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Deputy escorts ‘out of order’ resident out the door
By J. Patrick Eaken
Press Staff Writer
news@presspublications.com
Shortly after Tuesday’s Jerusalem Township meeting opened for public comment, trustee chairman Joe Gray informed the first resident to speak that she was out of order and asked her to leave a packed meeting room in the fire hall.
The resident, Sandy Nissen, is a former board member with the Jerusalem Senior Center and the township food pantry, and former editor of the township newsletter, the JerusalemJournal. Nissen was the first resident on the trustees’ list requesting to make public comment.
Nissen alleged during the meeting the only reason she was dismissed was that Gray was avoiding answering her questions.
Nissen asked three questions — (1) Why did Gray make a motion for equipment for the fire department, isn’t that the fire chief’s job? (2) Why was trustee Joe Kiss not being informed about new policies the trustees were voting on? (3) Why was the trustee’s assistant, Karen Rogalski, allowed to write her own job description?
“Is this more of your micromanaging?” Nissen said.
Gray responded, “You know what, you have to be removed. Get the security of the township.”
A sheriff’s deputy asked Nissen to leave the meeting room, and Nissen responded, “What are you going to do, put me in (hand) cuffs?”
The deputy approached Nissen and the former board member/editor got up from her seat and accompanied him out of the meeting room without resistance, but with a few choice words.
“Mr. Gray, you are disgusting. (Trustee) Mr. (Rodney) Graffis, you are a bobblehead,” Nissen said while walking out the door.
Jim Chapman, father of former Jerusalem fire chief Kevin Chapman, voluntarily followed Nissen into the parking lot, where both remained until the hour-long meeting ended.
“I have no wish to be part of this kangaroo court,” Chapman said, drawing applause from most of the residents in attendance.
But one woman responded that “not all of us feel that way,” making it clear that she supported Gray and Graffis.
Later during the public comment session, the same woman said she was upset about reading newspaper articles saying township cell phone records were to be made available to the public. She supports township officials being allowed to pay half their township cell phone bill.
At the trustees meeting two weeks earlier, Gray and Graffis said they were paying half the cell phone bill because they occasionally made or received personal calls. The policy was set by the township, and township attorney John Borell says the plan is legal.
But trustee Joe Kiss, who was elected in November on a policy of fiscal responsibility, has volunteered to pay his entire cell phone bill. This woman supported Gray’s and Graffis’ right to follow township policy and did not believe the cell phone records should be made public.
“I don’t think efficiency should be a requirement for township trustees,” the woman said. “I believe that paying half your bill is enough. I don’t see what purpose it would serve to publish those — it’s a violation of my privacy. I’d prefer that my residential number and my cell number be withheld. I feel I should be able to get in touch with any township resident and I feel that paying half your bill is fair.”
Public records requests regarding financial documents have been issued to the township by residents, The Press, and The Blade, said fiscal officer Julie Van Ness. Both newspapers have published articles about trustees paying township cell phone bills.
At no time has The Press or other media published township cell phone numbers. The woman supporting Gray and Graffis also criticized The Press for coverage of township meetings.
“I read what used to be a fine newspaper, which is The Press,” the woman said. “They were the ones who were talking about that. But they are turning the township into a soap opera so they can sell newspapers, and they are selling a ton of newspapers.”
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