MASON CITY – A confidential memo connected to the suspension of Mason City Fire Chief Al Dyer may have been leaked by at least one elected official – either the mayor or a city council member – and that leak could put the city at risk for legal ramifications.
NIT reported last week that Mason City Fire Chief Al Dyer may be under administrative suspension. Although we believed our sources at the time, NIT could not definitively report that the suspension was in force, because Interim City Administrator Kevin Jacobson went by the book and refused to divulge details.
“No comment,” and then silence, was all Mr. Jacobson would offer on Dyer’s predicament when questioned by NIT on November 7.
City Council member Paul Adams told NIT Publisher Matt Marquardt he had no prior knowledge of Dyer’s situation that day, as well.
Then, days later, KIMT-TV subsequently reported that Dyer IS under suspension with pay, and published a city hall memo proving it (see full screenshot, below). The memo from Interim City Administrator Kevin Jacobson dated November 2 says that Dyer is under “Administrative Leave” and is under investigation. The “To:” field on the memo has been whited-out – to protect the identities of the recipients. In the memo, the recipients are given explicit instructions not to discuss the matter with anyone, including city staff, the fire department employees or the chief himself. Doing so, the memo warns, could put the city in legal jeopardy. City Councils almost always go into closed-session to discuss job performance issues, due to the highly-confidential nature of those talks and the potential damage that can be done to the subject’s future job prospects. Public disclosure of an employee’s alleged activities or actions taken against the employee can open up the city to legal ramifications, for which taxpayers could be liable.
On Saturday evening, NIT discussed these developments with Mr. Jacobson. He was distraught and surprised that the memo had been leaked, and that NIT knew of it. He disclosed that only seven people had been given the highly-confidential memo, which was sent via email: Mayor Eric Bookmeyer and all six council members – Paul Adams, Bill Schickel, John Lee, Travis Hickey, Joshua Masson and Janet Solberg. The only other person with explicit knowledge of the suspension was Human Resources Director Perry Buffington, who was not given the memo.
“I am protecting myself as best I can,” Mr. Jacobson told NIT. “These were the only seven people who received the memo.” He confirmed to NIT that the leak had to come from at least one of those 7 individuals.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said. “I hate that I am put in this position.”
After Dyer was put on suspension – for alleged reasons NIT cannot yet report – Deputy Fire Chief David Johnson was told that department staff was to report to him, moving forward. Mr. Jacobson says Mr. Johnson did not ask why, and no explanation was given.
NIT will report more on this developing story when prudent.
Why are’nt more elected officials doing jail time ? Seems to be that’s where most of the crime/thefts are occuring – Jeff Sessions please visit our area – county north of lawless cerro gordeo – you know the one with the Mall of America skating rinks.
Duh what? My teacher was John Lee and he kept that one to himself
The point IS only a few thousand vote in this town and we know who they are so it is really no big feat winning anything around here if you suck up to any one of the voters you are IN!!!!!! Yes anything that goes down with the council is all because same said group voted them in. Simple.
If you don’t vote…. don’t whine.
I don’t see what the big deal is. The memo didn’t say anything we didn’t all know already.
Still something doesn’t smell right. Lee said he ran into someone shopping and spilled the beans. How does that translate into the actual memo being looked at or published ?
I don’t understand, why are we mad at NIT and a councilman? I am a taxpayer, why is a city employee making well north of 100.000 dollars unable to work? Don’t I as the one paying the salary deserve to know??
If it’s a private affair why is NIT yappin about it? Oh that’s right…it’s food for mayor council slamming. No wonder you hateful NIT WITS can’t win. You hate MC. You weren’t friends with former administrater but now you have brunch with the big mouth NITwit interim. Isn’t that speeeeeecial.
There is nothing honest when it comes to government – It’s all hush hush and money laundering for the benefit of government and its employees – some of the peons down the ladder are hard workers then you also have the -you can’t fire me chitheads who are liberal morons and easily manipulated for the benefit of the controllers.
here we go again, when is the city going to smart up and hire from within instead of searching for boneheads. they hired schlieper for chief and lasted 2 yrs and then left with a hefty sum of money, they hired lashbrook for chief and although he didn’t make front page, did he really do anything?? now they hire whats his name for police chief and in less then two yrs he is looking for a different job and now the fire chief, whats next. thousands and thousands of dollars spent to a search firm, and from past it looks like they don’t do a real good job of that. what happened to the men and women in that occupation that want to move up, not much of a incentive to do that when they know the top position wont be available to them. Hire within, city you know what they are capable of and going outside is a real slap in the face especially when they put a person in the spot temporarly until a new chief is hired, that’s a real slap in the face,, Im good enough to fill the spot temp while a new one is hired, if I was them I wouldn’t work for a city that trusted me to do it temp but not full time, id look for a city that wanted me. WAKE UP MAYOR AND COUNCIL . current employees who have been around 20 – 25 yrs arnt going to go looking for a job elsewhere or they would have done it yrs ago, they want to work and live here and are making it a career. Don’t slap more in the face.
