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Tracy Council removes Salmon from EDA board

TRACY — Jeff Salmon moved his chair from the table slightly and then turned his head toward the back of the Tracy City Hall meeting room.

“Is Mr. (James) Mattson here?” he asked loudly.

And then there was silence for a few seconds.

“Does that answer any questions?” Salmon said, now looking toward the five council members facing in the front of him and his lawyer, Kevin Stroup.

Salmon was answering questions from Tracy Mayor Anthony Dimmers on his alleged violations of city code when it came to his position on the Tracy Economic Development Authority board in making a decision whether or not to grant a loan to businessman Mattson for developing the abandoned Asian Market building.

That allegation and numerous other allegations of city code and Minnesota Open Meetings Law violations ultimately led to the Tracy City Council on Wednesday night voting to remove Salmon from the EDA board after more than four hours of testimony, questioning and deliberations.

“One of the things Mr. Mattson said is he felt discriminated against. That he didn’t get a fair shake. Would you agree to that?” the mayor asked Salmon.

“Not at all. That was irrelevant. That had nothing to do with this,” Salmon said of Mattson not being a longtime resident of Tracy.

“Let’s call a spade a spade,” Salmon said. “The individual, which started this witch hunt, along with Mr. (Kris) Ambuehl (city administrator) and (Dennis) Fultz (EDA board president) taking and running with it (accusations), is Mr. Mattson. And he’s not here. Personally, to say I’m offended we are still here at this time of night. This should be embarrassing for all of you. This thing should have been have been dropped immediately.”

During its meeting on Monday, the council voted 3-1 to hold Wednesday’s hearing to remove Salmon with Dave Tiegs voting no. The council had earlier in the meeting voted to censure and suspended council member Tony Peterson from participating in the hearing. Peterson is an employee at Salmon Motors in Tracy and he was also named in a complaint filed with City Administrator Kris Ambuehl by Mattson.

In his complaint, Mattson asked and was “praying” to have the city file a formal complaint against Jeff Salmon. “In addition, I am asking and praying he is removed from the EDA for this act of sabotage of my business and my character within the city of Tracy. As well I am asking and praying Tony Peterson to be removed for his actions toward me and my company.”

Ambuehl conducted an investigation and sent his findings to City Attorney Matt Gross.

Testimony during Wednesday’s hearing also revealed that Peterson allegedly used an online service to run a background check on Mattson. That background check was the center of the third violation allegation involving the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

The other alleged violations involved the Minnesota Open Meeting Law and city codes of conduct.

During his testimony and answering questioning by council members and the lawyers, Salmon talked about his business relationship with Mattson that soured over alleged incomplete roofing work on his business, Salmon Motors. And also how he found out that Mattson allegedly still owes the workers on the roofing project payment for work.

Before and during the hour-long deliberations, council members shared their feelings of anguish over deciding Salmon’s fate on each allegation. And also were confused about how to go about the motion process for each of the allegations.

“This is difficult, very difficult because — one, we are being asked like we have the knowledge of lawyers and do not have that knowledge,” council member Jeri Schons said. “And we are trying to — I’m trying to act like I have not known Jeff since we were in grade school. It’s difficult.”

Dimmers made the first motion. It stated that the allegations Salmon conducted non-public, serial meetings with other EDA members discussing the proposed property. Schons offered the second. That motion passed with Tiegs voting no.

And that’s when Schons asked the lawyers if it’s actually a final motion that will determine if Salmon is removed from the EDA board.

“No,” Stroup bellowed.

“You just voted Jeff off the EDA board. It’s already done. So when you talk about this valued member of the EDA — he’s no longer. It’s all over.”

Gross then advised the council members to vote on every one of the allegations for the record. Which they did, but after being instructed by Gross, the council did vote on a final motion for removal. Schons offered the motion and council member Kou Thao made the second. The motion was unanimously approved.

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