The Daily Sentinel from Grand Junction, Colorado • 1

Daily Sentinel Probe brings demotions, suspensions Grand Junction, Colo. Friday, Feb 20, 1976 20 pages Newsstand price 1 5c Jn. Ji Yl-rn By SUZANNE SINCLAIR Sentinel itaff writer Two Grand JuncUon police offlclali have been suspended because an investigation determined they were Involved In brawls. One, a lieutenant, has been demoted to the rank of sergeant. The action follows the convening of a police department panel to investigate the men.

The announcement of the actions came from the office of the city manager this morning. The lieutenant is Ron Smith, 33. In addition to the demotion, he was suspended for 10 days. Sgt. Jerry Frazier, 32, has been suspended for three days.

The incidents happened in two local bars late last year. Probation Both men will also be placed on probation for the nest six months. The hearing panel cited the men with conduct unbecoming an officer while off duty. The charge stems from two incidents involving Smith and one involving Frazier. According to Charles Teed, city information officer, an investigation conducted by police, and containing statements from witnesses showed that Smith was implicated in a disturbance at the Flamingo Lounge, 201 Colorado, on Dec.

25. The report cited Smith with acting In a ''belligerent and aggressive manner." The investigation disclosed that Smith allegedly grabbed a man and pushed him over a table. The table broke, Teed said. Another Incident In another incident at The Timbers, 1810 North on Nov. 25, both Smith and Frazier were involved in a fight, the report said.

Apparently Smith struck and pushed a man, while Frazier knocked a second man nearly unconscious," Teed said. During both incidents the men were off-duty. Teed said, City Manager Harvey Rose explained it was logical for the average man to respond as the officers did during the fights, but noted that a police officer should be above the behavior. The results of the hearing panel, held Wednesday, were reviewed by Capt. Ed VanderTook, acting police chief, and Rose to determine what disciplinary action would be taken.

Smith has been a city employe for the past 13 years and Frazier has been with the police department for the past year. Teed said the disciplinary action was effective starting today. -FI i I. I Rifle petitioners win city water rate battle Getting ready City crews started setting up booths today, in preparation for the 47th annual Lions Club carnival at Two Rivers Plaza Saturday night. Marc Omemik, left, and Bryan Carmack were among workers setting up the booths.

Proceeds will go to the Intermountain Veterans Memorial Park grandstand. Sentinel photo by Robert Grant Planner accused of lavish spending By CAROLYN GEORGESON Sentinel correspondent RIFLE The city council voted at a special meeting Thursday night to lower water and sewer rates by adopting a referendum petition which had been signed by some 300 local residents. Council members also announced the formation of a special citizens committee to work with the city Administration to further study an alternate rate proposal. At the first of the year, the council raised water rates from a quarterly minimum charge of $7.50 for the first 10,000 gallons to a monthly charge of $6 for the first 3,000 gallons used. The rate increase was made despite strong citizen opposition at three public meetings in December.

4 Last month, a petition was presented to get $2,500 in what he claims are past ver, when only five or six would have due wages from the state. been necessary, and including one ap- Skrbek was hired in July, 1974. In Au- pea ranee before the Joint Budget 1975, the Region 10 board fired mittee without the knowledge of either him, and refused to pay any more of his of the local entities or the state expenses, claiming little service and ex- along with all the gas costs. Durango by the bankrupt board. Neither Skrbek nor his lawyer, David Smith of Durango, could be contacted However, Skrbeks wife, Beverly, said all of the expenses were business-related, and said her husband had not been given any guidelines by the state.

to the council with 300 citizen signatures to put water charges back to the rate previously in effect After receiving the petition, the council had 30 days to adopt the ordinance or 60 days to hold a special election. Thursday night, the council voted to enact the petition without any council discussion before the vote. At the beginning of the meeting, Mayor William VanArsdale read a statement saying that after many hours of consideration the council had decided to lower the water rates. Due to the narrow scope of the petition, the council has been forced into a negative non-productive posture, the' mayor said. Tonight, we are going to adopt the referendum petition knowing that the rates are not adequate, said VanArsdale.