Just wanted to inform you that a person put in charge temporarily is usually the next in line (seniority). But that doesn’t mean they are qualified for the job. The position has specific requirements that must be met to be the permanent chief. So being “acting” chief doesn’t automatically make you qualified. Look at the resume!!!
Hogwash. Historically departments and companies promoted from within. It was the big prize, the reason to do a great job. To become Chief, or President. Do you see Masons in Iowa looking to Masons in California to pick their Grandmasters? In sports we find the phenomena of recruiting outsiders to win games, and I’ve always found the practice dishonest. Why would Florida kids come up to Iowa and pretend they are Iowans now? Sometimes in cases of corruption and stasis it is necessary to look elsewhere, but by doing so you are telling your own workers they aren’t good enough or worthy. It is a demoralizing factor. EXCEPT, as in the case of Pete Roth, a former Captain or Lieutenant now becomes Chief. Keep it Local…unless you live in Alabama.
excellent points. all of them.
Well, Bubba, guess you need to find out what happened to the two qualified candidates from within the fire dept. They interviewed four and two were from the fire dept. WTH ?!?! I totally agree they should have hired from within.
I agree promotions and hiring should come from within. Mason City isn’t the only city that has been seeking elsewhere for high positions. I know of another city doing it. Personally I think it is an insult to those who currently serve and give their best. They also know the city and the people because they have lived there awhile and are respected.
anyone knows just why they keep doing this? bad past experiences with inbred department culture? or just plain sloth? as pointed out by others its a demoralizing practice that should be avoided unless necessary.
LEAKER RESIGN NOW
He’s already going to be off the council, since he didn’t run again, but your point is valid.
No. Lee’s seat wan’t up. He’s got another two years.
John Lee has breached his duty as a public officer and should resign from the council without further delay. We now face an apparent public legal liability because of his loose lips. All he had to do is simply follow legal counsel’s advice and keep this information to himself, but he chose to do it his way. Please step down, John.
Apparently you never heard McKesson s dirty little union busting secret out of Wisconsin. Of course you didn’t. It’s because the city council in Clear Lake kept it for them. When a city is up to no good, it is the civic, moral, and ethical obligation for anyone with knowledge to speak up. If confidentiality is required, then leaking is the primary line of defense. Secret keepers, are synonymous with mafia, gang, and cult members. We need transparency, not a shadowy dishonest consortium of men who think they know better. All of Clear Lake’s govt. needs to resign for the dirty secret they kept for Mckesson. When they get away with things, they only feel emboldened.
Keep your ignorant hater attitude out of Clear Lake. They are doing fine. They got huge business there didn’t they? And JOBS. More than can be said for MC. They only kept the name secret and that was legal for them to do.
even though mr lee does not represent my ward, i hope he sticks around despite this mistake. being a councilman is an ungrateful job and it attracts some unfit individuals – just look at the current board composition. john lee has during his tenure shown have integrity and passion, qualities that imo trumps the lack of judgement he displayed this one time. really; how many others of the recipients can you imagine would have owned their mistake like he did had it been them?
LEE Ward 1 Representative. Put him on LEAVE!!!! Ignoramous, and he’s a teacher? Blatant loose lips and just dumb.
With all the voters, you know the 3 Or 4 thousand out of 20000 Thousand that vote are responsible for every crook, sneaky lying, shady dummy we have or are going to get and their decisions.
Mason City Voters are seriously dumb too!
Only the beginning….more on the way. Can’t wait. Love tails between legs, least the core 3 will be gone.
“the 3 Or 4 thousand out of 20000 Thousand that vote are responsible for every crook”
if you had finished high school your civics teacher would have explained to you that failure to vote does not free you of your personal responsibility for every shitty decision made by your elected officials. the only citizen who can possible wash his hands is he who DID vote, but for the other guy.
