Residents grill council on problems with Mears’ credentials

A standing-room-only crowd attended Monday’s Belleville City Council meeting – some wishing answers to the problems with Strawberry Festival last weekend and some wanting to know what the council was going to do about Walter Mears.
Mears is the city manager and a story in last week’s Independent alleged he was untruthful in his statements to the council about his credentials and experience.
While members of the audience grilled the council on Mears’ hiring, Mears sat without comment and constantly rearranged the papers in front of him.
Attorney Tom DiPietro started off the discussion on Mears. He asked if there was anything the council was going to do about the allegations about Mears in the paper and Mayor Tom Fielder asked for specifics.
DiPietro said he was referring to Mears’ former job responsibilities, his former salary, his former educational background, and his actual titles at the University of Michigan.
Mayor Fielder dug in his heels. He said the process to hire a city manager was “a very laborious one” and the council combed through candidates and found two they liked, who took jobs elsewhere. The council decided to look at Mears. Council members Lori Hecksel and Bill Emerson checked his credentials. He had five letters of reference and Chief Gene Taylor stated there was no problem with those references, Mayor Fielder said.
He said the council voted to hire him and he feels Mears is doing what’s asked of him.
Councilman George Chedraue, also an attorney, said he voted against hiring Mears.
“Mr. Mears pulled a fast one on everyone,” Chedraue said, noting if Mears would just provide the documentation of his education, the issue would be resolved.
Chedraue said he was accused of being a liar when he said he did not see the educational credentials.
“I did not see those documents. All Mr. Mears has to do is provide the documentation,” Chedraue said, adding if anyone applied for a job, they couldn’t say their education didn’t matter, as Mears had.
“Those documents I have not seen,” he said, adding that he is not faulting Hecksel and Emerson, but he questions the documents they saw.
He said he does not know any university that would give certified copies to an individual. The standard process is to mail the documents to the employer.
“He refuses to turn those records over. The question is truth and veracity,” Chedraue said.
“Now he says, ‘Is it important for me to have a degree?’ Are we going to have to question every statement he says?” Chedraue said.
“He said he has a degree in theology and now he says, ‘I really don’t have a degree.’ Council members say our charter doesn’t require a degree,” Chedraue continued.
Chedraue recalled that when the council was looking at the 38 applications, Mears was adamant about seeing the credentials.
“Now it’s, ‘Screw you, I don’t have to show you my credentials,'” Chedraue said.
“I’m getting the drift…” DiPietro said. “Whether the statements turn out to be true, it doesn’t really matter.”
Mayor Fielder asked specifically what he referred to and DiPietro said “prior salary, job responsibility, job titles, degree.”
“Would it make any difference to this council if it was true?” DiPietro said.
Mayor Fielder said Mears explained he put his boss’ title at the top of his resume and his transcript was reviewed by two members of the council and they felt he could do the job.
“The job had nothing to do with theology, but had to do with the budget,” Mayor Fielder said.
DiPietro asked if it wouldn’t be appropriate to revisit the issue of the salary and got no answer.
He asked for an investigation so the community would have full confidence in the council and “this individual.”
An irritated Mayor Fielder replied, “There’s an election in November and that’s the appropriate time.”
DiPietro pressed for the council to pass a resolution to have an investigation to see if the information is correct, since it is hanging over Mears’ head.
Chedraue said sometime during the meeting he will make a motion to re-look at the qualifications. He said Bluhm had asked for Mears’ credentials and Mears said he had a bachelor, master’s and PhD.
“We’re not willing to look at this,” Chedraue said of the rest of the council. “I think we have violated the charter. I make a motion for Mr. Mears to produce …”
“You’re out of order,” bellowed Mayor Fielder, saying you can’t make a motion during citizen comments.
“I apologize … I don’t have a PhD, but I do know when I am being conned,” Chedraue replied.
Frank Brown chastized Chedraue, saying Chedraue put Mears forward as a candidate. He said Lori Hecksel is an upstanding person and if she is satisfied with the credentials that’s good enough for him.
“I was told I was lying about the credentials,” Chedraue said. “I said, go ahead and apply. Anyone can apply. I said he does not have the qualifications. I relied on them when they said they saw the transcripts.
“Just put them in the file so people can look at them,” Chedraue said, noting if anyone wants to check on his credentials they are available at the state bar association.
“Why did Mr. Mears say it’s nobody’s business? I can end this controversy. Just show us, but he says he won’t,” Chedraue said.
Mayor Fielder said the chief of police called the references.
