GrovePAC Launched to Elect Three Candidates

What exactly is GrovePAC?

For the first time in memory, a political action committee has been formed in Grove in connection with the April City Council election. Known as GrovePAC and headed by its founder, Troy Kyman, owner of Precision Wi-Fi and Precision Communications, the committee seeks to raise funds for its three candidates, selected before the filing period opened, and work for their election to office.

The committee is backing candidates Larry Parham, Gary Trippensee and Mike Davenport and has its own web site, www.grovepac.org. "Our goal is to support Grove City Council candidates that represent a clear character displaying leadership, honesty and integrity,." according to the web site. Kyman said this week that "we will be watching their performance, and if these candidates are elected and don't get the job done, we will back someone else at the next election."

GrovePAC's issues to date include "the intentional corrupt power plays that have taken place over the last couple of years," the appointment of council members to the various trust authority boards, and the undercharging by GMSA of $890,000 over the past three years of the Simmons natural gas account. Kyman feels the city should reimburse GMSA customers with the Simmons payment. (approximately one half has been paid by Simmons to date)

Fact check: The underpayments by Simmons were discovered by Assistant City Manager Debbie Mavity and GMSA gas foreman Jim Reiling, after a lengthy investigation "covering every inch of gas line." The increased use of gas came after Simmons expanded the Fairland plant but did not pay the increased gas usage, which it was aware of, say city officials.

"Our concern is that the money will be used for some sort of perk like a new Civic Center or Water Park," says the web site.

Fact Check: Both issues are subject to voter approval; no monies from a Simmons repayment could be used for either project, by law; and neither project could be called a "perk."

It is no secret that City Manager Bill Galletly would be immediately retired if two of the three candidates are elected. He has said he will retire in 2007 either way. "I want to build more bird houses and drive the causeway from Miami to Key West," he said recently.

Davenport, a 12-year GMSA employee, was part of an employee group that did gas and water line work for private contractors and developers on their own time, but using city equipment, a violation of state law. According to documents obtained by The Observer, the practice had been ongoing for at least 12 years. Galletly put a stop to it in 2003. Davenport, in an April 24, 2003 document, admitted doing work for several developers with labor being charged based on the "contractor's needs." According to the documents, the equipment used was "cathode" or "corrosion equipment, with a fee charged to the developer or contractor for the operator and the piece of equipment, with all the money going to the employee."

Parham, a current city council member and owner of the Grove Radio Shack, has spent most of the past two years trying to fire Galletly. He uttered the famous words "I do not want to help my neighbor," in connection with the city's disposal of an old truck to the town of Disney for $1.00. Supporters point out that he is detailed, asks a lot of questions, and is thrifty with city expenditures.
Trippenssee was a member of the Grove Airport trust authority and the lone holdout against the transfer of airport land to the city that would protect the property in case of a lawsuit. The property was transferred in 2006. Several observers have pointed out that council meetings could last until midnight if Trippenssee is elected. He is a mechanical engineer, owner of two airplanes based at Grove Airport, and a longtime NASA employee.

The committee has not announced any specific candidate platforms as yet. Kyman said "everybody in Grove is in favor of a new swimming pool" but that the "costs need to be kept in line and a fancy, flumed water park that costs $13 million is out of the question." The city's Blue Ribbon Committee named to study the issue has not yet announced its recommendations and the public has mostly been kept in the dark as to plans.

The three candidates' individual opinions on issues such as the civic center, swimming pool, support for the Chamber of Commerce, city street improvements, Grove's future needs, and what kind of new city manager should be hired, are unknown. But it is early in the campaign with plenty of time left to explain.

Other candidates for council offices include David Adzigian, a former council member who lost to Parham in the last election by 25 votes and is seen as a mediator and extremely detailed person; Dustin Phillips, a farmer-rancher who says his platform is to bring in new business to Grove; Harry Worley, Grove businessman, and current Mayor Carolyn Nuckolls. Ben Hynum has withdrawn from consideration.

As with the GrovePAC candidates, these have not announced any details of their platforms as yet.

During the campaign, The Observer will attempt to separate fact from fiction, truth from lies. We encourage candidates to speak about the future of Grove, not the past.