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http:// --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Local Issues Obituaries Weather Archive Revels Etcetera Backpage Hot Topics Most Viewed Forum Photo Galleries Video Readers Polls O-Zone Online Games Movie Preview Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Hottest Galleries: October 1, 2007 Ashland to pay counselor $37,000 to counsel the council Staff and wire report ASHLAND — The fractured Ashland City Council found something its members can agree on. They need help. The city has hired a counselor to help the councilors learn to work together and restore some civility to their interactions. Rick Kirschner, an Ashland naturopath who has written several books about the art of persuasion and human relationships, will meet with the council later this week in the first of a five-month series of therapy sessions. Taxpayers will foot the $37,000 bill. The council’s cry for help was highlighted last month when Councilman David Chapman told Councilman Eric Navickas to “shut your f——— mouth” during a discussion about council rules. Chapman said he was frustrated with how the session was progressing. He said the issue has taken them more than a year to debate with little progress. “I just lost my temper,” Chapman said. “He’s lost his temper with me before. We kind of take turns.” Navickas acknowledged losing his temper in the past, but said, “I can’t think of a time in a public meeting where I’ve used that strong of language towards another councilor.” Councilman Russ Silbiger said he hopes the upcoming counseling sessions will improve things. “Could it be any worse?” he asked. “Anyone watching any meeting can see the divisions.” Ashland City Administrator Martha Bennett said the $37,000 is money well spent if it means restoring civility to the council. “It may seem like a lot of money,” she said. “But if the council doesn’t function, the city doesn’t function.” But the cost seems excessive to many of the people who have commented about the news on the Web site for the Ashland Daily Tidings newspaper. Some questioned why the contract wasn’t put out to bid, and others wondered if the sessions violate open meetings laws. “This is absolutely, positively the LAST STRAW!” wrote one poster. “Why should we taxpayers foot the $37,000 bill for therapy? If these people cannot get along like adults, then they shouldn’t be in these jobs.” ——— Current Comments: To see how enraged citizens really are, look at the comments at: http://www.dailytidings.com/2007/0926/stories/0926_councilors.php This article has has close to 2500 viewers, and the number is growing. Lester Lester - Ashland OR - October 1st, 9:33 AM �The city doesn�t function�-�Tourism is a curse�-Councilors N/H&H hate downtown businesses-calls them �Nazis, bigots and profilers.� City supports legal action/obstruction against MAA, destination resorts and building projects. No cooperate with TAP, sewer or regional planning. AFN boondoggle and parking are to be ignored again; A list of goals that are a joke while department heads and staff quit in droves. This is way past counseling! Total meltdown and incompetence comes to mind! mad as___ - ashland - October 1st, 9:50 AM To summarize: 1. the expenditure was not made according to Chapter 2 of the Municipal Code; 2. City has reduced services in other areas due to "lack of budget"; 3. a recall would be only slightly more expensive; 4. it's probably the City Administrator's job to keep the Council in line; 5. for most citizens, this is the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back". Raise taxes for a library? Well-intentioned. Counseling a Council who's too thick-headed to resign? Waste of my tax dollars. Richard Cranium - Ashland OR - October 1st, 9:57 AM This sickens me This is wrong This is against the law This was a rash decision Who determined the dollar amount? Is the consultant qualified or just available? The council is in contempt to its citizenship I went from neutral on the council to having absolutely no respect for them or city staff. I am ashamed to be living in Ashland. This is something I expect Karl Rove, Cheney, and Bush to do not our City Council. Vegetarian Rambo - Ashland - October 1st, 10:16 AM You know the City is dysfunctional when we can not even get fountains working; the duck pond clean and weeds have take over the sidewalks along N. Main--- not to mention the laundry list of failures/needs like hooking up to TAP. It is obviously no one is left who knows how to run a city. We have filed legal actions at every turn, exhibit no cooperation with our neighbors and waste millions on failure without the courage to correct our own mistakes. The only hope left is an election or recall! on and on - ashland - October 1st, 10:21 AM Ms. Bennett is quite wrong. Civility is NOT the issue here. A functioning city government is what's important. I fear that, as often happens, absolutely no one will be held accountable for the $$ paid to a consultant. Fellow citizens, don't waste your time raging any longer. Instead, channel your energy into remembering all of this at election time. We will never get to the bottom of this. At the next election, vote against ALL of these miscreants. patrick - ashland, or. - October 1st, 10:59 AM $37,000? It would be much less expensive if council members could act like adults rather than children. Perhaps if the well-being of the City were their priorities, rather than their own individual agendas, they could get something