SomethingÕs Happening Here, What it is, AinÕt Exactly ClearÉ
September 6th, 2008 by Gregg Smith
The more
I think about Coleen Balzarini Risk Specialist/Risk Manager/Risk Management Specialist, Kelly AudetÕs letter to the MMIA, the stranger it seems to
me. The first strange thing is that I canÕt even find a risk management
position on the CityÕs organizational chart. I think the
position is found under Fiscal Services, but even then I
canÕt be sure.
Thus,
without a job description, itÕs hard to know what Coleen Balzarini Kelly
AudetÕs role is within our government. I have a basic
idea what risk management entails, but without knowing how it fits
here, itÕs hard to evaluate the propriety of a City staffer writing to the CEO
of the CityÕs insurance carrier looking for free legal advice.
There
are certainly risk management responsibilities implicated in the Coleen
Balzarini Kelly Audet letter. For example, if the City of Great Falls
intends to take a certain course of action to ÒcontrolÓ public input at
City Commission meetings, such course of action could potentially give rise to
liability under the CityÕs errors and omissions policy. ItÕs
still unusual, I think, to seek advance opinions from oneÕs insurance carrier.
I would anticipate that the MMIA response will be something like, Òobey the
law.Ó
ItÕs
unusual to think that Coleen Balzarini the City would request an
opinion from its insurance carrier about at Òwhat point do these accusations
turn into harassment or character assasination.Ó Coleen Balzarini
Kelly Audet is, of course, referring to suggestions of wrongdoing leveled
against certain City officials. Of course, this makes no sense, because if we
assume that someone in the audience were to slander, say, Coleen BalzariniÉooops,
Coleen Balzarini, the claim would be Ms. BalzariniÕs against the slanderer. It
wouldnÕt give rise to claims against the City. Would you call your auto
insurance carrier to ask whether you could sue your neighbor for trespassing?
No.
ItÕs unusual to think that the City would seek Òlegal guidanceÓ from someone other than its own attorneys or the Attorney General. Think about that for a minute. The City Attorney is well aware of the whole situation, including the Òinferno.Ó Why go to the CEO of an insurance company for your legal advice?
Hmm. RAMPANT SPECULATION ALERT:
ThatÕs
right, IÕm going to guess. IÕve had some dealings with City
Attorney, Dave Gliko, over the years and, as you might imagine, I do not always
agree with him. From what I can tell, though, I do think he understands that
citizens are allowed to stand up at City Commission meetings and complain,
bitch, and accuse. I am guessing that Dave Gliko gave Coleen Balzarini
Kelly Audet perfectly good legal advice, but it simply was not the advice Coleen
Balzarini Kelly Audet wanted to hear. Coleen Balzarini Kelly Audet
is damn sick and tired of being berated her boss being berated and if
ÒGliko wonÕt give us some ammo against those crazy loons, weÕll just call
someone who will!Ó
Oh sure,
Coleen Balzarini Kelly Audet could have gone to the Attorney
General, but then the City Commission would have had to vote on it. Can
you see the City Commission voting on seeking an Attorney General opinion allowing
the City to silence citizens opposed to City policies? That would be a tough
sell in a public hearing.
Obey the law.
It will be interesting to see what the MMIA has to say about all this.
This entry was posted on Saturday, September 6th, 2008 at 10:25 am and is filed under City Government, Open Government. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
2 Responses to ÒSomethingÕs Happening Here, What it is, AinÕt Exactly ClearÉÓ
. Pigdaddy Says: September 6th, 2008 at 4:41 pm Hahahahahaha!!! I think I got my chuckle for the day. Ms Balzarini, alias Kelly Audet, is actually trying to silence the crowd and Mr Doyon is basically going along with this because he knows what side his bread is buttered. HeÕll soon turn into a neutered City Manager. I can hear the Òyes maÕamsÓ being uttered. What a city!!
anonymous Says: September 6th, 2008 at 8:48 pm Lead, follow or get out of they wayÉsomebody better establish their authority here. Acts of desperation in ÔInferno CityÕ!!!