By Anne Thom

Barbara Wilson, Stacy resident and wife of Councilor Bud Wilson, presented 43 questions on a three-page document to the Stacy City Council last Tuesday evening. Wilson's questions were about the job that Liquor Operations Manager Brian Hachey is doing.

Among many other things, Wilson maintained that Hachey is "unapproachable by everyone" and is responsible for the poor financial performance of the bar. Wilson read her entire list of questions during the public comment time. "These are my personal opinions based on information I received from public meetings." Wilson's statement read, "I do expect the questions to be answered soon (before 2008). I'm looking for accountability from the city.

Some of the council members need to answer these questions, all are entitled to their perspective. Please remit these answers (to the entire list of 43 questions) in writing to me, call to pick up or mail the answers to me," read the closing paragraph. The council waited for Wilson to finish reading even though she had exceeded the five minute allotment of time.

The council deferred to the mayor to respond. Mayor John Daher said, "A lot of the facts you stated as facts are not...factual." The majority of the council had already voted on a change in liquor operations management at a meeting Oct. 30.

Councilor Mel Aslakson reminded everyone that Hachey will be replaced as bar manager as of Jan. 1, 2008 and will go back to the position he was originally hired to as manager of the off-sale Stacy Wine and Spirits. Applications for the bar manager position will be reviewed this weekend. The council moved to hold a meeting to discuss hiring on Nov. 29 at 7 p.m.

Hachey was not present, however a dozen or so liquor operations employees were as Wilson read her statement and then they had the last word. Bar employee Margaret St. Sauver said, "What Barbara Wilson said is not true." The council didn't immediately address how and by when they would respond to Wilson's 43 questions.

Liquor Operations Accountant Amy Joslin didn't fully agree with Wilson either. Joslin sat down at the table to discuss the balance sheets which did reflect a profit for the last month, but she explained that is because pull tab revenue has been reallocated for the entire year. Joslin said the bar showed a loss for October anyway due to higher music and bar entertainment costs.

The off-sale did show a profit but Joslin didn't state what that figure is. Councilor Tony Olivolo and Councilor Wilson have been asking for detailed accounting of liquor operations revenue since they took office earlier this year. Olivolo had made a trip to Lindstrom to find out how to obtain some of the information the software that runs the bar registers might hold. In particular Wilson has been asking for what are known as X and Z tapes, register tapes which can be run to show subtotals and total sales.

The council was advised that the manager from Lindstrom said she is able run X and Z tapes and she would be happy to come out to Stacy to do that. Daher said that Hachey had discussed this with the Lindstrom manager also and Hachey is happy to have someone help Stacy out with the accounting system. Daher said, "I want to clarify there's been an ongoing problem with accounting system (registers). It's been an ongoing problem with that company."

It was explained that when the bar opened two years ago and the registers were installed, the city had been unhappy with the equipment and the training provided by Total Register Systems. Former Mayor Michael Carlson finally had to call on the company himself to try to get this resolved. Joslin verified this for the newer members of the council and she and City Clerk Sharon Payne reminded the council that the city had withheld payment to the vendor. Payne said she periodically receives an invoice for $5000 but has not paid it because the problems with the cash registers have never been fixed. Aslakson requested that City Attorney Peter Grundhoefer take on the issue at this point so it can be resolved.

Grundhoefer will pick up that file and draft a letter to the vendor. Joslin had one last professional concern. She stated that it concerns her that the council doesn't seek advice from her or from Hachey regarding cost analysis. As an example she cited the poker games which are held at the Stacy Bar and Grill and that her analysis showed the gaming night has resulted in a loss of $12,000 annually.

Precedent has been set

At the Oct. 23 meeting and against the advice of the city attorney and the mayor, the majority of the council had voted to pay an invoice of $245 to a bar employee who maintained she was forced to share tips. The council has now received five more claims to be reimbursed for tips ranging from $680 to $1620. Grundhoefer addressed this around the table again.

