From: Cindy Pangborn <cindypangborn@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Jun 17, 2020 at 8:33 AM
Subject: Executive panel
To: Margaret Weertz <weertzm@gpschools.org>, Kathy Abke <abkek@gpschools.org>, Judy Gafa <Gafaj@gpschools.org>, Gary Niehaus <niehaug@gpschools.org>
Cc: Chris Profeta <profetc@gpschools.org>, Christopher Lee <leec@gpschools.org>, Joseph Herd <j.b.herd@att.net>

It is.now undeniable that our Superintendent and three members of the School Board are guilty of a serious ethics violation. Supt. Niehaus and Board President Weertz, Vice President Abke and Treasurer Gafa, you have engaged in an intentional effort designed to keep only certain board members informed of key information regarding the Trombly School donation. Who knows what other information this select group of people is sifting through, deciding upon, and filtering then to the entire board and the public?
What has been going on for over a month is in clear violation of the Michigan Open Meetings Act, which requires public bodies to conduct business at open meetings. Board policy designates only two board subgroups that operate in full view of the public: the Facilities Committee and the Policy Committee, whose meetings are on the school calendar and open for comment.

The Trombly School donation should fall under discussion by the Facilities Committee. The donation developments have not been a topic of discussion at meetings except to say that the contract for ECC expansion, supported by donations is expected shortly.

When all of you, Niehaus, Weertz, Gafa, and Abke have met to discuss the business of the Trombly donation as an ‘executive panel,’ you have not been transparent. Not only have the remaining board members been excluded, the public has been denied their legal right to notification and participation. Your private meetings also breach the legal requirement for meeting minutes.

Most gravely, the expenditure of taxpayer money is being affected by a very select group of people and one person, Dr. Niehaus, who is not an elected official.

Gary Niehaus has been violating board policy for over a month. Board officers, you too have been involved in this ethics breach. As officers, it was your duty to inform all of us on the board, especially on such an important financial matter.

Ms. Weertz, it is your duty to inform the entire Board of what is going on with this matter. Apparently you have decided you have the right to determine what the Board is entitled to know...you don’t. It is your responsibility to make sure all Board members know what is happening --- all the facts and pertinent information. You have failed in your responsibilities.

To those involved in this behind-the-scenes scheme, you have violated your sworn trust to the parents who have registered their children and paid deposits for the Trombly ECC.

You have lied by omission to the community, implying that the Trombly ECC was in place and that the donations to expand the program would be shortly under contract.

It is clear that we have Board officers who are making decisions without the knowledge of the whole Board. No quorum has been present, so all that you have done and decided upon is outside the law. You skirted around the rules to undermine the responsibilities of the other Board members.

You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Somehow, I get the feeling you are proud of how you have acted and are only sorry you have gotten caught. Cindy Pangborn

Sent from my iPhone

Sent from my iPhone