Globe has it out that John Lee admits to leaking the memo out.
Globe and KIMT both out scoop the NITwit master Matt. Again
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE…..taxpayers deserve to know what the F.C. did! “Paid administrative leave’ for doing something questionable/corrupt is absurd !
Bookmeyer has nothing to lose. This will end with a lawsuit, compliments of ‘bookie’, probably intentional……nothing for him to lose…..
I feel strongly about this, they should have filled the position within with local people that know the community. Plenty of good choices. This has nothing to do with trump or Clinton, republican or democrats. These council members are just as devided as the rep and dem. Come on people, this is mason city not New York City.What happened to our midwest values?
AGREE 100%. A local selection also would have saved $-thousands in wasted ‘searching expenses’. Typical government waste at its ugliest !
The only toxic element in this story is Marquardts sensationalism, half baked truth, gossip, spite and innuendo.
L. P forgot to add: (Just the facts) !!
LP wrote half baked – hehehe!
It’s how he sells his subscrptions to “nitwits”.
The name whited out is Mayor Bookmeyer. Those two “y’s” are the only possibility in our elected officials with letters in their title and name that fits the leaked memo!
mayor@masoncity.net fits the two y’s hanging down that are not blocked out.
Good detective work. I noticed the two y’s also, but I was trying to compare them to names. If it is the mayor that leaked this to the media, against the instructions of the administrator, charges should be brought against him if possible. Sure says something about his character, but most of us already knew that.
The whited out part is not a specific name but a general group. Something like – city council and city officials.
Well, it really didn’t say anything specifically about not speaking with the press.
Your just joking right. ” In the memo, the recipients are given explicit instructions not to discuss the matter with anyone” That seems pretty specific to me, a sidewalk lawyer.
Kangaroo court
It is obvious Janet Solberg name that is whited out l. Only name that has two letters that fall below the space line.
Might want to clean your specs Nunya……
And it looks to me as if it could be Mayor Bookmeyer. Both y’s go beneath the line.
Fire chief is in HOT WATER!
You NITwits can out spin Bill O. The drama and back and forth here are priceless. Once again you all took the Marquardt bait hook line and sinker. NIT will report more on this developing story when prudent! Hahahehe
Here we go again!
Just wondering, is the person that leaked this information the same person whose name is covered up on the memo.
Explosive. Whoever did the leaking should resign and be sued. PS don’t let the culprit back in the courthouse on Dec 5 to count votes! Talk about letting the fox guard the henhouse!
Hard to tell which one of the weasels let this out.
@ anonymight – ok so you say the NIT ain’t the New York Times okay, well the NIT is better then the New York Times this is why we read NIT not the New York Times you fool.
The New York Times is for enemys of good people like lives here in Mason I bet you them powers that be around here, they all read the New York Times to, what about that fool.
The New York Times was for Hillary they was for Obummer they hate our super pres. Mr Trump alot of them kind reads that rag they don’t even go to church on Sundays fool.
Do you go to church on Sundays fool. We just got back.
Nice work Matt!!!
Narrow the field to the democraps and pick anyone of them.
So bonehead, how did you come to receive a copy of this memo. Leaked can mean a lot of things including someone took it from the desk of one of the recipients, in other words stolen.
At any rate it takes a sleaze to profit from the personal problems of others. This news could have waited until an official determination of some sort is released about the situation instead of publishing the man’s difficulties. It may amount to nothing.
The New York Times you aint.
A “stolen” memo. Explain to me how an email is “stolen”? Maybe Hillary can help you with that. Matt didn’t print what the guy did, just that he’s suspended. I guess you were suspended when they taught reading comprehension.
Can you read at all. The article says KIMT reported. What a fool. You will do anything including lying to try and discredit N.I.T.
Do you not see the Screenshot of the KIMT web page???
Are you that blind or just that stupid???
You know this here is why we love the NIT, you guys get the good storys no body else can do or they like to sweep the real news under the rug. Good going Mr Markward, keep up this great work.
The “YES” team said “YES” to leaking damaging memo? I fully trust them and their 2 stooge candidates with $38.77 million project.
Wait. Is Dyer great buddies with “Brian” from KIMT? Did I see them at FION? Or was that a plaid shower curtain wrapped around a cue ball?
I see Silvio from the Sopranos is your ward 4 councilman. Scary.