formed Minnesota Industrial Sand Council. The council is an organization of six Minnesota companies with an interest in mining silica sand, including the owner of a proposed St. Charles development, with Egan at its head. The council also represents the interests of companies involved in silica mining in an ancillary way, such as railroads, trucking and petroleum producers.

“The folks had gotten my name because that’s what I do,” said Egan, who has worked the last 10 years as a Capitol lobbyist. “It wasn’t tied to anything other than ‘Dennis, you’ve done this for 10 years and you have a good reputation.’ My approach is you need to work in collaboration to move projects forward.”

The new group has hired Minneapolis-based Larkin Hoffman law firm to serve as its lobbyist during the current legislative session, where Sen. Matt Schmitt, DFL-Red Wing, is expected to propose silica sand legislation later this week. Egan hopes to develop a list of best practices related to dust mitigation and other mining issues.

Southeastern Minnesota is at the forefront of the state’s silica sand controversy. The issue first surfaced just a few miles from Red Wing when Windsor Permian, an Oklahoma-based energy company, purchased 155 acres of land in 2010 and expressed an interest in mining silica sand. Concerns spread rapidly through the region since then, with Winona, St. Charles and Wabasha being the current hot spots.

There are just five active silica sand mines in the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, but many new ones have been proposed. Demand for the hard, round sand has exploded due to advances in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to extract oil and natural gas, particularly in North Dakota.

Egan, who has previously served as the Chamber of Commerce President in Red Wing and Rochester, said that he’s been brought in to resolve controversial situations in St. Louis and Ramsey counties, among others, in prior business deals. He’s since created his own company called Egan Public Affairs, which specializes in such endeavors.

“It’s another project in which you find passions on both sides of the aisle,” Egan said of his new role. “I don’t want to come across as downplaying that for southeast Minnesota. It’s a big issue; I recognize that.”

However, some aren’t convinced Egan’s new role is proper given his status as an elected official. Carol Overland, a Red Wing attorney, e-mailed the city council raising concerns about a conflict of interest and her concerns don’t appear to have fallen on deaf ears. Though council president Lisa Bayley declined comment and others didn’t return calls, council member Peggy Rehder expressed frustration that she wasn’t directly informed of Egan’s plans; the news was first posted online Friday evening by “Politics in Minnesota.”

Egan said he informed Red Wing City Administrator Kay Kuhlmann of the job offer prior to accepting; Kuhlmann was not available for comment.

“I’m puzzled,” Rehder said. “I think we need more information and we need a legal opinion from the city attorney.

“You’re absolutely right that people are concerned.”

While the situation is expected to be discussed further at Monday’s city council meeting, members of the citizen’s opposition group Save The Bluffs see it as a clear conflict of interest.

“How can you represent citizens and the industry at the same time?” asked John Tittle, a Red Wing resident and Bluffs member. “It seems like it would be a conflict. It seems kind of obvious.”

Egan responded to those challenges by saying the city ordinance had been approved for months by the time the sand companies approached him in late December. Should any new proposals be made, the mayor says he’d recuse himself from those discussions.

mayordennisegan

Red Wing’s Mayor, Dennis Egan, is the voice of frac sand mining.  Yes, it’s true, and here is his email so you can tell him what you think: dennis.egan@ci.red-wing.mn.us

HEY HEY, HO HO

MAYOR EGAN’S GOT TO GO!

What’s the big deal?  Well, it’s a simple matter of whose interests the mayor represents.  It’s about ethics.  The Mayor’s job is to public represent the City of Red Wing, the “titular head” of the city.  Can he spell C-O-N-F-L-I-C-T?

The City of Red Wing recently spent a year addressing frac sand in the City, first enacting a Silica Sand Moratorium and then an Ordinance.  This remains a major issue at Goodhue County, and in the entire state of Minnesota.

It appears that organizing his “Red Wing 2020,” an “Advisory Committee to the Mayor” and having this “Advisory Committee to the Mayor” host a frac sand mining promotional love fest wasn’t enough, nooooooooo, now he’s officially, publicly, and professionally promoting frac sand interests, and he’s being paid for it.  While he’s Mayor of Red Wing?  Can you believe it?

