MASON CITY – The Mason City Human Rights Commission met Thursday afternoon and took on the question of deciding Lionel Foster’s immediate fate as Human Rights Director, a position he has held for about 40 years.
As the prospect of legal consequences loomed for terminating Foster prior to city funding running out on June 30th, Commissioners Steve Palmer and Brian McNamarra backed down from a motion they brought forward that would have axed Foster on May 15th, effectively terminating him early. Friend of the commission Kathy Gaines made the point that simply letting Foster stay on as director until funding runs out on June 30th would be “separating” the commission from Foster, versus an outright termination as Palmer and McNamarra had motioned for.
Commissioner Colleen Devine touched on the possible legal ramifications to the city for terminating Foster early, saying that a massive lawsuit could be brought against the city if caution is not exercised. “He may have a case anyway,” Devine said.
A city attorney, Randy Nielsen, was present but offered no legal advice to the commission on the matter, saying only that Foster should seek his own legal representation. Mayor Eric Bookmeyer was not in attendance, nor was City Administrator Brent Trout nor any City Council members as the commission grappled with this issue.
Foster again made it clear Thursday he has no intention of resigning nor retiring from his position as director. “I’m too young to retire,” he said.
After Palmer and McNamarra rescinded their motion to terminate Foster, talk then turned to keeping Foster around as a paid consultant. A committee of three commissioners was formed to look into the prospect of making Foster a paid consultant within the bounds of the $15,000 annual budget allowed by the city council. Foster did not comment specifically on whether he would be open to that opportunity should an offer be extended.
More to come.
Watch video of entire meeting:
I would like to see a list of names that would like to see Matt run for Mayor….right here thank you Jim Reed
Quinn will keep the Human Rights Commission….thank you.
Mason City got this way because too many citizen’s sit home in Nov.of every election year and don’t exercise their right to VOTE.It is just that easy.Blue collar,the backbone of this community need to rise up and take our local goverment back.Right now it’s just the so called (they think they are anyway) elite.Most of these people are outsiders with their own agenda.Starting with one of the worst Mayor’s we have every had.We had more people wanting to live here in the 60’s and 70’s then now, just look at the census over the years.
I think the city council needs overhauling, they getting to be a little “Gestapo”doing as they please, they don’t want any organization trying too undermine them,an there sneaky little plans. Men, without direction!
time to start over, correct the wrongs, move foreward,with honesty, an good leadership!!!an the respect of the community they should be Representing.
Let me make sure I got this right…..some of you are critical about the way the current Mason City Mayor and Council spend the tax dollars they are in charge of. But, some of you seem to give the impression you hope Mr. Foster does sue the city and some even go so far as to encourage Mr. Foster to “Take it to them.” Wouldn’t that be another lose of the very tax dollars you are so concerned about?
Maybe someone more familiar with the MCHRC can answer these questions for me; What year was it that Mr. Foster was appointed to his position on the commission for life? If the members of the MCHRC are appointed by the Mayor with City Council approval, who then has the authority to terminate those appointments?
Old Lionel is going to play this for all he can get and more power to him. They defunded his position so there is nothing to pay him with period. He will take the pittance severance pay they give him (doesn’t seem like much for all the years he put in) for all those years through many administrations. He will draw his maximum unemployment for the duration. (I doubt he will find a similar position for 80% of what he was making). When that is all used up he will have everything in place for his law suite and he will probably win on several different layers. Color and age being only tow of the reasons. Good luck Lionel. Take it to them.
You have to remember that over half the commissioners were appointed by Bookmeyer. So they are carrying out his agenda.
It is really sad. They want Mason City to be a progressive city, but they cut the department that helps them achieve that.
Good lord, if this is the brain power of this commission no wonder they cut the funding! Foster has no lawsuit! The funds dried up for his position – happens all the time in all kinds of government agencies! If he wants to stay on for a buck a year as a consultant, that’s fine. But he has NO CLOUT. When the funding is no longer available, he is no longer paid.
Boy, that was hard.
Poor people and their ‘rights’. Who do these people think they are? It’s always about who has the money and who doesn’t. Eric knows the score and why his wife makes more than yours. Period.
Don’t complain, this is the world you wanted. The war on the poor has gone on as long as the war on drugs. It’s legit to hate poor losers now.
Land lords over renters. Whites over blacks and browns..well I’m sure you ALL get the picture.
There is so much evidence that this was a personal vendetta by Bookmeyer winning a tort case against the city is a forgone conclusion. Then this group just keep digging themselves in deeper and deeper.
A real head shaker!!
Quite simply put, the total lack of leadership from City Hall, specifically from Mayor Eric Bookmeyer and all six city council members is embarrassing and staggering at this point. The fact that Bookmeyer and the council shunned this meeting today -after creating this fiasco in the first place- and offered no guidance nor leadership to this group of volunteers under the cloud of legal and moral consequences made me sad to be a citizen of Mason City. Mayor Eric Bookmeyer is a total and complete failure as mayor and it is embarrassing that this is the best candidate that the people of Mason City had to choose from in the last election. I can only say that I am glad that some of the commission seem to have the best intentions here, while it is becoming apparent to me that at least two commissioners are simply Bookmeyer plants with the sole intention of destroying Human Rights in Mason City as quickly as they can achieve it. It was obvious today that the commission needs some guidance and assistance from leaders with a decent moral compass as well as legal and other resources in moving forward – and City Hall is not delivering. Expecting the commission -that is simply there to work on human rights abuse cases- to sort out this mess is above the call of duty for them and really outside their expertise. This is what happens when there is no leadership, Mason City.