Newspaper Page Text
COMMUNITY
Ethics board recommends
dropping Bonser complaint
BL JOE EARLE
joeearle@reporternewspapers. net
Dunwoody’s ethics commission is
recommending an ethics complaint
against City Councilwoman Adrian
Bonser be dropped.
The board on Sept. 12 unanimously
accepted and forwarded to City Coun
cil a report by ethics Hearing Officer
Dennis T. Still that found the complaint
“does not have any credible evidence
that there has been a violation of the
Ethics Ordinances of the city of Dun-
woody.”
Still also recommend that the res
ident who filed the complaint, Ste
phen Chipka, be pub
licly reprimanded by
city officials “as a re
sult of his unfounded,
frivolous, or politically
motivated complaints
against Councilwom
an Adrian Bonser.”
He also recommended
Chipka be required to
pay “reasonable costs
... associated with the
handling and process
ing of his ethics com
plaint against Council-
woman Bonser.”
“It’s a vindication
for me,” Bonser said after the hearing
ended.
Chipka, in an email, said that it was
up to City Council to decide. He also
criticized Still, saying he “has chosen to
shift his focus from the ethics complaint
process.”
“[T]he new hearing officer chose to
launch into a personal attack against
me, the complainant ...,” Chipka wrote.
“Obviously this hearing officer felt he
was there as a ‘judge,’ to find fault with
one of the parties, not to consider the
ordinances of the city of Dunwoody in
relation to Ms. Bonser’s behavior.
“Unfortunately, the Board of Ethics
members present at the deliberation ses
sion on Sept. 12, 2013, obviously were
confused about their role in the new
‘process’ developed by the City Council
in April of this year. They voted to for
ward the Hearing Officer’s recommen
dation, intact, to the City Council.”
In his report, Still called the evidence
and complaint presented by Chipka
“frivolous, unjustified, derogatory, disre
spectful and condescending, all of which
results in unfounded and unsupported
allegations of ethical misconduct.”
Still said the complaint “was brought
merely to satisfy [Chipka’s] own per
sonal interest, and to be a nuisance to
Councilmember Bonser.”
In a complaint filed May 21, Chip
ka accused Bonser of failing to investi
gate Chipka’s claims of corruption and
cover-up in the city’s police department.
He also accused Bonser “with abandon
ment of her obligations to serve her dis
trict constituents while pursuing other
personal interests, and
accepting compensa
tion from the city of
Dunwoody,” according
to Still’s report.
Chipka’s complaints
arose from his inter
action with police
during a traffic inci
dent on Feb. 9, 2011.
Still, in his report, says
Chipka was arrested
and charged with ag
gressive driving. In an
email after the Sept.
12 hearing, Chipka de
nied he was arrested.
On April 21, 2011, Chipka pleaded
nolo contendere to a charge of aggressive
driving, Still reported.
“Mr. Chipka complained about the
city attorney, and threatened to sue the
city and its officials for his conviction for
aggressive driving,” Still wrote. “Most all
of the communications in regard to these
circumstances were based on emails pri
marily from Mr. Chipka to everybody in
sight: the mayor, the council, the police
chief, and the city administrators. Most
each and every email contained derog
atory, disrespectful, condescending and
delusional statements totally unrelated
to any substance of the allegations con
tained herein.
“There is evidence in the reply emails
that each and every city official, includ
ing Councilmember Bonser, attempt
ed to investigate the complaints by Mr.
Chipka, but the real problem was Mr.
Chipka did not like the results of those
investigations, and imputed some sort of
impropriety because they did not agree
with his opinions.”
Dunwoody
Government Calendar
The Dunwoody City Council usually meets the second and fourth
Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at Dunwoody City Hall located at 41
Perimeter Center East Suite No. 103.
For a complete and up to date schedule of Dunwoody City meetings,
visit http://www.dunwoodyga.gov/Residents/Calendar.aspx
Do you have any of
these symptoms?
□ I have a burning sensation in my feet/hands
□ I’m unsteady when I stand or walk
□ I can’t feel my feet when walking
□ My feet/hands are numb and feel dead
□ My feet/hands hurt at night
□ My feet/hands tingle
Stop suffering from painful peripheral neuropathy
There is a new, cutting edge, drug-free treatment for
peripheral neuropathy. Most insurances are accepted
including MEDICARE. Call today to schedule an
appointment with our board-certified doctor who
specializes in treatment for neuropathy.
Bonnie
Ellenoff, M.
Neuropathy
CENTER
OF GEORGIA
11 Dunwoody Park
Suite 140, Dunwoody
Mon-Thurs 8:30-4:30
888-286-2538
www.neuropathycenterofga.com
Come Live at Saint Anne’s Terrace in the Heart of
Buckhead and Enjoy Retirement Living Your Way!
What Bud Lovell loves about
living at St. Anne’s Terrace:
“I can commune with nature from
my apartment by looking out at the
fruit trees changing color with the
seasons and watching the birds on
the two feeders outside my window.”
3100 Northside Parkway, NW
Atlanta 30327
www.saintannesterrace.org
saint anne’s terrace, Inc. 404-238-9200 a
g
*
ATLANTA
astroenteroiogy
Specialists in the Detection and Treatment of
Digestive Diseases, Hepatitis and Colon Cancer
Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates is
proud to announce the association of
Huiming (Sooki) Hon, M.D., Ph.D.
Board Certified Gastroenterologist
for the practice of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Dr. Hon is now seeing patients
at our Saint Joseph's location:
5671 Peachtree Dunwoody Road | Suite 600
404.257.9000
As specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of liver and
digestive diseases and the detection and treatment of colon
cancer, the physicians and staff of Atlanta Gastroenterology
Associates are dedicated to providing patients with the best
possible care in a comfortable, compassionate setting.
For more information:
www.atlantagastro.com
1.866.GO.TO.AGA [468.6242]
AGA is a participating provider for Medicare, Medicaid and most healthcare plans offered in Georgia.
DUN
www.ReporterNewspapers.netl SEPT.20 — OCT.3,2013 | 3
