Leon Daggett, the Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Public of Public Utilities' former general manager, is suing the utility for allegedly breaching his resignation agreement.
In the lawsuit filed on March 13, Daggett alleges that BPU board members Mary Gonzales and Loretta Colombel breached his contract by making disparaging remarks about him. Daggett claims Colombel bad mouthed him at a March 10, 2009, candidate
forum at Kansas City Kansas Community College. He claims Gonzales
violated the agreement with a letter included in the BPU's 2005 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
Daggett also alleges that the utility stopped making payments to his pension before an agreed upon date (June 30, 2008) and never reimbursed for his time and expenses for testifying on behalf of
the BPU in August 2007. The hearing was part of an investigation by the
Environmental Protection Agency.
Daggett, who didn't return a call for comment, is asking for at least $75,000. In December 2006, the BPU's board of directors terminated Daggett after
10 years. The board paid him more than $600,000 in a severance package
to walk away, but the board never publicly explained his firing.
"We disagree with the allegations," BPU spokesman David Mehlhaff said, "and we will vigorously defend or side."
Mehlhaff said the case was being handled by Wyandotte County Chief Legal Counsel Hal Walker
Reached for comment, Walker denied the allegations.
"He feels like we breached his resignation agreement," Walker told The Pitch. "We deny that and we'll let a court decide."
Showing 1-4 of 4
ENOUGH ALREADY,
LETS START FRESH. VOTE IN A WINNING TEAM AT BPU APRIL 7TH. YOUR VOTE DOES COUNT!
HEATHER DELEON BPU
LYNN SMITH BPU
DAVID ALVEY BPU
It was reported and spoken of by several in attendance at the Black Ministries Candidate forum last night conducted at the Quindaro Community Center, KCK that when given the opportunty to speak, Loretta Colombel once again disparged the Previous administration stating that they were the reason for the internal audit. I guess the was crowd taken back.Mayor Reardon melted into the wall.Mary Gonzalez loretta's also implicated in the lawsuit sat stonefaced and shot an opponent a stare. Here is a BPU Board member served with a lawsuit stating she is alledgely in violation of a contract with previous management over disbarging public statments, disparging him again! I guess using the phrase previous management or adminstration makes Loretta think nobody knows who she is talking about. Wake up WYCO the lawsuit amount probably just went up. But I guess when it's not your money at stake it doesn't matter. The litigation and and attorney fees will be at the rate payers expense not Loretta Colombels. It appears the important thing to Loretta is to maintain her status as a board member, not the best interest of the rate payers. A word to Loretta, Maybe you should keep your comments between yourself and your attorneys. But once again your not footing the bills the rate payers are.
Your right Emily,
Vote Them all out April 7th and put an end to this mess this BBU Board has created.
How much is this latest lawsuit going to cost ratepayers? Alot with legal & attorney fees. BPU Board members don't care its not there money. It's election season again and the public once again wants to know why they fired the previous general manager. they are claiming in there publicforums that this benefited the utility. HOW? Does anybody read the papers? It has been one scandall after another costing the ratepayers thousands of dollars. This is progress? The previous management has been gone since 2005 and they are still trying to blame him for everything bad that happens at BPU. If there was wrongdoing on the previous administrators part don't you think there would be findings and convictions.Since this time there have been indightments, grand juries, alledged theft charges of utility monies, EPA violations, audits with very interesting findings. The infamous Gus facone now has an office on the third floor the internal auditors dept has been eliminated excep fo Sue Scherzers accountant son and a guy named Dean McFarland long time scherzer cronie. Scherzers also have another son wotking at BPU, hold several non-bid insurance contracts, contribute to all board members campaigns and are seen frequently entertaining board members. Golfing wining & dining.
Two encumbants running in the present race claim that now after 10 years in office they are reviewing, reduced and changing entertainment expenses & cutting costs. Well I don't know about you but the Board alone in 2008 spent over $34,0000. in travel & expenses.They seem to think this is chicken feed These are documented facts. This is reduction occured only after the public brought it to their attention. So what was it in 2007 and 2006 just for starts? How many board members does it take to attend a meeting and bring back information? surely not 4 or 5. This same board publically chastied a fellow board member for making a motion to implement a wage freeze on administrative employees due to the tough economic times we are all facing. Costing the utility thousands of dollars. they are publically stating that they could not do this because of a union contract. This is absolutly false. Administartion is non-union. The 4% increase provided the current GM over a $7,0000.000 yearly increase (This guys barely in his office. He spends a great deal of his time golfing at Dub's Dread with BPU boardmember Loretta Colombel eating and DRINKING alot and shooting the **** with the Scherzer group. This is just one administrator. What's the total for all the administration. It's has to be astronomical. Keep in mind it's election season. To make a sound financial decision to save the ratepayers money may jepordize their BPU Employee votes.
The current Board considers these changes beneficial to the rate payers?
Now another law suit that will costs the ratepayers thousands of dollars in legal fees
to justify that they somehow benefited the utility by firing their previous general manager (Just another one of their scapegoats). There using OUR money to try to benefit their campaigns and poor choices.
WAKE UP WYCO!
Vote them out April 7th
Lets take back our utility.
This should really be fun,Daggett and Walker are/were butt buddies for many years,sharing in the graft and corruption along with Conklin,Turner,Scherzer,Mark Jones,Lynch,Joe Dick and many others.Want to bet that a settlement is reached very quickly before discovery starts?Details will be worked out WHISPERS
like
dislike