When asked by a reporter when the decision to lower the rates was made, the mayor replied that the council had held a work session the night before. After last nights meeting, two report ers asked mayor VanArsdale, about the Wednesday night work session. VanArsdale said that the council had legal alternatives to deal with in making their decision. He was then asked why the council did not do that at Thursday nights special meeting. Because we didnt want to, the mayor replied.

The second reading of the ordinance will be on March 3 at the regular council meeting. Salesmen worry officials Expenses The list of disallowed expenses show numerous meals at restaurants in the Denver area, hotel bills and gasoline. Also on the card were $795 in cash advances from banks, $440 in unsupported car rentals, $450 in unaccountable, mistaken and misuse of Master Charge, and $96 in duplicate meals costs, the auditors said. Checks totalling $598 were also disallowed, Quinn noted. Quinn and Murdock said the state has already spent an estimated $2,000 in audits, travel and other expenses trying to straighten out the regions problems because of the expenditures.

Other expenses include more than $2,000 in unpaid bills and two months1 back pay owed to Skrbeks secretary in salesmen that they represented the department, Patterson said. Patterson said Department caseworkers carry identification cards with pictures and clients who have any doubts should ask to see a card. The department would also like to have informa-' tion by which the salesmen could be identified, a description or car license number. Persons who are contacted should call the Department, the Sheriff, district attorney or Police, Patterson said. Two young insurance salesmen are apparently trying to take advantage of the communitys elderly citizens.

The situation was brought to light as a result of a disclaimer by Social Services director John Patterson that personnel from his Department are not selling policies to supplement Medicare insurance. The disclaimer was made in the wake of about 20 telephoned inquiries from old age pensioners who were given the impression by two young insurance By PAUL HATHAWAY Sentinel staff writer MONTROSE Eleven Western Slope counties cannot hire a criminal Justice planner as the result of $8,800 spending by former planner Tony Skrbek, who was accused Thursday night of numerous unnecessary trips to Denver, lavish meals, lodging at luxury hotels and questionable cash advances and voucher claims. That was the word from Paul G. Quinn, director of the Division of Criminal Justice, and Joe Murdock, assistant director, at a meeting of the Region 10 Criminal Justice Council. Quinn and Murdock had gone to Montrose primarily to review the six-county boards plans to hire a criminal justice planner.

They said questions about possible civil rights violations in the boards interviewing of applicants had been resolved and $14,350 was available from the state to match a $2,100 local budget for the next seven months. But then came the stickler. Quinn said Region 10, along with Region 9, based at Durango, would have to come up with $3,016 repayment to the state and federal governments for part of Skrbeks expenditures. Neither council has the money. Regions combined The two regions were combined during Skrbeks year as planner, in a shotgun wedding forced by the state.

It ended in a stormy divorce last fall. Quinn said Thursday he could not release the new planning money until the $3,016 in unauthorized expenses are repaid. He suggested that the two regions split the cost, possibly by reducing the amount of their current grants. However, if they do, there wont be enough money to hire a full-time planner. Board members said they are considering a lawsuit, to try and recover the $3,016 from Skrbek, and also questioned whether he should face criminal charges of misappropriation of funds.

At the same time, Skrbek is attempting cessive expenditures. He resigned from Region 9 in October, and is now working as a ski instructor at Durango. Complaints Region 10 members complained to the state of Skrbeks actions and expenses last summer, after Region 9 board members refused to take any action to stop him, they said. That resulted in Region 10 members being asked to leave a region 9 board meeting in Durango at one time. However, the complaints did result in a state audit of the Durango-based operation.

It also resulted in a list revealed Thursday of more than $6,800 worth of expenses the auditors said were not verified or authorized. These included $795 worth of cash advances to Skrbek of a Criminal Justice credit card; instances of paying for $28 lunches with the credit card and the filing cash vouchers for the same meals; claiming gasoline expenses, on a credit card, far in excess of what the odometer on his state-owned car indicated it could have used; unsupported car rental claims; and many others, according to the report. State problem It was partly a state problem we didnt keep close enough tabs on it, Quinn said. He was not director at that time. However, he said he did authorize payment of $3,800 of the expenses by the state as a conciliatory gesture to the local entities.