done. Cameron Hanson - Ashland - October 1st, 11:13 AM Wow, I cannot believe the people are letting this one go. This gov. does not follow their own rules. MT.A, murals, codes, and on and on. I have to wonder if the recent ballot passed at .58 per is going to help pay for this. Ashland, you folks are in deep trouble. And I must add that I was shocked, I say shocked at the teen age drinking down your way. Some how I saw this coming with the teens running the city there. Just WOW!!! Ashland Blade - Talent,OR - October 1st, 11:37 AM Here's how I do the math: $1,000 per day--which as the current consulting market goes is not an unprecedented sum (though many will argue that it is excessive)--equals 37 days of services. Or, he charges far more than $1,000/day. Doesn't 37 days of work OR a fee of >$1,000/day seem more than a bit excessive? (Insert joke here about how 50, 100 or 200 days of therapy will not cure this insufferable bunch of so-called leaders.) Every councilor, bar none, lacks humility. It's truly a tragedy. do the math? - Ashland, OR - October 1st, 11:37 AM This will be one time you "Ashland Resident(s) since the Big Bang" cannot jump all over my case for being brand-spankin' new here and opening my "too-new-to-know-anything" yap. I am so glad I haven't lived here long enough to possibly be held responsible for electing any of these public officials who "need" this "professional" help. It's a shame that your tax $$$ is being this way. I would suggest the voting majority needs therapy too; can they attend the sessions? More bang for the buck?!!?? EC - Ashland since Aug.07 - October 1st, 12:23 PM Take the pledge with me on this one, I will vote against each and every one of the councilors/mayor who support wasting my tax money on this. Forget about calculating for the consultant, he's a new age phony from the get go. It is your agenda's that are at cross purposes, I don't care if you stick your tongues out at each other or call each other a special name from time to time. Run the city! Not MAA, not AFN, not affordble housing studies. You are embarrassing us. Stop it. DS - Ashland Oregon - October 1st, 12:55 PM $38K spent for counselling? The principals involved---Navikas and Chapman by most accounts--- should either resign immediately (my preference) or foot the bill themselves as individuals. The taxpayer should not have to pay for the peccadillos of individuals who can't or won't behave professionally and maturely. KD - ashland - October 1st, 1:01 PM Y'know, I'm starting to think that Therapygate is just about the best thing that possibly could have happened to our little town. Ashlanders who, a week ago, wouldn't have even been able to name one member of the council are now politically aware. The childish, narrow-minded, self-centered stupidity of our local leadership has been put on full view for everyone in the city, the state, and the COUNTRY to see. I love it! Regis - Ashland, OR - October 1st, 1:12 PM Does Ashland have a mayor? The normal reference to the mayor states that he did not attend the meeting or that he is unavailable for comment. If a mayor does exist, shouldn't he be leading all council sessions and insisting that council members show respect for each other? It would be wonderful if we could hold an election shortly and vote out all the council members who seem to have no idea that compromise is the art of politics. But, more importantly, a new mayor is needed desperately. Bill Anderson ( [email protected] ) - Ashland - October 1st, 1:17 PM I am with you DS. This is not about left and right. It is about right and wrong! Ashland, call home your embarrassing us all! MOM - ashland - October 1st, 1:22 PM I saw the Mayor getting on a plane last Tuesday morning. Perhaps he was getting out of Dodge. Cameron Hanson - Ashland - October 1st, 3:30 PM What gives? This story had the stuff to be #1, but by 3:50 PM on 10/1 it's gone from the website page, I can only find because I bookmarked it. Would be nice of you to leave it up for a while. I'd like to think the council & staff take some note of what the reaction is to their current plan. DS - Ashland Oregon - October 1st, 3:49 PM "Ashland City Administrator Martha Bennett said the $37,000 is money well spent if it means restoring civility to the council." Attagirl, Martha, we do so admire civility. Truly spoken by a hack spending someone else's money. Martha, your career slurping at the public trough stands you in good stead. May I conduct a bake sale for these dolts? They may need additional group-groping-hug-a-thon sessions conducted by the naturoscociopath. CIVILITY (if not maturity) RULES! Fenian - Ashland Ashamedly - October 1st, 4:23 PM Mothers of Ashland City, heed the warning before it's too late! Watch for the telltale signs of corruption! Is there a nicotine stain on the index finger your little councilor waves at his fellow councilors? Is he starting to memorize nasty diatribes from Captain Billy's Whiz-Bang? Are certain words creeping into his conversation? Words like that require Barry Bonds asterisks? If so my friends, ya got trouble! Sign the little troglodyte up for my civility therapy group grope for only $37,000. Professor Harold Hill - Noted Naturosociopath - October 1st, 5:16 PM Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising: Debt Help Inkjet Printers Payday Loans Free Ringtones Debt Consolidation Security Systems Debt Relief New Hampshire Primary Advertisement: Copyright © 2007 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved. Del.icio.us