News Bulletin (Castroville, Tex.), Vol. 41, No. 49, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 7, 2000 Page: 1 of 16
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Castroville - La Coste
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75
Whistleblower gets raise while supervisor gets demotion
ry potmen, which was passed putting his name in the paper
When
asked
by
abuse
It?"
It
Meissner will also receive things but rather that she
Louis Castro
1
mg Jensen she had forgotten to • Metssner could offer no proof to
manded for misconduct toward cheertul, and do your job. This
that.
Hardt named teacher of the year
I
Vai Hardt
*
erits of seal coat
Council debates
t
Michael
instead of hot mix, which
paved with hot mix. However,
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was simply Instructed not to tell
people she didn't know about
remarks
Meissner’s
petence
claimed
plaint, she was asked if there
was anything else she would
like to add. Metssner said there
were three other issues regard-
ly would. and the county
wouldn't repair them because
answered.
"I guess I dont understand
that I was only doing my job
with the memos," she replied
1
dL •
proper training on the software
she uses for her current job as
requested At the last meeting,
she claimed that neither City
Administrator Donna Schueling
or Jensen knew how to use the
software themselves and there-
fore could never train her on it
Before the city council ruled
on Jensen, she was asked if
there was anything else she
would like to add
Jensen replied, 'I don’t have
anymore to add. It just becomes
a ‘he said, she said’ argument’
Councilwoman Karen Gilliam
Flfield if Castro had anything
else to add, he reported he was
just looking for closure
Hancock asked Castro if the
inappropriate comments h<
made to Meissner were Mid
Volume 41
forty eighth issue
Adelina Gonzales
Staff WRTTER
Even though the county and
not the city would maintain
the extra territorial jurisdiction
property, as well as extended
about
incom-
She
Meissner
discussing regulations on the
roads in those areas.
City Administrator Donna
schueling, City Engineer Les
Thursday December 7. MOO
Castroville Texas
suanethdughtth
My It. but I wasn’t malicious I
was just an overreaction on my
part," he Mid
Castro added that he had
never been in the paper before
and didn't like seeing his name
In there and hoped this would
be the last time
“We don't feel it was mali.
was up to council to decide, but
he didn't intend them to be
I felt very concerned about
mention at the last council
meeting.
“I didn’t mention the fact that
I was asked to lie to a council
4
( a, C cumed - u l )
S hod E cord - Du. 20
I > ( • at. (ace um 4 - [ we X
would put them in compliance Tchirhart Sr. to corroborate bly wouldn't be too much tou
with the county which main- that since he Baad in Couttuy ble, but the sidewalks definite-
ensen asked
•Well,
seems to
Most agreed they should have
curbs, at least in dense subdi-
vision areas, but curbs would
conflict with county regula-
tions
"The county will not take
over the roads if they have
substantiate her other claims
Councilman Robert Hancock
made the motion granting
Meissners requests and it was
Masters Mid the hot mix
be being in the newspaper I did
JUST MY TWO FRONT TEETH
Jesmika Steet, % shames her Girt Maw Itot with Santa at OM
hionedChsintasMomphotosonpege3(hotobylefWuton
tains the streets and to village where the streets were
unanimously
"This is for what reason""
Jensen asked
ft guess it would fall under
the discipline code I guess It
was an abuse of
I ' '
■ •1 t i
"How did I maliciously Castro Mid that
then passed unanimously
Meissner was given a 76 cent
per hour raise that would make
her pay comparable to other
city hall workers, Hancock said
The unfavorable review she
received shortly after her report
about possible misuse of city
funds in the purchasing of two
personal computers will be
removed from her record and
destroyed
Hancock said it was unfortu-
nate she was not given a copy
of her job description prior to
the review she will be given a
lob description and Metssner
will initial It as received and
reviewed Hancock said this will
probably become standard
practice
She then proceeded to vehe-
mently deny all the allegations
Meissner had ust made against
her She Said that in regards to
the 1099 Meissner was never
Instructed to lie
Jensen explained _
na‛ . .-"i nad E
- - E
. 1- E
- I
’ E
< a a-- ne
----
’: m
would find out
Jensen denied doing census
work on the city dime and has
no idea where such claims
came from She said that
Metssner herself was guilty of
The explanations didn’t help. Meissner. She Mid at the last is a valable lesson to you as
Councilman Michael Masters council meeting Castro had cor- wall as the other employees in
made a motion to demote her neted hern the halfway and the city. You learn to think
due to misuse of her supervise- sarcastically thanked her for before you speak,’ he said
individuals then went through
a narrowing down process
with the school board. through
interviews and other means
Before KENS 5 Reporter
Monique Bordelon presented
the trophy to Hardt
she first warmed mem
-p ne rowd E
ar
n, ,nG sru- m
Adelina Gonzales
STFF WRrER
Deputy City Secretary and
Accounting Supervisor Linda
Jensen was demoted from her
supervisory position Tuesday,
after a_arrage of complaints
against her by Accounting Clerk
Shaundi Meissner last week
The demotion is due to an
abuse of her supervisory posi-
don according to the city coun-
cil and it will reduce ensen’s
salary to what It was before her
promotion She will keep any
cost of living muumumumm
- I
- I
■ "9 I
the dime
Messner
emerged vindicat-
E
--ail, t
ner requests E
Before council u
1 a
i
♦ J
ruled on
Metssner’s com-
dents They all
enjoyed them-
selves answering
questions like how
many fingers are in
the number five
Bordelon let them
know they would
Harvey, Director of Public equipped to handle seah coat
works Bruce Alexander, and not hot mix roads. However,
Precinct 1 Commissioner the city maintained they must
Stanley Keller Jr, attended the use hot mtx Mead of seal
The exchange quickly ended clous We believe it was In poor
when City Attorney Vivian udgment," Hancock Mid.
