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HEATHER:..TONIGHT - NEW
INFORMATION ABOUT THE
SUSPENDED MUSKEGON HEIGHTS
CITY MANAGER AS WE GET ACCESS
TO THE DOCUMENTS BEHIND A
QUESTIONABLE CONTRACT THAT PUT
TAXPAYERS ON THE
HOOK.LEON:..WE GOT INFORMATION
THROUGH THE FREEDOM OF
INFORMATION ACT THAT ALSO
REVEALS PAY RECORDS THAT SHOW
THE CITY'S TOP EXECUTIVE WAS
CHARGING THE FINANCIALLY-
STRAPPED CITY FOR HOURS WHILE
REPORTS INDICATE HE WAS IN
ANOTHER STATE TRYING TO LAND A
NEW JOBa&..
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MUSKEGON HEIGHTS CITY MANAGER
TROY BELL HAS BEEN SUSPENDED
FOR TWO WEEKS -- HIS FATE WITH
THE CITY NOW IN THE HANDS OF
THE SEVEN MEMBERS OF THE
MUSKEGON HEIGHTS CITY
COUNCILa&..CITY LEADERS SAY
THEY SUSPENDED BELL FOR THESE
REASONS AND TONIGHT WE HAVE
MORE INFORMATION ON ALL OF
THEMa&.1. THEY ACCUSE HIM OF
ENTERING INTO A COSTLY
CONTRACT WITH A TECH COMPANY
WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF CITY
COUNCIL.2. THEY SAY HE PAID
HIMSELF EXCESS MONEY CHARGING
AN HOURLY RATE WHEN HE SHOULD
HAVE BEEN TAKING A STRAIGHT
SALARYa&3. HE WAS REPORTEDLY
ENGAGED IN AN INCIDENT AT A
NORTON SHORES MEIJER WHERE HE
FLASHED A BADGE LEAVING SOME
TO WONDER IF HE WAS POSING AS
A POLICE OFFICER.FIRST THE
TECH CONTRACT NEWS 8 OBTAINED
THE AGREEMENT WITH A COMPANY
CALLED BLOOMZa&. A
COMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE
ORGANIZATION BASED IN
WASHINGTON STATE THAT WORKS
WITH SCHOOL SYSTEMS.BELL SAYS
HE WAS ALLOWED TO MAKE THE
DEAL WITH THE COMPANY USING
HIS AUTHORITY TO MAKE PAYMENTS
UP TO 5,000 DOLLARS WITHOUT
COUNCIL APPROVALa&.BUT THE
CONTRACT INDICATES THAT THE
CITY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
UP TO 20,000 DOLLARS IN UP
FRONT COSTSa&.THE FIRST
INVOICE CAME IN AT MORE THAN
NINE GRAND.... A PARTIAL
PAYMENT WAS MADE FOR AROUND
35- HUNDRED KEEPING IT BELOW
THE 5 GRAND THRESHOLD.....THE
CITY GAVE US TWO CONTRACTS
WITH BLOOMZ BOTH SIGNED BY
BELL.... IT'S NOT CLEAR WHICH
ONE IS BINDING...IN EITHER
CASE THE CITY AGREES TO
THOUSANDS IN UP FRONT FEES --
AND AN AGREEMENT WORTH
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
DOLLARS FOR BLOOMZ IF IT'S
KEPT....ALSO OF NOTE -- THE
EMAIL ADDRESS ON THE CONTRACT
IS BELL'S PERSONAL
ACCOUNT...THE PHYSICAL MAILING
ADDRESS -- HIS FORMER HOME IN
INDIANA. THERE ARE ALSO NEW
CONCERNS TONIGHT ABOUT HOW
BELL MANAGED PAYMENTS TO
HIMSELF. CITY LEADERS ACCUSE
HIM OF WRONGLY KEEPING HIS PAY
RATE HOURLY RAKING IN MORE
TAXPAYER MONEY THAN HE WOULD
IF HE TRANSITIONED TO SALARY
AS AGREED.AND THEN THERE'S
THIS QUESTION BELL MADE NEWS
RECENTLY IN A STORY OUT OF
CALIFORNIA -- WHERE REPORTS
INDICATE HE TRAVELED FOR A JOB
INTERVIEW IN JANUARY -- JUST A
FEW MONTHS AFTER HE MADE A
THREE YEAR COMMITMENT TO
MUSKEGON HEIGHTS....DOCUMENTS
PUBLISHED SHOW THAT BELL
TRAVELED TO CALIFORNIA BY
AIRPLANE ON JANUARY 21 AND
RETURNED THE NEXT DAY....
TARGET 8 OBTAINED HIS TIMECARD
FOR THE WEEK WHICH SHOWS HE
CHARGED THE CITY FOR 12 HOURS
OF WORK ON THE 21 AND 22ND.
POLICE IN NORTON SHORES
INITIALLY SAID THE CASE
INVOLVING THE MEIJER INCIDENT
INVOLVING THE BADGE WAS CLOSED
-- NO CHARGES SOUGHT AFTER THE
UNUSUAL INCIDENT INVOLVING
BELL... THEY SAID THERE WAS
CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
AND NO COMPLAINANT PRESSED THE
ISSUE.... BUT NOW POLICE ARE
SAYING THE CASE IS REOPENED
AND BACK UNDER
INVESTIGATION....
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MUSKEGON
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HEIGHTS MAYOR WALTER WATT
RELEASED A STATEMENT ON THE
TIMECARD MATTER -- HE SAID --
"MR. BELL WAS TRANSPARENT
ABOUT HIS INTERVIEW IN
CALIFORNIA... HE LEFT ON AN
EVENING FLIGHT AFTER WORK
HOURS ON THE 21ST AND RETURNED
THE NEXT DAY. DURING HIS TIME
AWAY MR. BELL CONTINUED TO
MANAGE THE BUSINESS OF THE
CITY VIA EMAIL AND TELEPHONE.
DESPITE THE APPARENT
DISCREPANCY ON THE TIME SHEET,
MR. BELL WORKED WELL IN EXCESS
OF 40 HOURS DURING THE WORK
WEEK IN QUESTION..."
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LEON:..BELL'S TWO WEEK
SUSPENSION IS SUPPOSED TO END
TOMMOROW..... THE CITY COUNCIL
IS EXPECTED TO MEET AND DECIDE
HIS FATE WITH THE CITY.WE DID
REACH OUT LATE THIS EVENING TO
CITY MANAGER BELL ABOUT OUR
FINDINGS.WE HAVEN'T HEARD BACK
YET.WE'LL BE FOLLOWING UP....
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