TRAVERSE CITY -- A former city planning commissioner launched a massive public records request to probe what he alleged were "miniature coups" by newly elected commissioners against members of city boards and commissions.
David Hoekje was not reappointed to the planning commission in January, a move he contends was orchestrated by city commissioners who were elected last November on the heels of outcry over a contentious public parking deck project.
Hoekje this month filed a request under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act for all communication between city commissioners and others, including each other, relating to appointments to city boards and commissions from November 1, 2007, to July 9, 2008.
He also wants all communication regarding any subject during the same 252-day period between commissioners and city staff, representatives of the Record-Eagle and members of the citizens committee analyzing city operations and finances.
Hoekje's wife told a Record-Eagle reporter he was unavailable, but said to check his Web site, mikeestes.org, for an explanation.
The site refers to Mayor Michael Estes and commissioners Jim Carruthers and Barbara Budros, who were elected last year under the campaign "We listen."
The motto at least in part referred to the public parking fiasco. Voters in August 2006 soundly defeated a proposal to issue millions of dollars in city bonds to build a parking structure on West Front Street. Hoekje supported the project.
Hoekje wrote that he was "too close to the taint of the failed parking deck and all of the hard feelings" to be reappointed to the planning commission.
"... (Estes) has taken the position publicly that the city is rife with waste, burdened with apathetic overpaid bureaucrats, saddled with complacent and bloated fire and police departments, and generally due for a good house cleaning," Hoekje wrote. "... Estes and his crew chew through the government of the people systematically removing sitting members of every board, commission, and department they can get their hands on, replacing them with their personal choices for great new things."
Since the new commission took office, it reappointed four members of city boards and commissions, replaced four members who sought reappointment and appointed eight new members to vacated spots.
Commissioners did not reappoint a Traverse City Light & Power board member to her full term, but did appoint her to a shorter, unexpired term vacated by someone else.
Estes publicly said he wants to give new people a chance to get involved in city government. He said he has the power to make appointments, but assigns ad-hoc committees of commission members to interview and recommend appointments. The city commission then votes on the recommendations.
"He's assigning a great deal of influence to me that I just don't have," Estes said. "There is no coup. Why would I start a coup with a person I don't even know? It's just ridiculous."
Carruthers, one of the newly elected commissioners mentioned in the Web site, said he and Hoekje used to be friends and described him as a great guy and good planning commissioner.
"He wasn't always a yes voter, he wasn't always in the unanimous," he said. "I liked that Dave actually asked hard questions."
But when it came to his reappointment, Hoekje "ruined it for himself" with an angry attitude in an interview with the ad-hoc group, Carruthers said.
Carruthers said the decision to drop Hoekje from the planning commission had nothing to do with the parking deck. He suspects Hoekje is mad because commissioners are questioning the planning commission's proposed master plan that he worked on for years.
Hoekje was appointed to a three-year planning commission term in May 2002 under then-Mayor Margaret Dodd. He was reappointed under Mayor Linda Smyka in November 2004. Both decisions were unanimous.
Commissioner Ralph Soffredine supported the ad-hoc committee's recommendation for the latest round of unanimous appointments, but said he would have liked to keep Hoekje on board.
"I wasn't happy when he was removed," Soffredine said. "Some positions, we have to be very careful, experience is necessary."
Hoekjes FOIA
Former planning commissioner David Hoekje filed a request under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act for communication between city commissioners and others, such as city staff, from Nov. 1, 2007, to July 9, 2008. The city has until July 31 to reply.
The estimated charge is $1,166 for staff time to compile the e-mails, said Benjamin Marentette, deputy city clerk.Mayor Michael Estes hopes to discuss the issue at tonights city commission meeting.