A recent Politics in Minnesota article laid it out, that he’s “Executive Director” of the Minnesota Industrial Sand Council, which is a lobbying group to promote frac sand mining and associated interests.  Here’s the scoop that relates to Mayor Egan:

Mining industry mobilizes

The sand mining industry has recently gotten organized as well. The Minnesota Industrial Sand Council was formed about three weeks ago, with Red Wing Mayor and Capitol lobbyist Dennis Egan as its executive director. The council, which is part of Aggregate & Ready Mix of Minnesota, has hired the Minneapolis-based Larkin Hoffman law and lobbying firm as its lobbyists. The group includes sand-mining companies as well as railroad, trucking and petroleum interests.

“We’ve got mining operations that have been in Mankato and Shakopee and St. Peter and Winona. These are Minnesota folks,” Egan said. “When they hear their operations and their livelihood potentially is going to come to a screeching halt, they said: ‘We need a voice at the Capitol, because that’s now where the conversation is going.’”

The group is stressing to lawmakers that the sand is used in industries ranging from sand paper to fiber optics, and calling attention to state and federal regulations that hold the industry in check, Egan said. He said the group is also putting together a best practices document.

“We want this industry to be safe and healthy, not only for those for those who work in the pits but for the communities that surround it,” Egan said. “Truck traffic, dust issues that comes from mining, we recognize there can be concerns, so how do we best address that?”

FYI, Mayor Dennis Egan’s facebook pages says he “lives in St. Paul.”  Curiouser and curiouser!

HEY HEY, HO HO

MAYOR EGAN’S GOT TO GO!

Binders of Screenshots Redux

September 27th, 2023

I’ve been working on getting copies of the claimed “we’ve got tons of them” screenshots that Mayor Wilson has been waving around in support of these burr-up-his-butt theories of violations of Open Meeting Law and Data Breeches by City Council and/or Commission members. He’s done it before, and he needs to be called on that.

Red Wing adopts Social Media Policy

I’d sent a Data Practices Act Request:

That request was made because of the way Mayor Wilson was waving about what he claimed were screenshots, inferring that they proved his claims of violations of Open Meeting law and that there were data breeches:

The City’s response to that Data Practices Act Request was a denial in search of a rationale:

So I sent “Data Practices Act Request Redux” yesterday:

What do those screenshots demonstrate? My guess is that they show his obsession with the Red Wing Snowstorm fb group, and attempting to shame or intimidate those who speak up and discuss issues in our fair city. His proposal for amendment to the Social Media Policy would limit Council and Commission members’ membership and participation in private social media groups and even blogs! It was deleted.

His behavior is odd, but there’s background to this that’s compounding the weirdness. He has referred to me in at least two orations before the Council, first inferring some nefarious intent in my advocacy for updating the City’s Code of Conduct, and now, tied to adoption of the City’s Social Media Policy, about participation in the “Snowstorm” fb group. Enough. Put up or shut up!

My first noteworthy encounter with Wilson was when he called me after I’d sent a mass mailing quoting the City’s position on the Recall City Hall effort and providing contact info for the Council. One flyer went to him, and he was furious. “DON’T YOU EVER SEND ANYTHING TO MY HOME AGAIN!” He loudly demanded to know where I got the list (public info), who I sent them to (none of your business), how many flyers I sent (why?)… WHAT?!?! What’s the problem? It was the weirdest response ever, clearly hit a nerve, and damn… I wish I’d recorded.

Another example was his previous statements during an earlier Council meeting. At that time, the Council was deliberating changes in the Code of Conduct. See transcript below… What I “find interesting” is his sideways objection to my participation in updating the Code of Conduct. This is something I’ve openly been working on since the Citizens Assembly, circa 2017, and the ejection of Mayor Egan circa 2013, long before Wilson was Mayor. Why this need to make up objections to my work? Why put all this out there in a public statement, on the record, before the Council, that is demonstrably false and downright goofy? In that Code of Conduct Council meeting, he said this:

Really! The City Attorney quickly corrected him, stating that my suggestions were for the most part not adopted! The City Administrator also knew the history and acknowledged the need for an update. Councilor Norton spoke up, she knew of my years long work on this and my push to get the Council to take it up. None of this have even been necessary. A simple comparison of 1) the suggestions I’d been sending in to the Council and Mayor, and 2) the Code update presented to the Council reveals the difference. Apparently that homework wasn’t done, hence the statement?

That evening the Code of Conduct was discussed, I had work to do outstate with a township I’m representing on an Ordinance, so I couldn’t attend, and oh how I wish I could have been in 2 places at once. Wilson’s statement that “she had issues with the Mayor way back when,” ummmm, no, it was former Mayor Dennis Egan who had obvious ethical issues — a clear conflict of interest as ED of a sand mining association when sand loading was before the Council and HE DID NOT DISCLOSE, much less recuse (Mayor Egan Resigns). At that time, I said, “Onward, and hopefully this time we’ll find a mayor with some integrity and ethics.” Perhaps that expectation is Wilson’s objection?!?!

