Letter to the editor: Rules govern public’s behavior at city meetings

Cindy Cochran’s letter “about an occurrence at the City Council budget work session in which Russ Zimmer, a well-respected longtime leader in this community, was turned out after asking questions regarding city finances”, I find an amusing example of someone who knows not rules or procedures of Wyoming municipalities’ governance.

Don’t get in the pool if you don’t know the rules.

First of all it was a city budget work session with mayor, council and city staff. The public is invited to listen so they can know budget content when it’s discussed at council meetings where the public can comment when recognized by the mayor (chairman of the meeting).

Zimmer acts as though he doesn’t need to be recognized and on several occasions stood up speaking to the mayor, council or staff, something he never allowed at the Legislature. The Legislature has rules against the public speaking while in session and that’s why there is a gallery. I have been there when security removed people speaking from the gallery. There is a standing list of people banned or needing an escort to be in the building.

Cindy names “exorbitant spending on unnecessary vehicles/equipment, salary increases in a bad economy, etc” done by this administration.

Torrington Conservative Citizens first called themselves “Citizens Against Torrington.” And that is what they have been for almost two years demanding information immediately when Freedom of Information Statutes say demands for information shouldn’t interrupt normal work completion.

Read a few statutes before you pontificate; “I question the legality of this action by the police. Clearly, they stepped over the line.”

Were you at the budget session?

I wasn’t so won’t comment on that meeting.

Zimmer’s violations, I’ve witnessed, are covered by Wyoming Statutes 6-6-304 through 6-6-307 which are available on the Internet. The public is not allowed to speak at any council/staff meetings unless given permission and Wyoming statutes allow time limits. Zimmer knows that.

June 20th council meeting Zimmer said he’d never heard of early retirement for government workers. He was on the 1987 Wyoming Senate Rules/Procedures Committee when the Senate voted Wyoming’s initial early retirement program to begin April 1 and end Sept. 30, 1987, for employees at least age 55 with 15 years of employment. He was on the same committee in 1988 with the same date for state employee early retirement.

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