PFC president 'not credible,' Columbus city attorney claims

By Paul Scharf, Capital Newspapers

COLUMBUS — While the Columbus Police and Fire Commission awaits a ruling from the Wisconsin attorney general on the extent of its powers, it will not receive any future input from Columbus City Attorney Randy Lueders.

In a letter to PFC President Ed Schellin, Lueders said he would no longer perform services for the PFC. In his three-page letter, Lueders criticized Schellin for his actions as president, saying he thought Schellin should have been removed as president, that he "improperly colluded" with ex-Fire Chief Chris Lyons and that he considered Schellin no longer "credible."

The soft-spoken Lueders, who normally measures every word, sent Schellin the letter April 29. In responding to Schellin's request for him to review some charges that were brought before the PFC, Lueders took the opportunity to write about a host of situations Columbus has dealt with during its recent months of political turmoil.

Items addressed included:

-- The PFC's decision to bring Ted Long on board as its lawyer on a pro bono basis.

-- Lueders' testimony at the Jan. 7 hearing on Schellin after Mayor Nancy Osterhaus filed charges against Schellin with the city clerk's office. The Columbus City Council later voted not to remove Schellin as member and president of the PFC.

-- The January 2007 appointment of Chris Lyons as fire chief ("…you conducted the hiring process which resulted in hiring Lyons in great secrecy," Lueders wrote. "The vote was made by secret ballot and even included absentee ballots. Such procedures are totally inappropriate."

-- The charges that Lyons filed with the PFC against interim Fire Chief Bill Kluetzman shortly before Lyons resigned last May, and the manner in which the PFC dealt with them. Lueders wrote, "I am troubled by what I perceive as your inappropriate relationship with former Fire Chief Lyons. I believe that you improperly colluded with him to make sure that the charges would be filed against Deputy Chief Kluetzman even though Lyons intended to resign without filing charges."

-- The hiring of attorney Scott Herrick to provide the PFC with counsel regarding charges filed by Lyons — a move that became a part of the controversy that led to the hearing on Schellin.

-- Lueders' stated conclusion that Schellin is "not credible."

Schellin and Long spoke about the letter following Monday evening's PFC meeting and declined to go on the record over specific charges raised by Lueders.

Long said that Lueders is not doing anything illegal by refusing to serve the PFC.

"I think he has to prioritize the time he can spend on city business, based on the amount of budgeted compensation provided by the city," he said.

"If the PFC is in need of legal counsel, they need to come to (City Administrator) Boyd (Kraemer) or myself and follow the normal attorney work process," Osterhaus said before a Council retreat on Tuesday night.

Under the new guidelines for the city attorney, any legal work requested outside of Lueder's pre-determined monthly block of about 30 hours is contracted out either to Lueders or to the law firm vonBriesen and Roper if it is approved through the proper channels.