Fletcher’s criticism of charter school project continues – Twin Cities

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Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher on Wednesday stepped up the pressure on how it was announced he was part of a group planning to open a new charter school in the county that aims to orient students towards careers in the public service.

In a letter emailed to Fletcher on Wednesday, County Director Ryan O’Connor took issue with the way press releases were sent last week – first to the media from the office email account from the sheriff, and then to the public through the county’s public email subscription tool. O’Connor also asked Fletcher to clarify the relationship between the sheriff’s office and the proposed charter school and asked for more information on two contracts the office has made.

The inquiry comes after Ramsey County Council commissioners at their Tuesday meeting raised questions about the charter school, including whether county resources were used in the planning and whether the sheriff’s office worked there during their normal work days. In an interview on Tuesday, Fletcher said that was not the case.

When reached by phone on Wednesday, Fletcher declined to comment on the letter and said he would respond with one of his own to O’Connor “in due course”.

THE LETTER PRESENTS THE EVENTS

O’Connor wrote to Fletcher that “the manner in which the information was provided to the media and the public raises political, budgetary, legal, ethical and reputational questions for Ramsey County and, as part of an organization broader government, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office “.

The letter states that there are provisions in the administrative code and county administrative policies governing the permitted behaviors of county employees “and their use of public property in the service of the community.”

“Ramsey County employees within the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office are not exempt from these employment requirements,” O’Connor wrote. “The actions and behaviors described in this letter raise issues requiring further follow-up from you as the head of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office.”

In his letter, O’Connor noted how a sheriff’s office worker, whom he did not name, sent a press release to local media on October 20 using a sheriff’s office email account. . Kyle Mestad, who is the director of administration for the sheriff’s office, sent the email.

The press release was followed by a press release from the Sheriff’s Office using the county’s 4,964-subscriber public email subscription tool for public announcements and notices from the Sheriff’s Office, O ‘noted Connor.

Roy Magnuson, the sheriff’s department public information officer, is listed at the top or bottom of both emails as a founding member of the school’s board of directors, along with his cell phone number.

ABOUT THE SCHOOL

According to press releases, the School of Leadership for Public Service will be located in Ramsey County and open for the 2022-2023 school year with students in grades 6-10. In addition to teaching students traditional academic disciplines like math, reading and science, the non-profit school will provide them with the opportunity to see first-hand how public sector employees are using these skills in their careers, according to press releases.

In a brief interview with Pioneer Press on the day the press release was sent out, Magnuson said that although he and Fletcher are two of the school’s co-founders, the school is not affiliated with the sheriff’s office. .

However, in his letter to Fletcher, O’Connor said that the announcement “under the banner of an official public communication from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office and a press release apparently contradicts” Magnuson’s comment to the newspaper.

O’Connor also asked Fletcher to provide information on the issues that “up front will help define additional issues that may need attention.”

He asked the sheriff if there has been, exists or will exist any formal relationship between the sheriff’s office and the proposed charter school.

He asked if any public funds had been spent on the development of the proposed charter school.

CONTRACT DETAILS SOUGHT

O’Connor also requested additional information regarding two contracts that were performed by the Sheriff’s Office in 2019 and 2020. According to the one-year contract summaries provided to Pioneer Press, both were with Tony Doom Supply Co. – the first in August 2019, which totaled $ 25,000 for staffing and operational assessment services, the second for $ 10,000 in May 2020 for outreach services.

According to its website, Tony Doom Supply Co. is “famous across the country for affordable, high-quality political campaign supplies, business promotion items, wedding favors, and green products.”

O’Connor wrote that last December he asked the sheriff and his staff in an email for more information on the contracts and that he “had not received any response regarding this request.”

READ THE LETTER

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