I am not happy. I send Chair Harala the following email:
Chair Harala, Board members and Superintendent Gronseth,
Chair Harala your summary substitution of both the agenda called by three school board members and the resolution drawn up clearly violates the statue which Mr. Hanson also attempted to circumvent with his since retracted “memo” denying the right of three school board members to call a meeting.
There are many colorful words that could be used to describe this attempt to alter our call and agenda for this meeting. I’ll leave them to people more imaginative than I to conjure up. It is painfully apparent that the current Chair of the Duluth School Board believes our local policy giving the Chair the right to order a meeting agenda supersedes the superior authority of Minnesota Statute 123.09, Subd. 6. Which was quoted in our call. To wit:
…Special meetings may be called by….any three members upon notice mailed to each member at least three days prior thereto.
We called the special meeting. Our call is the official call. The call you substituted is not the official call and the motion we submitted is not subject to substitution by the chairperson.
The motion that you have substituted was defeated in the March 22, Special School Board meeting. You have indicated to me that in the case of a motion brought for “reconsideration” only a member of the majority who originally voted against the motion can bring it to the floor again. This is incorrect and does not and should not be applied to our brand new motion. By policy we operate under Robert’s Rules of Order which explains that: during the same meeting, only a member who had voted with the majority is allowed to bring forward a vote to reconsider.
Your intention seems clear. As Alanna, Art and I all voted in the minority on this resolution you plan to rule that none of us have the right to bring the motion back to the table.
First, Even if your understanding of parliamentary procedure was correct, and it is not; such an attempt to short circuit our resolution demonstrates a lack of good faith.
Second, Such a restriction on the reconsideration of a failed motion only applies under Robert’s Rules to the same meeting. Clearly we have called a new meeting so that the restriction on bringing a resolution back to the floor no longer applies. It only applied to the meeting at which the original motion failed on March 22nd
Third, You have no right to substitute our motion under state law.
Fourth, Your substitute motion is so clearly different than the motion that we have brought that it is not germane because it attempts to cut the heart out of it. That is not acceptable under the rules of fair play. Our motion sets up a time table to negotiate and consummate a sale that would be practicable under current circumstances. The motion you are attempting to bring back is a bald attempt to make this impossible.
Your attempt to subvert both Roberts Rules of order and Minnesota State Statute undermine the good order of our school board at a time when trust was just beginning to be restored. I would hate to see a court case over the abuse of our Chairman’s authority distract a community attempting to recover from a similar incident in the recent past.
Annie, you spoke to me at great length to assure me that you were acting with the best of intentions. I fail to see how sabotaging our call can in any way be construed as an attempt at fair dealing.
I will be asking the Board on Monday to return to the legitimate call, agenda and resolutions that should constitute our meeting and to disregard the substitutions you have attempted to bring about.
I would very much appreciate it if you would take the lead at our meeting in allowing the original call, agenda and resolutions to be followed.
Sincerely,
Your colleague,
Harry Welty
PS. I have lost two hours dealing with this unexpected twist in plans. I had planned to use this time to get important data to the School Board which you requested be sent in 24 hours in advance of our meeting. I trust that if I fall short meeting that deadline I will be accorded some accommodation.
