COPYRIGHT 2024
RICHARD ODOMS
Retired Deputy Sheriff * Current Hamburg Resident * Hamburg City Council Member 2013 - 2017
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CAN LAWYERS BE ARRESTED ? The 'direct' answer is YES; but NOT ENOUGH ARE !!
I know that LAWYERS CAN BE ARRESTED from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE because, during my nearly 20 YEAR
Law Enforcement Career; I ARRESTED a LAWYER, and PUT HIM IN JAIL; EVEN THOUGH I KNEW HIM PERSONALLY !!
WHY Are HAMBURG PUBLIC OFFICIALS, INCLUDING HAMBURG'S 60+ YEAR OLD 'contract' HAMBURG CITY ATTORNEY who REPRESENTS the ENTIRE LEGAL PROFESSION; should KNOW BETTER and is a MAJOR CATALYST
of what's taken place in our City; IMMUNE TO CRIMINAL PROSECUTION
in CARVER COUNTY, EVEN THOUGH AN ABUNDANCE OF
'CLEAR & CONVINCING', IRREFUTABLE EVIDENCE
AGAINST ALL OF THEM; EXISTS ??
"A usually concerted effort
to keep an illegal or
unethical act or situation from being made public."
"Dishonest or illegal
behavior especially by
powerful people; such as
government officials."
YOU CAN'T INTENTIONALLY DO THINGS WRONG, & THEN
HOPE THAT THINGS WILL COME OUR 'RIGHT' !!
My Webpages Exposing The ' COVER UP' Of PUBLIC OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT & CORRUPTION Taking Place In The
CITY OF HAMBURG That I've Uncovered In
MINNE$OTA'$ WEALTHIE$T COUNTY
Have Now EXCEEDED 135,000 'HITS' !!
'LINKS' To Just Some Of Those Very Popular WEBPAGES Describing
WHAT'S TAKING PLACE And WHO IS INVOLVED Appear Below:
Read The ACTUAL (But UNANSWERED) LETTERS Sent To HAMBURG'S MAYOR
Seeking ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS To WHAT'S TAKING PLACE !!
Read The ACTUAL NEBULOUS, VAGUE And EVASIVE RESPONSES By The CITY OF HAMBURG Trying
To FURTHER 'COVER UP' What's Taking Place In The City With It's PUBLIC OFFICIALS !!
Hamburg's 'ANSWER' To Hennepin County Attorney MARY MORIARITY.
'Companion Website' To My Book By The Same Name About
WHAT'S TAKING PLACE In The CITY OF HAMBURG By It's PUBLIC OFFICIALS !!
You WON'T HEAR About WHAT'S TAKING PLACE In The CITY OF HAMBURG On TWIN CITIES
PUBLIC TELEVISION's CHANNEL 2 Or Any Other TWIN CITIES TV or RADIO
STATION And You WON'T READ ABOUT IT In ANY Newspaper Because Of
The IDENTITY Of The PUBLIC OFFICIALS INVOLVED
And The ELECTED POSITIONS THEY HOLD !!
Currently In The Process Of Being 'Resurrected'.
What's Taking Place BEGAN MORE THAN TEN YEARS AGO When I Was Elected To The HAMBURG CITY COUNCIL And
Started 'DIGGING UP' The FACTS And INFORMATION About What Was Taking Place !!
The CITY OF HAMBURG WASTED $50,000.00 TAXPAYER COLLARS Trying
To UNSUCCESSFULLY Force Me Off The HAMBURG CITY COUNCIL !!
When I Sought To Be Elected Mayor of Hamburg In 2022, Here Were My 'Visions':
See A MORE COMPLETE LIST Of LINKS To My Various Webpages At
"THE 'COVER UP', MORE THAN THE INITIAL WRONGDOING;
IS WHAT IS MOST LIKELY TO BRING YOU DOWN."
MADELYN ALBRIGHT, (Former) UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE
According to the AMERICA BAR ASSOCIATION the most common
ATTORNEY DISCIPLINE COMPLAINTS
filed with the BAR ASSOCIATION
involve:
DISHONESTY
MISREPRESENTATION
As Well As
FEE DISPUTES, NEGLECT, LACK, Of COMMUNICATION & SCOPE Of REPRESENTATION.
Visitors To My Many Websites May Have No Doubt Noticed That There Is An 'Issue' With The Audio Associated With Every Webpage Of Each Website. Simply
Put, The Audio On Each Webpage Is SUPPOSED To Begin Playing When The Web Page Is 'Opened', But That Doesn't Always Happen. The Easiest
'WORK-AROUND' Is To CLICK HERE To Re-Open The Webpage To Automatically Hear The Audio Imbedded In The Webpage !!
'PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT' ??
www.HAMBURGMINNESOTA.com
As you read over my many
Webpages about the
'COVER-UP, MISCONDUCT and
CORRUPTION of PUBLIC OFFICIALS in the CITY OF HAMBURG, make a 'MENTAL NOTE' of HOW MANY TIMES those PUBLIC OFFICIALS have VIOLATED the SAME 'RULES' and MINNESOTA STATUTES that the rest
of us are expected to comply with !!
NOT ONCE
has the
CARVER COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EVER CHARGED ANY
HAMBURG PUBLIC OFFICIAL
with
VIOLATING THE LAW !!
Unlike the
HAMBURG MAYOR, CITY COUNCILMEMBERS
and the
HAMBURG CITYCLERK/TREASURER
lawyers also have somewhat of a
'CODE OF CONDUCT'
that they must adhere to
and follow, called the
'RULES OF
PROFESSIONAL
CONDUCT'.
To see those Rules that lawyers are SUPPOSED to adhere to,
However, BOTH 'contract'
HAMBURG CITY ATTORNEY
KELLY C. DOHM
and the other
HAMBURG PUBLIC OFFICIALS
as well as the
CARVER COUNTY ATTORNEY
are
REQUIRED
to comply with
MINNESOTA STATUTE - 609.43
MISCONDUCT OF PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE
A public officer or employee who does any of the following, for which no other sentence is specifically provided by law, may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 364 days or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both:
(1) intentionally fails or refuses to perform a known mandatory, non-discretionary, ministerial duty of the office or employment within the time or in the manner required by law; or
(2) in the capacity of such officer or employee, does an act knowing it is in excess of lawful authority or knowing it is forbidden by law to be done in that capacity; or
(3) under pretense or color of official authority intentionally and unlawfully injures another in the other's person, property, or rights; or
(4) in the capacity of such officer or employee, makes a return, certificate, official report, or other like document having knowledge it is false in any material respect.
Here is ANOTHER
MINNESOTA STATUTE - 351.14
Hamburg residents should take note of:DEFINITIONS.
Subdivision 1.Applicability. The definitions in this section apply to sections 351.14 to 351.23.
Subd. 2. Malfeasance. "Malfeasance" means the willful commission of an unlawful or wrongful act in the performance of a public official's duties which is outside the scope of the authority of the public official and which infringes on the rights of any person or entity.
Subd. 3. Nonfeasance. "Nonfeasance" means the willful failure to perform a specific act which is a required part of the duties of the public official.
Subd. 4. Misfeasance. "Misfeasance" means the negligent performance of the duties of a public official or the negligent failure to perform a specific act which is a required part of the duties of the public official.
Subd. 5. Elected county official. "Elected county official" means any public official who is elected to countywide office or appointed to an elective countywide office, including county attorney, county sheriff, county auditor, county recorder, county treasurer, and soil and water conservation supervisor. "Elected county official" also means a county commissioner elected or appointed from a commissioner district or a soil and water conservation district supervisor elected or appointed from a supervisor district established under section 103C.311,
Subdivision 2.
In addition to the Rules and Minnesota Statutes listed
above, lawyers, whether
public or private, are subjected to
THIS
WEBPAGE CURRENTLY
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
As We've ALL Witnessed With The
PUBLIC OFFICIALS
In The City Of
HAMBURG
CARVER COUNTY
GREED + POWER + AUTHORITY
=
CORRUPTION !!
To read about MY UNBELIEVEABLE EXPERIENCE and how the UNSCRUPULOUS, DISHONEST & CORRUPT LAWYER'S involved (who
are ALL PAID WITH TAXPAYER DOLLARS) were able to MANIPULATE THE VERY 'SYSTEM', TO THEIR ADVANTAGE; that is
'DESIGNED' to PROTECT CITIZENS from those UNSCRUPULOUS, DISHONEST & CORRUPT LAWYER'S, PLEASE CLICK HERE.
While Reading The IRREFUTABLE EVIDENCE & INFORMATION Provided On My Multiple Webpages Documenting The 'COVER-UP', MISCONDUCT & CORRUPTION Taking Place With PUBLIC OFFICIALS Multilaterally, You May Be Asking Yourself, "AREN'T THESE PUBLIC OFFICIALS SUPPOSED TO BE HONEST & FORTHRIGHT" ? We ALL Know The Answer To That Question And, While I Can't Find A 'General' OATH OF OFFICE For PUBLIC OFFICIALS; MINNESOTA DOES HAVE A LAW outlining the SPECIFIC OATH OF OFFICE FOR ALL ATTORNEYS; To Which ALL ATTORNEYS MUST ADHERE:
.MINNESOTA STATUTE 358.07
Subdivision (9);
To attorneys: "You do swear that you will support the Constitution of the United States and that of the state of Minnesota, and will conduct yourself as an attorney and counselor at law in an upright and courteous manner, to the best of your learning and ability, with all good fidelity as well to the court as to the client, and that you will use no falsehood or deceit, nor delay any person's cause for lucre or malice. So help you God."
