INTERIM CHIEF LIPE'S CITY WIDE MEETING

INTERIM CHIEF LIPE'S CITY WIDE MEETING IS THIS COMING THURSDAY EVENING

FEBRUARY 28TH 2013 @ FIRST WARD COMMUNITY CENTER 1410 N. 12TH ST. @ 5:30 PM.

Saginaw City Manager Darnell Earley responds to recent call from the community for him to step down as Saginaw's top administrative official

SAGINAW, MI — Saginaw City Manager Darnell Earley has responded to recent calls from the community for him to tender his resignation as Saginaw's top administrative official.

Members of the audience at a Tuesday, Feb. 19, community meeting said they believe Earley should be fired because of the direction he has been leading the city.

Earley drafted a written response — dated Thursday, Feb. 21 — aimed at the comments made during the meeting.

"I find it quite disingenuous on the part of certain people to raise the issue of terminating me or any member of my staff for doing the job that the City Council, in two motions at separate meetings, directed us to do, as did a 17 member citizen's advisory committee," he wrote. "That task was to explore proposals for contracting police services to the Saginaw County Sheriff."

• The full response from Saginaw City Manager Darnell Earley

The meeting Tuesday was hosted by the Southwest Neighborhood Association and attended by Mayor Greg Branch and some other members of Saginaw City Council.

During the meeting, Branch said the city's financial problems would not be solved by firing the city manager.

"Ultimately, the issue here is not, and should not be, individual personalities, because it does not matter who the city manager is, we are still going to have the same issues," he said. "This is bigger than Darnell Earley."

In his response, Earley said his management team is exploring all financial options that will keep the city "financially solvent" and prevent the state from declaring Saginaw in a financial emergency. Punctuating the statement with an exclamation mark, he writes that the state designation could result if the city spends money it does not have.

"The majority of the public gets it," Earley wrote. "They also dismiss this latest attempt to shift the real focus of this issue as the political ruse of those with special interests trying to direct all this negative energy and attention to me and my staff. As a veteran City Manager, I believe such emotional responses and tactics are to be expected as we deliberate public safety service models, as it is a matter of great concern and ultimately for the benefit of all stakeholders." 

COUNTY COMMISSIONER MIKE HANLEY SPEAKS AT S.W.S.N.A.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER MIKE HANLEY SAID AT THE SOUTHWEST SAGINAW NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING HELD ON 2/19/2013, THE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS HAVE REMOVED CITY MANAGER DARNELL EARLEY'S PROPOSAL FOR THE CITY POLICE TO GO TO THE COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT FROM THEIR DOCKET ON MARCH 13TH, 2013.

Saginaw Mayor Greg Branch doesn't support termination of City Manager Darnell Earley, despite disagreements

By Jessica Fleischman | jfleisc2@mlive.comThe Saginaw News
on February 19, 2013 at 10:42 PM, updated February 19, 2013 at 10:45 PM

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Enlarge Colleen Harrison | MLive.comSaginaw Mayor Greg Branch speaks during an open discussion portion of a citywide meeting hosted by the Southwest Saginaw Neighborhood Association at Beacon of Hope Church in Saginaw Tuesday, Feb. 19. The meeting was organized to discuss possible cuts to the police and fire services in the city.Saginaw neighborhood association holds meeting to discuss police, fire services gallery (10 photos)

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SAGINAW, MI — Saginaw Mayor Greg Branch answered questions from Saginaw residents, police officers, and firefighters for nearly two-and-a-half hours during a citywide neighborhood association meeting.
With other local officials looking on at the 6:30 p.m. meeting inside Beacon of Hope Church, 2109 W. Michigan, Branch explained his proposed ordinance enforcement plan, state revenue sharing, Saginaw's tax cap, and his disagreement with City Manager Darnell Earley regarding a proposal to contract with the Saginaw County Sheriff's Office for city policing services.
"I think it would be safe to say that the city manager and I don't see eye to eye on this issue. I think he sees it as the magic bullet - the simple, one shot way to fix the budget issue," Branch said to the room of approximately 100 people.
"I don't think it is the best solution. I have voted that way, (but) I am one vote of nine."
Branch opposed the proposal to contract with the sheriff,when it came up for a council vote in December, but was outvoted by the majority of council members.
Though Branch said he does disagree with Earley on how to bridge a projected $3.2 million budget gap for the 2013-2014 fiscal year, which begins July 1, he disagreed with audience members at the meeting, who expressed their support for eliminating Earley as the city manager, saying firing him would fix the city's financial problems.
"Ultimately, the issue here is not, and should not be, individual personalities, because it does not matter who the city manager is, we are still going to have the same issues."
"This is bigger than Darnell Earley. This is bigger than Phil Ludos," Branch said, bringing up the assistant city manager for public safety, after audience members also called for his termination.
"We can't sustain our public safety infrastructure on incremental cuts," he said, explaining that the salary Ludos takes in would only sustain one-and-a-half police officers.
Branch blamed many of the city's financial problems on state laws and encouraged Saginaw residents to contact their state legislators with complaints about issues, including non-resident tax rates, which are limited by the state.
While Branch was the centerpiece of the meeting, police and fire officials also spoke up. Several public safety officials expressed their gratitude for support from audience members, including police officer and union president Doug Wortley.
"I'd like to say thanks to all the people here for supporting the police and fire departments. It means a lot to us," Wortley said.

