Council member: Don't believe your mayor, Dalton residents

A lie can make its way around the world before the truth can lace up its boots.

There are two root issues regarding the recent Dalton Gardens fiasco. The first is the falsity of the claims made by Mayor Edwards as printed in the Press, and the second is the reason he has launched this media campaign.

Several residents have remarked there must be more to this story sparking the outrageously false claims made by Mayor Edwards. To this I agree and will attempt to outline what I believe is happening based on my observation and opinion of events.

The Council entered office in response to an improper subdivision approved by a prior council, contrary to Dalton Gardens ordinances, with the blessing of the City’s professional legal advisor at that time. This ultimately resulted in a court case the city lost, at great expense to residents. I believe that subdivision was intended as pivotal to overcome the City’s zoning requirements, and thus open the floodgates to urban development.

Legitimate concerns put forward by residents suggest that real estate agent and general contractor Mayor Edwards apparent desire is a complacent (if not complicit) Council willing to look the other way; in pursuit of annexing land bordering Dalton Gardens; implementing zoning changes, with higher density development (driving taxes higher), ultimately requiring urban infrastructure including a sewer system. This is apparent in his choices for advisory and regulatory positions and will become obvious in his promotion of future Council candidates. All for the benefit of developers, to the detriment of current residents.

To address just a handful of Mayor Edwards duplicitous claims is sufficient to substantiate falsity. He alone is responsible for management of daily city operation, ensuring that staff is available and open for business. Management is (obviously) beyond the authority of council. Council has no ability, no mechanism (legally and practically), to tie Edwards’ hands in hiring office personnel.

Edwards falsely claimed that Dalton Gardens would shut down (1), and erroneously claimed that the city risked annexation (2); that all staff had resigned (3); all due to Council action or inaction, alternately (4). These are extraordinary claims, and they are not supported by the record.

His promotion of mob action was a direct result of the absolutely ridiculous claim that his staffing problems would result in a city shutdown and the annexation of Dalton Gardens by Coeur d’Alene or Hayden.

The reality is that Idaho code 50-2201 sets the procedure for disincorporation, REQUIRED PRIOR to annexation by other cities. Essential requirements are EITHER council failing to exist or function for AT LEAST TWO YEARS and a petition from a majority of city VOTERS to disincorporate, OR a petition from a majority of city VOTERS to disincorporate followed with majority vote by the VOTERS within the city. Obviously, NONE of these requirements are remotely close to being met, evidencing just how ludicrous the mayor's claim.

Edwards falsely claimed, again as reported in the Press, that ALL staff resigned, and misrepresented why they quit. As of this writing city staff remain employed, including those who most recently tendered a resignation. Why would Mayor Edwards make such an obvious and blatantly untrue allegation, when obviously the council has no power to hire or fire, and therefore cannot truly be held accountable for staff resignations? Why would Edwards allow the deputy clerk time off during this contrived crisis, if not to play both ends against the middle? Whose resignation by the way was not effective until Monday the 31st?

Again blaming Council for the Planning Directors resignation, the same Planner resigned from the City of Hayden Lake at the same time; both times citing the need to reduce his workload and focus on other work; why would Edwards mis-represent the reason behind this event?

Edwards further attempts to blame Council for the City Attorney resignation, claiming Council majority created an unhealthy atmosphere. Edwards alone is responsible for the poisonous atmosphere: he frequently attempts to stampede Council into hasty, costly decisions binding the City without adequate deliberation. And clearly only his chosen outcome will be acceptable. His badgering, bullying and tantrums when he doesn’t get his way are, again, well known to anyone regularly attending meetings and are a matter of record for anyone legitimately wishing to investigate.

The mayor has simply not taken the appropriate administrative responsibility to find qualified people for staff, including the City Clerk position. As one example that his recruiting effort has been abysmal, he hasn’t even adequately advertised for prospects. Further, he has deliberately dissuaded potential employees as described in a letter read aloud to council in the recent meeting. Again, the record verifies this!

Turning now to the reason for this media circus created by Mayor Edwards, I offer adjoined motives: Obstruction and Dissimulation. Mayor Edwards has been obstructionist in the extreme: interfering with Council actions and deliberations when it is his place only to preside; setting up the conditions for contentious meetings; inviting cronies as “experts” to further his aspirations, each truly at the expense of residents’ concerns.

Mayor Edwards is no stranger to creating adverse employee actions, then utilizing prevarication in an attempt at covering up his wrongdoing. His every accusation is a confession of his own deceitfulness. This claim is not made recklessly, as this pattern of behavior is set out by the presiding judge in a civil action in which Mr. Edwards was involved and lost. (Lunneborg vs My Fun Life & Dan Edwards, CEO, case number CV2014 8968). The judge outlines a pattern of behavior which continues to this day. Don’t just take my word for it, the case makes for enlightening and interesting reading. This behavior must be pointed out as it is the center of this entire fiasco.

Mayor Edwards has deliberately created a chaotic atmosphere of fear, confusion, and loathing; rallying the naïve, the gullible, and the malevolent few to carry out his self-serving ends. His accusations are a smoke screen designed to obscure his own agenda. Channeling his inner Alinsky, never letting a crisis go to waste, he has both arranged the conditions for this fake crisis and then set in motion his scheme to benefit from it, in whatever way he imagines.

The residents of Dalton Gardens deserve much better. Mayor Edwards should apologize to residents, to council, for his words and actions and then immediately resign before dragging this city down any further with his agenda of urbanization. His actions demonstrate he is unfit for any public office of trust.

This article is designed to set the record straight and any regular attendee of council meetings will readily see the truth as presented here.

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Carrie Chase is a member of the Dalton Gardens City Council.