Koester reports legal fee reimbursement as committee payments remain unresolved

By Melissa Crispin-Piche Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Wheatland County Coun. Glenn Koester says he has received an insurance reimbursement for legal costs from his dispute with the county, but payments he says he lost while off council committees remain unresolved.

At the Oct. 6 council meeting, Koester said the insurer had paid the legal-fee portion, while roughly $5,200 in lost committee payments had yet to arrive.

The figures listed in his written report were $93,706.39 in legal fees and $5,210.99 in lost committee payments. Together those amounts total $98,917.38, although Koester’s comments made clear he had not received both portions.

Koester also put his additional lost committee income at nearly $27,000. The amount discussed during the meeting was $26,883.98.

He said he calculated that loss using the six-month committee-payment figure as a basis for a 36-month period. He suggested county staff could help check the calculation and asked that any council discussion about a further payment wait until all members were present. Two councillors were absent with notice.

“I want to put this behind me. The legal part is done,” Koester said.

The prospect of an additional payment drew questions about the difference between sanctions and council’s annual decisions on committee appointments.

Earlier in the meeting, Koester clarified that he had been sanctioned for six months but had not been put back on a board for three years. He said there was unfinished work on boards he had served on and that he wanted to help see it through.

The question as to whether taxpayers should pay $26,883.98 for committee positions Koester had not held; it was noted that other county representatives had been paid to do that work.

The chair also said committee appointments were made through the annual organizational process with a secret ballot when more than one person was nominated.

Council carried a motion accepting Koester’s report as presented. The exchange did not establish the county’s total legal costs, any insurance recovery by the county or the amount ultimately borne by taxpayers.