“I have to agree he’s done an outstanding job,” said Mike Renaud. “But it comes in as a matter of integrity. A city manager of 17 years experience lost his job with a faux pas on his resume. I don’t think he can’t do the job … but, if you put down something and you don’t have it … you’re out… You should be held accountable.”
He said he doesn’t know if a person would know if the credentials are valid unless they came from the university.
Marion Caldwell said the city can go directly to the manager and get the official transcript.
“This can be settled in no time,” she said.
After city business was conducted, it was time for comments from the council members and Chedraue asked the mayor if he could make a motion. The mayor questioned what motion and he said the one that said the city manager must produce all required documentation at the July 16 council meeting, certified by the school or wherever.
He made the motion, which died for lack of a second.
Chedraue then asked about use of the temporary holding facility in the police department that the council voted to close and use only for storage. Now there are cameras and a computer purchased after Mears had declared a spending freeze.
Chief Gene Taylor said the computer and cameras were approved by the city council in the past and Mears said to do the purchases.
“I’m only going by what Mr. Mears said to do,” Chief Taylor said.
Chedraue said at a previous meeting Mears said the cells should not be used any more and the council voted.
Mayor Fielder supported Mears’ action, asking what is the city supposed to do with a prisoner while the officer does paperwork?
“Is that a better use of our time than taking them to a permanent holding site [in Van Buren Township]?” Mayor Fielder asked. “What was needed were funds already approved. The city manager said he was going to allow what the chief wanted.”
Chedraue said during the discussion, Mears had said police should shackle a person to the desk to secure him while interviewing, rather than use the cells.
Mears said he would check the council action and have it at the next council meeting.
Under council comments, Councilwoman Kerreen Conley said she has a problem with the agenda and how General Business now includes items that the city manager wants direction on. She suggests the city manager could do that in his report which would save him time and whole lot of paper, since he puts a few sentences on a single sheet of paper for some of the items.
She also asked the city to look at what it’s doing for people who helped the Belleville community. She referred to that evening’s resolution honoring firefighter Rick LaPensee of Van Buren Township.
“We haven’t done that for our own,” she said. “What we really ought to be doing as a council is honoring those who have served us for many years.” She said she referred to the late Park Gregory, among others.
Under Citizens’ Comments at the end of the meeting, Marian Caldwell said there’s a question of integrity on the Mears’ issue.
“Do you say it’s OK, we’re going to ignore this? Is it case by case, depending on what you’re feeling at this particular time?” she asked.
Mayor Fielder said the person with the qualifications necessary was unavailable to hire. Two examined credentials, he said. The doctor of theology had no relevance, but, “He was hired on those credentials although they were not relevant. The chief saw no issues… There were five references contacted orally and then in writing.”
“Why don’t you just say here’s where I went to school?” she asked of Mears, noting her credentials always were sent to her employer. Mears sat silent.
Ralph Mayer said when you turn in an application at the Big Three, all are investigated. People are hired by what they put on the application and if it doesn’t add up, there is immediate termination.
He said that’s business and maybe in government it’s different.
“That is the integrity the people in this room are looking for,” Mayer said.
DiPietro said that the council said nothing on the issue, except Chedraue and the mayor.
“It seems to mean that whatever came out, ‘We don’t care because we didn’t need a theologian,'” DiPietro said. “A lot of people are disappointed with you sitting up there.”
Councilwoman Conley said she was not a member of council when the vote was taken on Mears and she had protested the manner he was selected, but she was shut down.
“Integrity stands for a lot,” she said.
She said Chedraue’s motion was not worded the way she would have liked, but she would perhaps like to revisit the motion in the future.
She said the argument would be that he did not list his degree on his application and it was the council’s impression they had done a background check. There is a question of should the council get the transcripts.
She referred to comments by Frank Brown earlier in the meeting about what it’s like to work in turmoil, and she knows from her experience as city manager of Belleville. But, she said, that has to be put behind.
“I think integrity and being truthful in what you have articulated is very important,” she said.

Editor’s Note: While Mears did not put PhD in writing on his “resume” for the city manager position, he did write “PhD” on his application for the city council appointment last summer.

Published 6-21-07