OSUFan
12-02-2009, 08:22 PM
Police officer: Mayor interfered
By Philip Jankowski
Stillwater NewsPress
A police officer reported that Mayor Nathan Bates interfered while the officer was directing traffic at a fire on Oct. 27, Stillwater Police Chief Norman McNickle said today.
A petition seeking Bates’ recall cites the Oct. 27 incident as one of the reasons for the recall.
“It’s fairly clear that the officer felt like he was interfered with in terms of how he should go about doing his job,” McNickle said. “Certainly I don’t think it is improper for a person to make an inquiry [into police operations]. However there is a time and a place for that, and that is after the incident is resolved.”
McNickle said the e-mail about the incidents speak for themselves.
The Oct. 27 incident involves a fire in the 100 block of North Main Street.
A Stillwater Police Department officer was directing traffic on Main Street while assisting Stillwater Fire Department when Bates told the officer in charge he was not performing his job properly, according to an e-mail the officer sent to the police chief.
According to e-mails between the responding officer, Todd Parry, and his supervisor, Sgt. Doug Nichols, Bates disobeyed the officer’s orders to turn off Main Street, pulled alongside the officer and “in a rude tone of voice” told the officer his police cruiser was creating a traffic hazard.
Parry states in an e-mail Bates introduced himself as the mayor of Stillwater and told Parry his patrol car blocked the visibility of cars crossing Main Street and that it may create an accident.
Bates asked to speak to a supervisor, and Parry told Bates to move his car to a parking lot while he notified Nichols. Bates complied, and Parry continued to direct traffic.
Bates shared concerns with Nichols, and Nichols told the mayor he would take care of it. Nichols said Bates was polite and left the area after speaking with him.
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Mayoral foes petitioning for recall?
By Chris Day
Stillwater NewsPress
A petitition to recall Mayor Nathan Bates apparently is making the rounds, but, so far, no one is accepting responsibility for launching the drive.
The Stillwater NewsPress received a copy of the petition Wednesday. It must be signed by a minimum of 100 registered and qualified voters in the city, according to the city charter.
Mayor Nathan Bates said today that he wasn’t aware that the recall process had been initiated.
“To the best of my knowledge, I haven’t violated any of the terms of office to justify it,” he said.
The petition accuses the mayor of corruption in office by using his office as a source of personal benefit or financial gain through “solicitation of employment, free goods and services, free transportation and event tickets for himself from the city, Oklahoma State University, the Chamber of Commerce, hospital, local retail businesses, restaurants and entertainment establishments.”
It also accuses him of repeatedly “interfering with or trying to direct the activities of on-duty police officers and civilian city employees,” and of corruption of office and public drunkeness.
Bates denied these accusations today. “To the best of my knowledge, I can only be removed from office for public drunkenness or a biased position on a vote ... if I was to gain something in anyway for doing so.
“There are no charges against me, and I’m an OSU student and have nothing to gain financially by any of my votes,” he said.
The city charter states:
Once the signatures are gathered, the petition is presented to City Clerk’s office, which has five days to notify the mayor in this case of the petition and charges against him. The mayor may make and file a written response justifying his conduct in office with the City Clerk within 10 days.
After the mayor’s written reply is filed the City Clerk, with the help of the city attorney, prepares and issues a supporting petition stating a preliminary recall petition has been filed and gives the reasons for the recall exactly as those given in the preliminary petition. The supporting petition also will include the mayor’s written response, if any.
Then, the original petitioners must obtain signatures equal to 25 percent of the total number of votes cast in the last general election. The petitioners have a month to gather those signatures, which must be verified by the county election board. After verification, the petition goes back to the city clerk which presents it to the City Council and a recall election date is set.
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He seemed like the better choice over Roger McMillian but now it seems like NOT!
By Philip Jankowski
Stillwater NewsPress
A police officer reported that Mayor Nathan Bates interfered while the officer was directing traffic at a fire on Oct. 27, Stillwater Police Chief Norman McNickle said today.
A petition seeking Bates’ recall cites the Oct. 27 incident as one of the reasons for the recall.
“It’s fairly clear that the officer felt like he was interfered with in terms of how he should go about doing his job,” McNickle said. “Certainly I don’t think it is improper for a person to make an inquiry [into police operations]. However there is a time and a place for that, and that is after the incident is resolved.”
McNickle said the e-mail about the incidents speak for themselves.
The Oct. 27 incident involves a fire in the 100 block of North Main Street.
A Stillwater Police Department officer was directing traffic on Main Street while assisting Stillwater Fire Department when Bates told the officer in charge he was not performing his job properly, according to an e-mail the officer sent to the police chief.
According to e-mails between the responding officer, Todd Parry, and his supervisor, Sgt. Doug Nichols, Bates disobeyed the officer’s orders to turn off Main Street, pulled alongside the officer and “in a rude tone of voice” told the officer his police cruiser was creating a traffic hazard.
Parry states in an e-mail Bates introduced himself as the mayor of Stillwater and told Parry his patrol car blocked the visibility of cars crossing Main Street and that it may create an accident.
Bates asked to speak to a supervisor, and Parry told Bates to move his car to a parking lot while he notified Nichols. Bates complied, and Parry continued to direct traffic.
Bates shared concerns with Nichols, and Nichols told the mayor he would take care of it. Nichols said Bates was polite and left the area after speaking with him.
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Mayoral foes petitioning for recall?
By Chris Day
Stillwater NewsPress
A petitition to recall Mayor Nathan Bates apparently is making the rounds, but, so far, no one is accepting responsibility for launching the drive.
The Stillwater NewsPress received a copy of the petition Wednesday. It must be signed by a minimum of 100 registered and qualified voters in the city, according to the city charter.
Mayor Nathan Bates said today that he wasn’t aware that the recall process had been initiated.
“To the best of my knowledge, I haven’t violated any of the terms of office to justify it,” he said.
The petition accuses the mayor of corruption in office by using his office as a source of personal benefit or financial gain through “solicitation of employment, free goods and services, free transportation and event tickets for himself from the city, Oklahoma State University, the Chamber of Commerce, hospital, local retail businesses, restaurants and entertainment establishments.”
It also accuses him of repeatedly “interfering with or trying to direct the activities of on-duty police officers and civilian city employees,” and of corruption of office and public drunkeness.
Bates denied these accusations today. “To the best of my knowledge, I can only be removed from office for public drunkenness or a biased position on a vote ... if I was to gain something in anyway for doing so.
“There are no charges against me, and I’m an OSU student and have nothing to gain financially by any of my votes,” he said.
The city charter states:
Once the signatures are gathered, the petition is presented to City Clerk’s office, which has five days to notify the mayor in this case of the petition and charges against him. The mayor may make and file a written response justifying his conduct in office with the City Clerk within 10 days.
After the mayor’s written reply is filed the City Clerk, with the help of the city attorney, prepares and issues a supporting petition stating a preliminary recall petition has been filed and gives the reasons for the recall exactly as those given in the preliminary petition. The supporting petition also will include the mayor’s written response, if any.
Then, the original petitioners must obtain signatures equal to 25 percent of the total number of votes cast in the last general election. The petitioners have a month to gather those signatures, which must be verified by the county election board. After verification, the petition goes back to the city clerk which presents it to the City Council and a recall election date is set.
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He seemed like the better choice over Roger McMillian but now it seems like NOT!