A special meeting to declare a vacancy was scheduled before the regular council meeting. Zwolak asked what the procedure would be after the vacancy was declared. Allen said he provided the process in an opinion which would call for the appointment of Shulgon. Zwolak said the attorney’s opinion was requested by Crawford and not the council.
Zwolak asked if official notification had been received. Crawford said they had paid $6 for a death certificate, but had not received it.
Zwolak said the vacancy was a council matter because the charter calls on the council to resolve ambiguity. He said the declaration should be postponed for additional opinions and a resolution to clarify the procedure. Majewski said the situation couldn’t be resolved by resolution. Zwolak said he had the floor. Majewski said she decides who has the floor. Klein called for the question. Zwolak voted against it, but the motion passed.
Majewski called a 10 minute recess. Klein pointed out that the special meeting had to be closed. The meeting was adjourned.
Zwolak asked Allen if Shulgon was being sworn in in the hallway. Allen answered, “not to my knowledge.”
After 15 minutes, the regular council meeting was canceled for lack of quorum when Klein and Ahmed did not attend.
Hamtramck Star
Run out of Ypsilanti since 2005
FYI I received an e-mail dated Tue. 27 Mar. 2007 19:53:33 from scott klein that states that “alan sholgun was sworn into office this evening by the city clerk,……..councilman sholgun.also brings a set of skills to the table that the council desperately needs…….” What the —- did we miss?:>??? Is this legal???? As far as sholguns’s skills…well I guess we’ve seen evidence of his skills..;…..skilled at being recalled, and of course let’s not forget the great talent he possesses for re-hiring someone (?????) who was removed by the federal govt. for mis-appropriation of housing $$$$$$$. I guess this says alot for the direction our city is headed. Oh, and by the way…..hooray for Mr. Zwolak, it’s just sad that he had NO support from ANYONE!!!!!!
The charter clearly states that the fourth, fifth, then sixth place finisher in the last general election, if eligible, is awarded the vacant seat.
It then says if the sixth place finisher is ineligible, then paragraph “b” is invoked.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth place finishers are Zwolak, Algazali, and Klein who are all ineligible. Therefore paragraph “b” should have been invoked.
I fear that doing anything other than following the letter of the charter is illegal, attorney’s opinion or not.
Hooray!!!!!! I agree, agree, agree!!!!! I guess I question how steven and even myself can clearly see the solution, but Mr. Allen’s interpretation is sooooo different???? All I can say is our judicial system is such that the reason we have courts of law is because attorneys often differ on their interpretations.But then I guess in the hamtramck style of government, this type of system is non-existent.
I disagree with the old “Hamtramck is different” argument. Legally, Hamtramck is no different than any other city where actions of the Council may have violated the city charter.
Good job Mr. Zwolak; I’m glade some one tried to stand up from the get. I just wonder how much different things would have been if Zwolak would have gotten some support or Klien and Ahmed, would have stayed to have the regular meeting I don’t understand why they didn’t come back. Aren’t they required to give some sort of reason if they leave in the middle of a meeting like that, or at least ask the chair to excuse them?
I don’t think I have a copy, but I believe the rules they adopted require them to have their absences excused. Klein has had absences excused, but Ahmed has been absent and did not request to be excused.
The 12/26/06 council meeting was canceled for lack of quorum.
http://hamtramckstar.com/index.php/2006/12/27/no_city_council_meeting
I heard that Ahmed was in Asia and Cedar was in Florida, so Klein skipped in order to prevent the meeting from happening.
So, this has been going on for months, and leaving in the middle of a meeting is just a new low. Bob Zwolak wanted to clarify the procedure by ordinance, as described in Sec. 22-03(i):
I have not confirmed this with the City Clerk, but according to two reasonable, informed people, Councilman Tim Nowakowski tendered his letter of resignation today.
“I don’t think I have a copy, but I believe the rules they adopted require them to have their absences excused.”
Hillary, they are Solidarity. Rules, charters, laws, these do not apply to them. And when they want them to apply, they just make them up as they go. Look at the alleged “city” attorney’s opinion. A clear reading of the charter clearly shows that Steven’s interpretation above is right, yet somehow, Allen with his law school is managing to twist the words and language to benefit “his” political party. That’s right, he’s not the “city attorney”, he’s the “solidarity attorney”. Word around town is that Shulgon was sworn in in the hallway? What kind of government is this when people are being sworn in out of the public eye. Seems like a return of back room politics. And why was he allowed to be sworn in? He wasn’t appointed. I don’t get how the mayor decides to swear him in without an appointment. That’s right, she’s queen, and the rules don’t apply to her or her cronies.
I watched her at that meeting and she is so dam rude to Zwolok. He has the floor and she cut him off and then states she decides who talks and when. Who the hell does she think she is? Then Klein buts in saying call the vote, and she complies..oh he’s solidarity, he can talk. This is America and perhaps she doesn’t get democracy which is sad because she is an elected mayor. She needs to be taught a lesson and recalled, along with Klein and Ahmed.
And also the “solidarity attorney” states he wasn’t aware that Shulgon was being sworn in upon Zwolok’s inquiry, yet that’s exactly what’s happened. Yet when Klein and Ahmed clearly neglect their duties by purposly leaving and Klein ADMITTING he left for political reasons in the Citizen, where is good old Jim Allen threatening a lawsuit and removal of these two from the council? He threatened Zwolok and Nowakowski with that. Further proof, he’s the solidarity attoreny and not the city attorney.
And I also just wanted to say that the Citizen comes out with a slam against Zwolok and Nowakowski and then when Ahmed and Klein do the same thing, they kind of tone it down while critisizing them. There were no calls for them to be thrown out at the polls. Don’t tell me that Solidarity controls our local press too? The one party in the government is controlling everything, pretty soon it’ll be required to say at the podium, Hio Majewski.
“What kind of government is this when people are being sworn in out of the public eye.”
That bothers me too. I wonder if Mr. Hood will be able to enjoy his swearing in as Mayor Majewski and the original six on council did.
http://hamtramckstar.com/index.php/2006/01/13/inauguration