Wilson has repeatedly displayed poor judgment. This is the same guy who wrote an ex parte letter to District Court Judge Lennon, who’s charged with Ordering appointments to the Charter Commission after the Commission forwards names to her. His ex parte, letter, asking that I be denied reappointment to the Charter Commission was full of outright lies and was accompanied bizarre attachments.

Note he writes this letter “As Red Wing’s mayor” and signs it “Mike Wilson, Mayor.” Under color of law much? I do hope someone explained to him how this is problematic. And dig this WTAF attachment, which he linked to his “commissar” comment in the letter:

It seems Red Wing DOES need a commissar!

Just too bizarre…

And I’ve not forgotten the Mayor’s support for the Recall City Hall effort (their website has been completely eliminated, a good decision, no evidence; the fb page sort of present, but mostly scrubbed.). Recall sought to upend the legitimate election of our City Council members, disenfranchising voters. Does this sound familiar? They used a demonstrably false premise in the “250 word statement,” claiming Open Meeting Law violations. DUH, personnel issues are held in CLOSED session. Specifics of the firing are PRIVATE INFORMATION — only the subject, in this case Pohlman, can disclose, and he chose not to disclose. Recall proponents were hollering “Stop the Steal” while stealing slogans and tactics from another equally unsuccessful “Stop the Steal” effort (that effort resulting thus far in how many disbarments and indictments?).

Column: Recall petition is old-fashioned democracy in action

I had a few things to say about that as well, particularly about the Post Bulletin’s promotional toadying coverage, but about Wilson’s support as well:

Letter: Red Wing recall coverage lacking

Another issue is Wilson’s attempt to get City funding to pay for the roof repairs for his Red Wing Marine Museum. building. The lease requires, as do most commercial leases, that the lessee is responsible for repairs. The roof was a known issue when he signed the second lease a decade ago. Wilson says he is no longer the head of it, but he was President until this most recent request for city money came up. He was President at least until 12-31-2021, the date of most recent public IRS 990 on Guidestar.

Also note the claim of “Land and Buildings” as a $214,763 asset. How can that be? It’s a lease and it’s been in default for a decade, now officially declared in default by the City.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Alan Muller is a big boat motor fan, and a big fan of the Red Wing Marine Museum. Alan strongly wants to see this museum continue, he likes it personally, plus it’s a big asset to the city, and he hopes the Board can keep it open.

Overall, this history of Wilson’s conduct has become a pattern, and a few of these instances directed my wa caught my attention, mindful that I’m at least a limited public figure. One thing I do agree with Wilson on: “So I’m just giving everybody a heads up on this stuff. Pay attention from here on in. Of course! I am paying attention!

As to this current Wilson waving of “we’ve got tons of them” screenshots… Mayor Wilson, “if you’re listening,” if you have proof of Open Meeting Law violations, and/or “there’s data breech going on,” let’s see it. If there are violations, you have a duty to report issues to the City for investigation and to address violations, if there are any. If you see something, say something.

Way way back, we’re talking 2017, the Citizens Assembly issued its report, part of which were suggestions to improve city meetings, that “better meetings” and ethics and the City’s Code of Conduct were the areas that were important to me. Why? Because at the last meeting, a concerted effort was made, through a secret meeting and a Resolution from that meeting, to prohibit virtual participation and to eliminate the Statement of Intent.

Notice who showed up for this workshop and notice who DID NOT show up for this workshop:

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF WORKSHOP!

Here’s the packet for the meeting:

Everything I say about this is flavored by the LONG time it took to get to this discussion, and the flagrant misbehavior of some Council members, disregard for basic concepts of how government operates and DOESN’T and SHOULDN’T operate, and the dissing of the public. That said…

The discussion was a start. They went through the suggestions I’d offered (because I was the only one who’d offered specific suggestions, a few times over the last SIX YEARS), variations of what I’ve been offering since 2017, and they DID discuss them. For the most part, they have focused on two things.

  • Develop “Standard Operating Procedures/Best Practices” explaining how things are done.
  • Update the “How to Participate” flyer that’s on the table in the foyer (there should be an announcement of this handout at the beginning of meetings for folks new to appearing).

That’s a start, good to see, and ONWARD!

