Former Williston City Manager Weighs in on City Scrap Fund

Editor’s Note: Former City Manager Scott Lippmann was contacted two weeks ago by Spotlight regarding the creation and administration of the city’s scrap fund. He was given a copy of current City Manager Jackie Gorman’s Jan. 14 email to Spotlight Senior Reporter Terry Witt explaining the history of the scrap pile funding. He was asked to respond. He wrote an April 30 email to Witt explaining the scrap metal fund and why it was used for specific purposes during his time with the city. Lippmann was made aware that Spotlight didn’t consider Gorman’s email to Witt responsive to its questions regarding the scrap fund, that many questions remain unanswered, and that Spotlight wanted to hear a full report from Gorman to the City Council regarding who authorized the purchase of $150 Tractor Supply Gift certificates for 38 city employees in December 2021 using $5,700 of scrap fund money and why Gorman thought it was appropriate to give the gift certificates to some employees and not others. His email is a response to Gorman’s Jan. 14 email to Witt regarding the scrap fund. Lippmann’s email response to Gorman’s email is as follows:

Subject: Williston scrap fund – Jackie’s email of Jan 14, 2022

I apologize for the delay in responding to you about this.

Several things:

The paragraph from the April 16, 2013, Council minutes quoting my explanation of the scrap fund is accurate as far as it goes.

There is a bit more to it however. Historically, the revenue from the sale of scrap metals and other materials was rolled back into the General Fund as “miscellaneous revenue” and was commingled with other General Fund dollars. Since the public works department was, at the time, the sole generator of scrap materials and their labor reclaimed the scrap to be eventually sold (ex. disassembling old, broken electric meters to reclaim the salvageable metals), it stood to reason that public works employees should somehow benefit from their labors.

A direct cash award was, in my opinion, inappropriate for a lot of reasons (how to treat a cash award for tax/payroll purposes, parity among all City employees, etc.). CJ and I discussed it and agreed that the funds should be used to a) purchase needed safety equipment to protect the public works employees on the job; and, b) to provide something to the employees which would be useful to them on the job and/or establish a level of pride in their city employment. Item a) is self-explanatory and it always came first. If funds were left over from Item a, Item b) resulted in the scrap fund purchasing high-quality Leatherman tools, high-quality pocket knives, ball caps bearing the City seal, and so on over the years. Things that public works employees would use on the job and that they would value. No keychains and other typical promotional stuff – the items purchased had to be useful to the employees in doing their jobs and/or help identify them as City employees. Please note that CJ and Kimmie (his admin assistant at the time) shopped carefully and negotiated hard to obtain the highest quality items at the best possible price.

The jackets that Jackie spoke of were high-quality cold weather coats which bore the City Seal. They were originally purchased exclusively for public works employees. They proved to be so popular, and useful, that some department heads and Council members individually asked for them as well. We decided to make a second purchase to meet their requests because it helped spread City pride and identity, particularly when worn at functions in the community. When I left the City, I left my jacket on the back of my chair to be passed on to my successor.

Jackie later states that police, fire, and the airport generate scrap as well. When I was there, the only department generating a significant amount (virtually all) of scrap was public works/utilities. Therefore I cannot speak to what happened, or what decisions were made after I left.

I have no idea about the spending decisions made after I left. I have my opinion about how the funds were disbursed, based solely on what I read in the press, but my opinion is not relevant here.

Hope this sheds a bit of light. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions. Good to see you at Strow’s retirement event. Take care.

Scott Lippmann