So, what happens you ask, and well you might; when an attorney VIOLATES that OATH ?? In addition to the information shown to the right, the OFFICE
OF LAWYER'S PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY is the STATE AGENCY, ANSWERABLE DIRECTLY TO THE MINNESOTA SUPREME COURT;
that (is SUPPOSED to) 'investigate' complaints against DISHONEST and CORRUPT LAWYERS. But, of course THEY DON'T DO THAT EQUALLY;
depending on WHO THE LAWYER IS; as in THIS case involving the HAMBURG CITY ATTORNEY and CARVER COUNTY'S ATTORNEYS.)
The formal PUBLICLY RELEASING Of My (IGNORED) Personal Letters Sent To MINNESOTA
GOVERNOR TIM WALZ (And Others) Alerting Him To The MISCONDUCT, CORRUPTION
and 'COVER-UP' Involving PUBLIC OFFICIALS In The CITY OF HAMBURG
And CARVER COUNTY, Has Now Begun.
Please visit www.THEDELTASHOW.com/WALZ-BAD-CHOICE-FOR-VP.html
PLEASE CHECK BACK FREQUENTLY As MORE Of My Personal Letters To MINNESOTA
GOVERNOR TIM WALZ, And Others; Will Continue To Be PUBLICLY RELEASED On My
On Thursday June 12, 2025 I received an e-mail from 'contract' HAMBURG CITY ATTORNEY KELLY C. DOHM that contained an 'attachment' of the letter shown above. Dohm's attached 'message' to me requested ".....that you cease and desist from further directly communicating with the City Clerk, Mr. Jeremy Gruenhagen, regarding city business....."
First of all, Dohm's e-mail to me VIOLATED A 'CEASE & DESIST DIRECTIVE' that I served on her in February 2024 via CERTIFIED MAIL, because of harassment she was committing against me on behalf of the CITY OF HAMBURG. (That CERTIFIED LETTER cost rme OVER TWENTY DOLLARS TO MAIL !!) See
But, Dohm must believe that her VIOLATING A 'CEASE & DESIST' DIRECTIVE IS O.K. BECAUSE SHE'S A LAWYER and, apparently; DOESN'T BELIEVE THAT SHE HAS TO 'ABIDE' by the MINNESOTA 'RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT that governs lawyer conduct and behavior !!
Incidentally, Dohm also apparently didn't think that her 'message' to me was worth the 63 cents it would have cost her law firm to mail it to me via the U.S. Postal Service. (IT WASN'T !!)
As you read further in Dohm's letter, she states ".....direct any communication that you would send to Mr. Gruenhagen to myself instead." Like SO MUCH that takes place in this City that RESIDENTS AREN'T AWARE OF, I HEARD NOTHING on the CITY COUNCIL MEETING RECORDINGS that DOHM'S REQUEST was
AUTHORIZED, or EVEN DISCUSSED; by the HAMBURG CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS !!
My complying with Dohm's request would be better for Dohm and her law firm, than 'WINNING THE POWERBALL', and can you IMAGINE the ATROCIOUS LEGAL EXPENSES that Dohm could/would 'RUN UP' for the City !! ??
I'm 'ONTO THEIR GAME' and have ALREADY CAUGHT Gruenhagen, et al; PREVIOUSLY DOING such a
MISDEED to INCREASE THE CASHFLOW OUT OF HAMBURG TAXPAYER'S POCKETS and into the City's 'contract' law
firm's bank, and then trying to PLACE THE BLAME' on me !! (ALL of the information I needed to PROVE what was taking
place, was READILY AVAILABLE; one just has to KNOW where to 'look' !!) ASK THE CITY TO SHOW YOU THE APPROPRIATE RECORDS !!
At the exorbitant hourly rate that the City pays Dohm and her law firm, which THE CITY WON'T DISCLOSE TO ME; the City might just as well turn their checkbook directly over to Dohm and her law firm !!
Instead of 'funneling' my REQUESTS FOR PUBLIC CITY INFORMATION through Dohm, as she REDICULOUSLY
requested; I'll now PUBLICLY seek that 'PUBLIC INFORMATION' via my FACEBOOK page and my WEBSITE ABOUT THE CITY OF HAMBURG at
(Which now has received OVER 124,000 'HITS' !!)
Doing it that way will ensure that there's NO MORE 'SECRECY' by HAMBURG CITY OFFICIALS and CITY RESIDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT'S TAKING PLACE !!
