Re: Questions concerning City Manager and his wife

General Forums Prince Rupert Forum
1

For those interested in the workings of the City of Prince Rupert:

I am attaching letters sent to council on July 2 regarding the issues surrounding Gord Howie, the city manager and his wife, Tanalee Hesse.  I have yet to receive any response to my concerns.  I am also attaching an open letter written to mayor and council sent to both the Daily News and The Northern View.  The Northern View has refused to print the story and I have yet to hear from the Daily News.

All of the information has been gathered from my investigations using information available on the city hall website and from other sources. I am hoping to let people know what is happening so something can be done about it and because I believe that transparency is the cornerstone of good government.

I have also attached the 2006 statement of financial information I got some of the financial information from however the June 23, 2008 agenda that I relied on for other information has since been removed from the city website which contained the 2007 statement of financial information.

(original documents are in following posts)

Letter to Mayor & Council:

Mr. Herb Pond,
Mayor City of Prince Rupert
424 3rd Ave West Prince Rupert, BC V8J 1L7

Dear Mayor Pond,

I am writing to you today to express my concerns over some questionable financial expenditures and contracts entered into by the city over the past couple of years.  In particular, it involves disturbing information regarding unauthorized expenditures involving the contracting out of various administrative services, without proper authorization having been sought from, or received, by council.  While I am not one to believe everything I hear, the evidence I have seen clearly appears to substantiate these claims.  Being a believer in honesty and integrity in public office, I felt the need to question you with regard to these matters and to request some open and honest answers, and explanations.

Specifically, the circumstances I am referring to is the almost $90,000 that has been paid to Tanalee Hesse, spouse of city manager, Gordon Howie, between July 20, 2006 and Dec. 31, 2007 for various administrative contract work for the city.  Last year alone, in fact, according to the 2007 Statement of Financial Information on the city’s website, Tanalee Hesse received $43,864, for these “contractsâ€

2

Original document - letter to Mayor & Council.

[attachments over a year old automatically deleted]

3

Original Documents – letter to editor

[attachments over a year old automatically deleted]

4

Original Documents – Agenda November 13, 2007 & June 23, 2008

[attachments over a year old automatically deleted]

5

Thanks for posting these letters Anna, I hope that your posting them here brings some answers. 

6

Interesting letters, Anna.  Thank you for posting them on HTMF.  I hope these letters help to shed some light on current financial practices at City Hall.

7

Has the “2007 Statement of Financial Information” really been removed from the Prince Rupert website?  It may have just been moved when they moved to their new website.

Here’s the really friendly URL that I found:

princerupert.ca/page.php?id_ … d_page=242

Lots of PDFs there.  None of them named “2007 Statement of Financial Information” though.

But still, the questions you raised are valid – was this a no-tender contract?  I have no idea about these things.  Is there a maximum limit for a contract before it has to go to public tender?

8

I have looked through the website and cannot find it.  It is actually not the only section of minutes missing.  However the 2007 statement of financial information is located in the June 23, 2008 agenda, which is no longer on the website.  A copy of the agenda is available earlier in this post though.

9

Ah, ok, I see it in your post.  It’s page 26 or so of the June 23, 2008 Agenda.

Here’s an excerpt (screenshot, really):

[attachments over a year old automatically deleted]

10

I wonder why no one has called David Loukadalis yet?
Has anyone filed a freedom of information request for such files? As far as I know it, any public body-tendered contract can be viewed by the public outside of a few exceptions, which mainly relate to national and social security and would have no bearing on this.
Welp, guess someone’s got to do it.
Very interesting.

11

I think the key word, Baker, is that:

“As far as I know it, any public body-tendered contract can be viewed by the public”

This wasn’t a tendered contract. Which is why there are questions.

I’m sure it all can be cleared up with an answer from the Mayor. The problem is that he doesn’t seem interested in answering these questions.

You’re a reporter, right? Why don’t you call him up tomorrow morning and ask him some of these questions.

12

This is all getting so exciting and beginning to make sense, they are crooked there are stories to be had and I think this will be The Bakers opening curtain. I must try and contain myself especially after being called a lose canon by one of the city admin. boys.
Sockpuppet is right Baker should get a hold of Herb and I think we should demand some answers or get in touch with the UBCM for help. Thank you Anna A. for posting the letter.

13

Grab your torches and pitchforks, people.

14

It would be nice if the town’s papers would take a look at this, maybe do some investigative journalism . . .

15

Time for a coup d’état.

16

due to my keen investigative abilities i have gotten the answer to all your questions!

  1. due to the equal lateral circumference of the bi-partisan vote of the underlying circumstance of the political variant that is under taken when you usher in…look at the BIG boat its a big big boat, hey look at the kids in the park playing…
    (pushes something under rug)aww they look so cute.oooo look there its a red balloon it’s sooooo red. what do you think can i be the next city manager or maybe the editor of the paper! :imp:
17

I believe tanalee hesse also worked as the interim adminsitrator for the regional district during the first few months of 2007 - approx. Feb to July - and collected hefty payments from that organization. The size of the payments were questioned by at least one director. I do not believe this job was advertised…

18

Yeah I heard that the director who asked too many questions crossed horns with Herb and he had the word fired or dismissed put into effect . I heard that the reporter who left the daily snooze left because she was not able to do the real story so she got right fed up with how the paper is even controled by Pond henchmen. I think we have one real corrupt city council and the ones who are not envolved are going to be painted as well. I think this makes for some real shit and to think Pond may have entertained Victoria, there are enough crooks there are there not.

19

42  :smiley:

20

[quote=“photoguy”]
42  :smiley: [/quote]

Ah - finally, the ultimate answer!

[quote=“BakerWriter”]
Has anyone filed a freedom of information request for such files? [/quote]

Yes - twice.

Council Watch - you there?