Torres told Masters he didn’t Hancock took the opportuni-
need to answer the questions ty to say a few words about the
lensen responded by gathering entire situation among the
Meissner said the
computer files should be able to
state when she was on the
internet Fifield conceded that
could be checked into.
member." she said
Meissner claimed that last
year when the 1099s were
issued. Councilwoman Linda
Guerra came into the office ask
Ing where they were Metssner
answered she didn't know and
hadn't seen them. She said she
was Instructed to tell Guerra she
had just sent them out that day
Metssner also said lensen
often times would read person
ai e-mail and get on the Internet
during working hours She also
claimed that when lensen was
mumum employed part
E " ‘
E r'
-n/ 4
ny time
«a -- 1 -
‘nad anv :
Semlingers of Semiinger varance
drafts by getting member input the city wouldn't be maintain
before drafting the ordinance ing the roads
The Semlingers had previ- Keller said the county was
ously come before city council nt equipped to maintain hot
requesting a variance on the mtx streets
roads in Phase u of their subdi- Councilman
shouldn’t cause any problems curbs because they an in the
for the next 20 years and right of way," Keller said.
asked fellaw Councilman Leon L ater he Mid curbs proto*
makes the Oscar thanked the school board and
trophy for the administration for their sup-
Academy Awards port
each year On hand during the presen
Former tation of the award were
Medina Valley Hardt’s husband and two chil-
student UM dren KENS took tours of the
Latham present other Medina Valley campuses
ed the $1,000 and spoke to Hardt's class after
check to Hardt the ceremony
Dews 3u"
Adelina Gonzales
Staff WRrTER
KENS 5 News and San
Antonio Credit Union present-
ed Medina Valiev Elementary
School teacher Valeria “Val"
Hardt with the ExCEL award.
In addition to being named
teacher of the year for the
school district, she received a
$1,000 check from SACU and
the "Golden Apple" trophy
“This award recognizes
those teachers that are really
making a difference in the lives
of boys and girls today,"
Superintendent Willard Murray
« pmenented the Appie” trophy byKENS Reporter said. He explained the wtnner
Monique Bordelon. A KENS cameraman filmed the event to air on had to ftrst be nominated by
the six o'clock news Thursday (Photo by Adelina Gonzales) their peers on campus Those
getting on her computer and herg things and leaving the office employees
using the Internet, claiming meeting "All of you are working close-
there were three witnesses who Maintenance Custodian fy together in there. I think you
could back up her claim about Louis Castro was verbally repri- all need to work together, be
ETJ, Castroville spent most of vision located In the ETJ area
its time at Monday night's sub- They requested to use a
divtsion ordinance workshop double coat of seal coat
from the com
plaint from Ms
Meissner and
Shaundi Meissner the memos and
the review,' he
. --tp“S “
.e-.. s." J' ”, it,4, .
Bchirhart said Mb roads would it would be too expensive,
need maintenance within five With the input received
yearsor they would be in trou- from the workshop, Harvey will
be on the six o'clock news on behalf of SACU "You can
Thursday. something the chil- spend (the moneyl on whatev-
dren appeared to have no er you choose," she Mid.
problem remembering. Hardt thanked KENS 5 and
Bordelon then presented the SACU She was also thankful of
"Golden Apple" trophy to the many teachers she worked
Hardt. The tro- with, who nominated her and
mumuuuum phy is made by also did a good job teaching
the company that themselves Hardt also
support her
claims, and
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Barnes, Thomas. News Bulletin (Castroville, Tex.), Vol. 41, No. 49, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 7, 2000, newspaper, December 7, 2000; Castroville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1600128/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Castroville Public Library.