"The implication a policy was in place..", is coming back to haunt the council he said. Grundhoefer looked at the invoices and said, "I would recommend we look into this. There's an issue that goes beyond the issue of tips." One issue has been discussed previously and that is how to verify the reimbursement figures that are requested.

Grundhoefer further said he would recommend the city investigate the claims and "find out what's going on." Olivolo addressed one employee requesting the reimbursement who was present. "Can I ask you why did you put it (the request) in?" The employee responded that bar employee Carrie Scholten who submitted the initial request for $245, had told her she had received the money, therefore other employees also decided to make their claims.

Grundhoefer and Hachey had maintained paying that invoice to Scholten without investigating the claim would create a snowball effect and it appears that it has. The council will now have to look into the five new requests.

Rusty water situation

City Maintenance Supervisor Tom Archibald had following up on Stacy resident Ken Cummings' rust colored water issue as well as Councilor Barbara Avalos's comments about her smelly water.

Archibald completed flushing of the hydrants as well as flushing the water line near the Cummings' resident. Cummings, also present this evening, was asked if there had been any difference. He responded that he had purchased a charcoal filter and that seemed to him to have made a difference in the water quality. Avalos maintained that she still turns on the water in her home to take a shower and "it smells like bleach." Wilson too said, "this isn't good water" and wanted the city to authorize inspection of the water pipes instead of "just dumping chlorine in there."

The state and county departments of health have tested the water though and found it to be safe for human consumption. The city's annual report on water quality reflects this. The council requested that City Engineer Chuck Schwartz work with health department regional engineer Chad Kolstad to try to figure out the chlorine problem. Mayor Daher also directed Schwartz to take a water sample from each neighborhood in the city for analysis. Schwartz will be back in December with his findings.

The city is trying to come up with money to pursue a contested annexation against the City of Wyoming and Wyoming Township. Todd Hagen, the city's financial advisor was present Tuesday evening to explain some possible strategies for freeing up revenue to pursue a legal battle, including authorizing the sale of bonds or an emergency loan from the League of Minnesota Cities. A closed special meeting was to be held on Thursday, Nov. 15, followed by a special open meeting to come up with a plan and a means to foot the potentially expensive bill.

Hockey association picks Stacy

Mayor Daher reported that he was contacted by representatives on the North Branch Hockey Association this week. The NBHA board of directors has voted in favor of building a new hockey arena in Stacy. That decision will now be up for discussion and a vote among the general members of the association. North Branch and Harris had also been vying to be chosen.

Comment from Lyle Johnson, 11/27/07

Mrs. Wilson is living in a fantasy world if she thinks the Stacy Mayor or council will answer any of her questions. Her own husband (Councilman Bud Wilson) will not even answer a direct question about a comment he made at a council meeting.

Lyle Johnson
Lent Township

Comment from bob syse, 11/29/07

what is the stacy bar doing competeing with private enterprise any way they should get out of the bar buisness and take care of the city buisness they were elected to do when I was running the no. br. bar we were never allowed to advertise the way they do now by state law.

Comment from C. Smith, 11/29/07

I am so tired of reading about the Stacy Bar in the Local Papers - Grow up and start acting like the elected adults that you are. This bar is going to continue to loose money and employees until it is done being scrutized by everyone on the City Council it is embarrissing to say the least and the residents of Stacy are tired of hearing how pathetic its council is.

Comment from Patron of Bar, 12/4/07

I have to agree with C. Smith. I worked at the Stacy Bar when they opened a couple years ago. Nice bar, the sales were doing good, customers were great etc. BUT since the new council, its gone down hill. Do any of you know anything about running a bar? Mr. Hachey didn't or couldn't handle the employees! Hmmm, and you wonder why the bar sales are down? The bar could really do good if you have the right people running it and the right council to run the city of Stacy. Hmmm, there's something to think about huh!