Here’s the 2/27/2023 City Council Meeting: youtube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=rqZKMLVXYI4&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE&t=8603

And here’s a transcript of that meeting:

Here’s the City’s Statement of Intent they want to eliminate:

I put together a handout about “Better Meetings” recommendations in Citizens Assembly Event Report for the meeting:

I also made copies of a Letter to the Editor that Alan and I had written following the ejection or resignation of Dennis Egan as Mayor due to conflict of interest, and as Citizens Assembly was discussing ethical issues and the City Code of Conduct, which is so deficient and needs updating. This last Council meeting was a wake up call for update of the Code of Conduct — discovery of the Gang of Four’s secret meeting, two Council members falsely stating and doubling down that it was an Agenda and/or Executive/Leadership committee meeting (plus “COVID is over,” I mean, really?!?!), and for trying to prohibit virtual comments and eliminating the Statement of Intent? I’d like to see Oath of Office committed to at each meeting!

The story of utility personal property tax goes way back in Red Wing, in Goodhue County. When the latest round of tax notices, the 2021 Proposed Tax, were received, people were whining and crying, and when I asked them what they’d do different, NOT A SINGLE SUBSTANTIVE RESPONSE (“cut spending” is not a response, “VETO” is not a response. Let’s get specific here folks, what would you do different??). It also seems that people do not understand the impact of Xcel Energy’s tax cuts and how their cuts are heaped on US regular property owners!

While putting up some articles today that dropped from the heavens into this Legalectric repository, I ran across some old editorials that are a needed history lesson as people in Red Wing discuss property taxes. Red Wing Budget 2021 page! Here in Red Wing, we’re having to make up for the loss of the utility personal property taxes that our “good neighbor” Xcel has weaseled out of over the years. 20+ years ago, starting in 1995 just after NSP succeeded in its fierce lobbying effort to keep the plant open, they pulled the rug out from under Minnesota’s host communities, slashing utility personal property taxes in every way possible. The most recent episode of Xcel Energy cuts was 2018, done in secret at Dept. of Revenue, they gave Goodhue County, Red Wing, and the school district the finger once again.

Here, in chronological order, are those OLD editorials I found in this computer (click on them for a larger view). History matters.

This first one is particularly obnoxious, as Micheletti’s statement (he was then an NSP lobbyist) that utility personal property tax makes our rates higher is outright lie — our electric rates at that time were far lower than almost everywhere in the country!

micheletti_1_mpr082216
(he hates this, so gotta post it!)

And my take on it, after seeing Micheletti’s push, written because people seem to avoid identifying the root of the problem — Xcel screwing us over — was written just a week later, because Xcel is changing the host deal after the fact. They built the nuclear plant in this host community with an agreement to pay these taxes. Now they pull out of that agreement? I mean really, what are they going to do, take their nuclear plant and go? In 1994, they rallied the troops of Red Wing, Goodhue County, and all other host communities to storm the legislature by the busload “to preserve the tax base” and then starting in 1995, they focus their bigger than ever lobbying presence on eliminating that very same tax base. Yup, that’s how they rewarded their host communities. What a good neighbor. Here’s my response to (then) NSP:

And in the Red Wing Republican Eagle, a heads up to the community, long after NSP/Xcel had started, after the post 1994 taxes were slashed, cut, after NSP/Xcel eliminated so much of the utility personal property tax — and we residents had to take up the difference:

It’s hard to stomach anything from Tom Micheletti, who got his and Julie Jorgensen’s Excelsior Energy Mesaba Project and tens of millions of dollars (DNT Investigation – Excelsior Lobbying Cash Questioned) as a perk in the 2003 Prairie Island bill – Chapter 11, Special Session), with cash flow from state coffers for his bogus idea built into law:

We had to fight that IGCC (coal gasification) Mesaba Project bondoggle for over FOUR YEARS before the Public Utilities Commission finally said NO! Meanwhile, Tom Micheletti and Julie Jorgensen financed by millions from the state’s “Renewable Development Fund,” millions from the Iron Range Resources coffers (Iron Range Resources & IGCC take their lumps), and millions from Department of Energy Grants and Loans, giving him enough to retire in style. Boondoggle” is too nice a word for that scam.

Ten years and $41 million later, ‘clean coal’ plant still vapor

Is it any wonder I’d holler seeing Julie Jorgensen, Dennis Egan, and Mark Andrews teaming up trying to get a solar project going in Red Wing? AAACK!

Three Musketeers? Three Stooges?

History is important… facts matter!