Tim Goeman MN DNR ethics complaint

November 25, 2003

Dear Commissioner Merriam,

I wish to file a second ethics complaint against Mr. Tim Goeman.

During the October 14 2003 legislative claims hearing on Mr. Goemans arbitrary and capricious denial of an import/stocking permit of orangespotted sunfish to my licensed facility Mr. Goeman gave false testimony to the committee.

Mr. Goeman told the committee that he denied the permit because the permit application was incomplete.  This is false on several counts.

1.   Mr. Goeman stated in his 6 1 2001 email that the permit was denied on the basis that my farm was within the 25-year floodplain.  He stated this despite the August 30 1996 DNR document to Mr. Steve Hirsch that states my farm is nowhere near the 100-year flood plain.

2.   Mr. Goeman has never stated the May 2001 permit denial was because of an incomplete permit prior to October 14 2003.

3.   The denied permit was identical to permits that have been approved by Mr. Goeman.

4.   Longear sunfish were approved on the same permit that Mr. Goeman now claims was incomplete.

Mr. Goeman told the committee that I was using unlicensed ponds and that the DNR could have written me a ticket.  This is also false on several counts.  Mr. Goeman owes me an apology for telling the committee I violated the law.

1.   Mr. Goeman personally approved the ponds he claimed were unlicensed in 1998 and 2001.

2.   Minnesota Statute 15.99 clearly says that the DNR has 60 days to approve, deny or ask for an extension.  The DNR did not contact me so the ponds were approved as requested on day 61 despite the failure of the MN DNR Fisheries to complete the simple license additions.

3.   Mr. Goeman claimed there was confusion on which side of the road the ponds were being licensed.  The 1998 new pond application approved by Mr. Goeman has a drawing showing the ponds are clearly on the east side of the road.  The 2001 new pond application approved by Mr. Goeman stated the levee ponds are adjoining existing ponds.  The new construction on the east side of the road was evident to anyone driving the township road so there is no reason to believe Mr. Goeman was confused.  If he had been truly confused by the obvious he had every opportunity to contact me for help.  He did not.

Sincerely,

John Reynolds

26385 County Road 3

Merrifield MN 56465

http://www.mndnrdocuments.org

cc.   Deputy Commissioner Mark Holsten

        John Guenther

        Representative Dale Walz

        Senator Paul Koering