Ramsey's Norman Castle:
A table-top model of Ramsey's Norman Castle (note the bend):
Ramsey's Norman Castle during construction (again, note the bend):
For a comparison, a dog's hind leg. The Ramsey Norman Castle is as ___________ as a dog's hind leg.
Former Ramsey City Manager James Norman at his desk as present City Manager in Albert Lea, photographed prior to local felony charges.
Details of felony charges, in Albert Lea.
Start with this online report:
Albert Lea City Manager Facing Felony Charges
Created: 08/27/2010 7:22 PM KSTP.com
The city manager for the southern Minnesota community of Albert Lea is facing felony charges.
The Albert Lea Tribune reports that City Manager Jim Norman is accused of abusing his city credit card by charging more than $2,300 in unauthorized purchases for items such as a refrigerator, groceries, women's shoes and hotels.
The charges were filed Thursday, and he's due in court Sept. 22.
Norman, who began working full time as city manager in Albert Lea in May, told the newspaper Friday he doesn't agree with many of the accusations, and he's going to get an attorney.
According to court records, he told the city's finance director and investigators that most of the questionable charges were related to moving expenses, and that he was in terrible financial shape when he took the job.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) (image source, here)
A more local TV outlet, KAAL TV, serving Albert Lea and enviros, added this online detail:
One of those charges listed in the criminal complaint was for $973 made at the Home Depot in Albert Lea. It was for a brand new refrigerator.
Court documents say detectives spoke with Norman on August 3rd, he claims the purchase was a moving expense because the house he was moving into did not have a refrigerator.
In that same interview Norman says he wrote a personal check to the city once he was told the expenses were ineligible.
According to a statement issued by Albert Lea Mayor Mike Murtaugh, Norman is now on paid leave pending a special city council meeting on September 2nd.
We spoke to city attorney Lee Bjorndal to find out about the future of Norman's employment. He told us he is not involved with the case and said the city is working with a labor lawyer based out of the Twin Cities.
According to court documents, Norman also said all of his expenses were related to moving or relocating.
Norman is scheduled to be in court on September 22nd.
Of course, ABC 6 News will continue to follow this still developing story and bring you the latest.
The local paper, Albert Lea Tribune, has the shopping list online, here:
Court records showed the following transactions on Norman’s city credit card:
• May 15, AmercInn Motel, Albert Lea, $281.43
• May 17, Hy-Vee, Albert Lea, $34.12
• May 17, Shell Oil, Albert Lea, $37.44
• May 19, AmericInn Hotel, Albert Lea, $209.70
• May 20, Holiday Store, Owatonna, $26.35
• May 21, LDPOST.com, 617-489-5952, Mass., $10
• May 25, Kiev Foods, Prior Lake, $13.58
• May 25, AmericInn Motel, Albert Lea, $104.85
• May 26, Trucker’s Inn, Faribault, $35.57
• May 27, Christo’s Union Depot, St. Paul, $57.25
• May 27, Traffic Operations, 651-487-7207, $12
• May 27, Green Mill Restaurant, Albert Lea, $61.37
• May 28, Hy-Vee, Albert Lea, $16.35
• May 28, Hy-Vee Gas, Albert Lea, $33.58
• May 28, Country Inn & Suites, $115.89
• May 28, Country Market, Albert Lea, $21.17
• May 28, Walmart, Albert Lea, $19.23
• May 29, Kwik Trip, LaCrosse, Wis., $32.55
• May 29, Kwik Trip, LaCrosse, Wis., $10.51
• May 30, Jeff HWY Lil STR, Rochester, $33.93
• May 30, Shopko, Albert Lea, $7.99
• May 30, Hy-Vee, Albert Lea, $59.58
• May 30, Pilot, Mauston, Wis., $20.60
• May 31, Walmart, Albert Lea, $31.57
• May 31, Shell Oil, Albert Lea, $3.84
• June 1, Herberger’s, Albert Lea, $59.99
• June 1, The Home Depot, Albert Lea, $973.01
• June 2, Kwik Trip, Albert Lea, $33.78
• June 3, Thompson Sanitation, Clarks Grove, $64.51
• June 3, LDPOST.com, 617-489-5952, Mass., $20
• June 26, Radisson Hotel, St. Cloud, $120.87
• July 13, County Market, Albert Lea, $71.30
• July 14, Shell Oil, Austin, $35.77
• July 15, Wedgewood Cove Golf Club, Albert Lea, $71.30
Read main story.
Read story on city manager suspended.
Read past stories on Jim Norman, including two on when he was hired.
Wow. What a list. Note the links from the local "Trib" as posted were transcribed into the quote, so the hotlinks should all work. Please leave a comment if not, if any are bad links. Last photo, from here. From that link, this additional detail:
By way of summons, the Waseca County Attorney’s Office, which is handling the case for Freeborn County, charged the 56-year-old city manager on Thursday with two felonies and one gross misdemeanor.
Norman’s charges include:
• One felony count of permitting false claims against government by a public officer.
• One felony count of theft with the intent to exercise temporary control.
• One gross misdemeanor count of misconduct by a public officer.
[...]Norman, who began full time as city manager in Albert Lea in May, said he just began looking over the criminal complaint Friday afternoon.
“Obviously I don’t agree with many of the items in the investigation,” he said. “It’s in my best interest to get an attorney.”
The Albert Lea Police Department asked the Waseca Police Department to investigate possible misuse of funds.
The investigation states the total charges from May 3 — his first full-time day — through July 15 amounted to $2,741.88. It states only $353.62 were legitimate expenses the city is required to pay.
According to his employment contract — cited in court documents — the city agreed to reimburse Norman up to $5,000 for costs incurred by moving his family from St. Paul to Albert Lea. He had been the interim city manager in Afton. Moving expenses included packing, moving, storage costs, unpacking, insurance costs, lodging and meals for his family in route from St. Paul to Albert Lea, along with mileage costs for moving two personal cars from St. Paul to Albert Lea.
Channel 3, KIMT TV, serving northern Iowa and southern Minnesota has this coverage. While it is at best a supplemental story, it has this closing photo.
Like the man said:
_____________UPDATE____________
Posted hours ago, today Monday, Aug. 30, a special meeting of city officials, this screenshot:
In taking the screenshot it cropped the final single sentence paragraph of the report, "Norman does not agree with the charges against him." Innocent until proven guilty is the rule.
____________FURTHER DETAIL_____________
Latest press update from Albert Lea, details being reported and examined, here.
_______________LATEST AS OF 7 Sep. 2010_______________
On Sept. 3, the Albert Lea city council voted to put James Norman on paid leave; read the local coverage; this link.
Sarah Stultz of Albert Lea Tribune reported online Sept. 2, that James Norman, (who precipitously resigned without a job change lined up, effective year-end 2006, shortly after returning from his sister-city China trip as one of two City of Ramsey representatives, Todd Cook being the other), issued the Albert Lea City Council a statement beginning:
Throughout my career I have always been honest, open and forthcoming in every respect. My actions have been professional and held to the standards expected of a city manager.
Read the entire statement; this link.
What do you expect of a city manager? What did Ramsey's council expect at the closed meeting held before James Norman announced his resignation? What is professional? What is unprofessional?
It appears that Albert Lea coverage of the story will await Norman's first court appearance for any new developments. That has been reported as set for Sept. 22.