From: Bill DeLoughy [mailto:Bill.DeLoughy@ci.st-marys.ga.us]
Sent: Monday, June 21, 2010 10:46 AM
To: Chuck Trader; Deborah Hase; Sidney Howell; John Morrissey; Greg.Bird@tds.net; Keith Post
Cc: Bill Shanahan
Subject: MMST
To All,
I recently met with Shelia Mc Neil and David Keating with respect to retaining our MMST in St. Marys. The Camden Partnership is planning to go to Washington to lobby for retention of this program. Since this program is vital to the well being of St. Marys they are planning to make several trips to DC for the purpose of retaining this unit. The city was asked to sponsor one trip at a cost of approximately $1,500. We can donate this money to the JDA to act as our consultant on this matter. Bill S. has checked our budget and advised me that there are funds available for this purpose. Both Camden Partnership as well as the JDA has been advised that our sponsorship is to be used only for the MMST program.
Please let me know if you will support this effort ASAP. I will authorize this expenditure if there are no major objections.
From: Greg Bird [mailto:Greg.Bird@ci.st-marys.ga.us]
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 3:30 PM
To: Bill DeLoughy; Chuck Trader; Deborah Hase; Sidney Howell; John Morrissey; Greg.Bird@tds.net; Keith Post
Cc: Bill Shanahan; Gary Moore (gmoore@tosclaw.com)
Subject: RE: MMST
Hello Bill
I believe this should be decided before an open meeting of council. We might want a legal opinion as to whether this could be construed as a straw poll and conducting an illegal meeting by using the internet. Better to be safe than sorry. I am not in favor of donating tax dollars to Camden Partnership even though I fully support our MMST. Keith Post has taken the lead for us in this area and has done an excellent job in my opinion. If we want to do more then let us meet before the public on it.
Thanks,
Greg
From: Keith Post
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 11:38 AM
To: Bill DeLoughy
Cc: CityCouncilMembers; Bill Shanahan; Gary Moore; sheilamcneill@bellsouth.net
Subject: MSST Lobbing Effort Funding
Mayor –
It is my understanding that you have the authority to authorize this expenditure, with or without our say-so. That being said, I do appreciate you wanting to know the thoughts of Council informally before you make a decision to expend City Funds.
I will defer to our City Attorney the issue Councilman Bird raised as to whether you can ask our opinion on an issue by email about a decision you want to make. I hope that is not wrong, for if it is not allowed, you and I having a conversation in the hallway about something will be the next thing to go. Soon we will have to drive down different roads to avoid being in the same proximity to each other.
I do want to make an important point as to Councilman Bird’s framing of this situation. I do not consider this request for financial support a ‘donation’ to the Camden Partnership. Sheila McNeill, as you know, is President of the Partnership and she has been the lead in this fight to stop the Obama Administration from cutting the USCG Budget which includes closing our MSST (Maritime Safety and Security Team).
I was asked by Council to be the lead man in the City’s effort to stop the closure of the MSST, and I do appreciate Councilman Bird's kind words in that regard to my service in that capacity. I have kept the council informed with periodic updates formally at Council meetings of the goings on both here and in DC. I have provided copies of letters to all of council that our Senators and Congressman have jointly signed with others from other parts of the country. This has not come about due to my efforts, this has come about due to the enormous amount of respect and accessibility Sheila is afforded on Capitol Hill, at the Pentagon and at Coast Guard Headquarters. As I stated to you earlier, at a national meeting of the Navy League In Washington DC the begin of this month, it was Sheila who was singled out and recognized by the new Commandant of the Coast Guard for our efforts. No one else from anywhere else in the country was afforded this recognition.
I consider this expenditure of $1500. a small investment in her efforts on OUR BEHALF on Capitol Hill, compared to the amount she has actually spent, not only in resources but in her time. I can tell you that I cannot afford to make all the trips she is making. I personally paid for my trip to Washington, DC as part of the Chamber Fly-In as the President of the Navy League in April where we visited with the Coast Guard at their HQ, and also had the opportunity to meet with CG Staff at a dinner. I helped write the letter you signed in support of our efforts, and I wrote and signed a letter to the Commandant as President of the Navy League.
This is a fight we must win. To question making a $1500. investment to assist in the expenses of trips to DC that Sheila is making to lobby on our behalf, when we stand to lose $231,000 in rent alone as a city not to mention the 8 Million Dollar impact to our county and area, is almost ludicrous. The partnership has asked Kingsland and Woodbine for support as well, and how embarrassing will it be for us if they make a commitment before we do. This is the right thing for us to do.
I hope you will move forward to assist the Partnership in their efforts to save our MSST.
Keith
Keith F. Post, Councilman
City of St. Marys
418 Osborne Street
St. Marys, Georgia 31558
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