N.A.A.G. NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION ACTION GROUP 2/19/2013

OUR N.A.A.G. MEETING 2/19/2013 WAS ABOUT GETTING A NEW MAP OF ALL OF THE SAGINAW CITY ASSOCIATIONS AND THEIR CURRENT BOUNDARIES.  THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME IN THE PROCESS.  WORKING NOW WITH PAULA FROM ENGINEERING AND WITH MIKE MC GIBNEY FROM TECHNICAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AND DAN SHERMAN, WE ARE GOING TO GET THE JOB DONE.

SOUTHWEST NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCED ABOUT THE CITY WIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING TONIGHT AT 2109 W. MICHIGAN AVE.  BEACON OF HOPE CHURCH @ 6:30 PM.

ALSO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HAVING A CITY WIDE ASSOCIATION POT-LUCK SOMETIME IN MAY OR JUNE FOR ALL OF THE ASSOCIATIONS AND THEIR MEMBERS.

Saginaw neighborhood association to hold citywide meeting to discuss police, fire services

By Jessica Fleischman | jfleisc2@mlive.comThe Saginaw News
on February 19, 2013 at 8:00 AM, updated February 19, 2013 at 8:45 AM

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Saginaw police services will be the topic of conversation during a city-wide neighborhood association meeting planned for 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 18.Jessica Fleischman | MLive.com

SAGINAW, MI — Members of various Saginaw neighborhood associations will gather tonight to focus on police and fire services within the city.A citywide neighborhood association meeting will be held at Beacon of Hope Church, 2109 W. Michigan, Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 6:30 p.m.
Members of the Southwest Neighborhood Association organized the event, in lieu of their regularly scheduled monthly meeting.
According to the group's website, several city officials, including Saginaw Mayor Greg Branch, have been invited to attend the gathering. Officers from the Saginaw Police Department are confirmed for attendance, according to the site.
A message to MLive, from the association, stated that many local officials have confirmed plans to attend.
A message included on the front page of the group's website states, "WE WOULD LIKE TO SHOW A UNITED FRONT WITH THE CITY IN BACKING OUR SAGINAW CITY POLICE FORCE IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT PINK SLIPS THAT HAVE GONE OUT TO THE POLICE AND FIRE."
At the beginning of February, 36 police and fire personnel received pink slips, which city officials say will take effect July 1, if an alternative solution is not found for resolving a projected $3.1 million gap in Saginaw's budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

SOUTHWEST SAGINAW NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING 2/19/2013

HELLO EVERYONE,

SOUTHWEST IS INVITING OTHER ASSOCIATIONS TO COME AND JOIN US AT OUR
NEXT MEETING ON FEBRUARY 19TH @ 6:30 PM

WE HAVE INVITED ALL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR TO ATTEND.

OFFICER SCOTT BICKEL AND OTHER OFFICERS INCLUDING OUR CPO OFFICER
NATHAN VOELKER WILL ALSO BE IN ATTENDANCE.

WE WOULD LIKE TO SHOW A UNITED FRONT WITH THE CITY IN BACKING OUR
SAGINAW CITY POLICE FORCE IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT PINK SLIPS THAT HAVE
GONE OUT TO THE POLICE AND FIRE.

PLEASE COME AND BRING YOUR FRIENDS WITH ANY NEW IDEAS OF HOW WE CAN
KEEP OUR POLICE AND FIRE.  WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT THEM TO THE CITY
COUNCIL MEMBERS AT THAT TIME.

ALSO, AFTER JANUARY'S CITY WIDE MEETING, SOME OF US WERE TALKING ABOUT
HAVING A CITY WIDE POT LUCK WITH ALL OF OUR ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERS
WHO WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND.  WE ARE THINKING OF HAVING THIS SOMETIME IN MAY OR JUNE OF THIS YEAR.

 COULD YOU ASK YOUR GROUP IF THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN DOING
SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND GET BACK WITH ME ABOUT IT?

HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE NEXT N.A.A.G. MEETING ON THE 19TH AT 12:00 NOON