Councilman's private e-mail questioned

Mayor Mike King will open a discussion of the e-mails Monday night - a discussion that Grocott, when reached, did not even know was on the agenda.

"I think that's a little bit inconsiderate, not even giving me any indication of what is going on," Grocott said.

King did not return a call for comment.

After speaking with Assistant City Manager Brian Moura, Grocott said the gist of the concern appears to be that the entire public is not privy to the-mails. King also wonders why Grocott did not raise his concerns about the grand jury report on Mokhtari before the city crafted a response letter, he said.

Grocott puts little weight on either argument, claiming his comments are always public by including the press as recipients. The response letter also came before he knew Fox's decision, he added.

Fox investigated claims by the civil grand jury that the city offered lucrative contracts to Mokhtari's private engineering firm without soliciting other bids. After several months, Fox said the conflict of interest problem was only a "technical violation" that would not stand up to a jury.

Grocott, a long-time critic of the arrangement, used his e-mail list to announce his disappointment.

"It is not that I wish to see harm or damage come to Mr. Mokhtari personally, but if the law can be so easily circumvented it is truly a disappointment," Grocott wrote.

Councilman Tom Davids also wasn't aware of Monday night's upcoming discussion but said he felt Grocott's e-mail comments were too late.

"My own impression on the e-mail is that when we agree and everyone's weighed in, why is it now somebody doesn't like the decision and wants to criticize it? It's kind of an odd situation," Davids said.

The bottom line, Grocott said, is that he is speaking for himself and not on behalf of the council. The only exception is when a matter is scheduled for an upcoming public hearing.

"I'm in an elected position. The public deserves to know how their elected officials think," Grocott said. "Quite frankly, I don't think the councilmembers should as individuals be expected to speak the opinion of the whole. I ran as myself, not on the platform of the council."

Grocott purposely does not include city officials on his mailing list because he believes it may influence his writing.

"It might alter my expression or way of thinking and I don't want to think and write that way," he said.

In hopes of reaching even more constituents, Grocott began attending meetings at local homes. Residents invite guests to their homes to discuss issues and Grocott offers his perspective. He said he makes sure to speak only for himself rather than the city but that other city staff have tried dissuading the practice altogether.

"The only time I see other councilmembers speaking to the public is when it's a group like the Chamber of Commerce ... that is a rather controlled group with a predictable focus. I don't see them getting into too many discussions or offering personal opinions," Grocott said.