At one time, I contemplated paying it all out of our state budget, but the auditors said, Dont do it, he said. Wed have been hauled on the carpet by the feds when our audit was made if we did. Quinn said at the meeting among the expenses he paid were 39 trips to Den- Rose announces intent to resign Council will discuss filling city post longs to more than 40 organizations and boards. With the kind of time those responsibilities limit to each group, he said it only leaves time to have a soggy tunafish sandwich, say what you have to say and not much more. ant City Manager James Wysocki to be appointed.

Wysocki definitely would be considered for the job if he applies, the mayor said. After making his announcement Thursday, Rose said he is not sure what kind of job he will move to or when. He said he is considering offers from one west coast and two midwest cities as city manager, but isnt sure he would like to return to city managing. Ive deferred decisions on those matters. Rose also said he has looked into a variety of executive positions with corporations, mainly in the West.

-Taking his time- By RAY SULLIVAN Sentinel staff writer Grand Junction Mayor Larry Kozisek said today he expects to have the council meet in an executive session in the next 10 to 14 days to discuss what qualifications will be needed to fill the city managers post when Harvey Rose steps down. Rose made the announcement Thursday afternoon that he intends to resign as city manager later this year. No date of departure has been set yet, he said. Kozisek said he would hold the closed session if the rest of the council goes along with him but said he feels it would' be best because an affordable salary range would likely come up in the meeting. He said the recruitment wont begin until Rose gives notice of a departure date and then advertisements would be run in municipal government and public manager publications around the country.

Kozisek said he hopes to have a 60 to 90 day notice from Rose so the selection process for his successor could be well under way when he leaves. It would take up to 60 days to pare the applications down to four or five finalists, he estimates. Screening committee A screening committee made up of city council members would do the initial application review, narrowing the list to about 20 candidates, with the entire elected body choosing the finalists, Kozisek said. He said after background checks are run the finalists would be called in for personal interviews- possibly taking another two weeks. Overall, this stage could take another 60 days, drawing the entire process out to four months, Kozisek said.

If an interim city manager were needed, he said he would expect Assist Commissioners accept bristle-bustle challenge Commissioners Chairman Maxine Aubert smiled and said she had no comment. Commissioner Howard Roland, who already sports a healthy growth of beard, looked pleased. Clean-shaven Commissioner Lawrence Aubert said hed rather grow a bustle than a beard. They were reacting to the resolution prepared for the Grand Junction City Council and administration, who challenged the Mesa County Commissioners, Dist. 51 School Board and administrators and the Mesa College Administration to a bristle-by-bristle and bustle-by-bustle match.

Commissioners received the city council resolution this week and indicated theyll go along with the challenge. They will send back a resolution of their own, Mrs. Albers said. The beard-growing and bustle-wearing contest is all a part of the Centennial-Bicentennial Celebration in which Colorado and America are taking part this year. City councils male members have been growing beards and mustaches, and its female member has been wearing a bustle to meetings for about the past month.

Im going to take my time looking for two reasons; one, there are a number of things I want to finish before I leave, and two, I dont want to rush my decision, he explained. The only time limit he mentioned was he would decide this year. He said projects he was referring to are the proposed sign code, establishing rules and regulations for some of the city operating departments, the third phase of the Orchard Mesa sewer project, the development of a second regional sewage treatment plant and protecting city water resources. Rose ruled out the controversy over former Police Chief Ben Meyers effectiveness as having anything to do with his announcement. That's nothing.

Weve dismissed people and seen them resign many, many times, he noted. Because Meyers was a department head was the only reason he got more publicity, he added. Rose, 30, pointed out that an individual reaches a point when he becomes counterproductive and the wise man recognizes it and makes plans to move on. He summed up some of the frustrations of, the position by saying he be- A Five-year toast City Manager Harvey Rose makes a champagne toast to friends in Grand Junction City Council Chambers Thursday afternoon after announcing he intends to resign this year. Rose has been city manager since December 1972 and came here from Anaheim, Calif, in 1970.

Sentinel photo 4.