Dohm goes on to state, ".....Mr. Gruenhagen considers your communications to be unwelcome and harassing communications and considers many of your communications towards him to include defamatory statements about him."
Yet, Dohm doesn't cite any examples, so I will:
Let me see if I 'got this right': I'm a TAX PAYING RESIDENT of the CITY OF HAMBURG, but when I SEE, HEAR, WITNESS
and OBSERVE the 'COVER-UP', DISHONESTY, MISCONDUCT, INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR and CORRUPTION
INVOLVING HAMBURG CITY OFFICIALS, I'm NOT ENTITLED TO INQUIRE ABOUT the details of what I've SEEN,
HEARD, WITNESSED or OBSERVED ?
Dohn has also erred in her inappropriate use of verbiage in her e-mailed letter to me by inserting her inflammatory words
such as 'unwelcome', 'harassing' and 'defamatory' instead correct verbiage such as 'TRUTH', 'FACTS', 'PROVEN' and 'DOCUMENTED'.
Anybody with 'half a brain' will quickly realize that what's taking place with the City is simply another means in which they are trying to thwart my obtaining, and passing along to City residents and other visitors to my FACEBOOK and Webpages; what REALLY is taking place !! SAME 'RODEO', SAME ACTORS; SAME SONG; DIFFERENT VERSE !!
COMMENTS RECEIVED ABOUT DOHM'S LETTER
"Seems like the Clerk is desperate. "Did you hurt Mr. Gruenhagen's feelings?"
"The slime ball is tightening down, which means you are effective."
"Wow. Never heard or seen a letter like that."
"At least you know you are getting to them and are a thorn in their side."
"The DOJ needs to pay a visit to Hamburg as well."
Who 'Authorized' Dohm To Write These Letters ? I Can Find
NO PUBLIC DISCUSSION WHAT-SO-EVER, AUTHORIZING DOHM TO WRITE SUCH
DEMANDING LETTERS, AS SHOWN ABOVE AND BELOW; ON BEHALF OF THE CITY !!
HAMBURG CITY ATTORNEY KELLY C. DOHM VIOLATES
PREVIOUSLY ISSUED 'CEASE & DESIST' DIRECTIVE !!
Representing The Waconia Based Law Firm Of
MELCHERT, HUBERT & SJODIN
EVEN THOUGH DOHM WAS FORMALLY DIRECTED TWICE BEFORE; TO 'CEASE
& DESIST' CONTACTING ME BECAUSE OF HER HARASSING ME ON BEHALF
OF THE CITY OF HAMBURG & HAMBURG CITY OFFICIALS;
DOHM, ONCE AGAIN; HAS RESUMED HER
DESPICABLE CONDUCT & TACTICS !!
A 'loose cannon' is an unpredictable and reckless person who cannot be controlled
and is likely to cause harm, trouble, or embarrassment to others.
THIS MAKES NO SENSE !!
The CITY OF HAMBURG, for the THIRD TIME; is ONCE AGAIN USING 'LEGAL GYMNASTICS', by INVOLVING 'contract'
HAMBURG CITY ATTORNEY KELLY C. DOHM of the Waconia Based law firm of MELCHERT, HUBERT & SJODIN; in their
UNETHICAL and IMMORAL ATTEMPTS to WITHHOLD 'PUBLIC INFORMATION' FROM THE PUBLIC.!! (That's WHY it's called 'PUBLIC INFORMATION' !!)
Anybody else 'SMELL ANOTHER RAT' ??
The REASON that the CITY OF HAMBURG won't release/provide the PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTED. is because
THE CITY KNOWS that the INFORMATION BEING SOUGHT, GREATLY BENEFITS THE TREBESCH FAMILY involving
the FRIVILOUS, VINDICTIVE and RETALIATORY LEGAL ACTION initiated by the CITY OF HAMBURG, AGAINST THE TREBESCH FAMILY !!
What the CITY OF HAMBURG is doing amounts to OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE and
PUBLIC OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT !!
ALL SERIOUS CRIMINAL ACTS committed during the course of PREPARING FOR A CRIMINAL TRIAL !!
WHY AREN'T THESE PEOPLE IN JAIL and 'OUT OF A JOB' ??
As for 'contract' HAMBURG CITY ATTORNEY KELLY C. DOHM's involvement .....
MINNESOTA RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT - RULE #4
In the context of Minnesota's Rules of Professional Conduct, "Rule 4" generally refers to the rules addressing a lawyer's conduct towards third persons, including non-clients.
Specifically, these rules cover areas like truthfulness in statements, dealing with unrepresented persons, and
the respect for the rights of others. These rules aim to ensure lawyers act ethically and responsibly when
interacting with individuals outside of the lawyer-client relationship.
Here's a breakdown of the key aspects of Rule 4:
Rule 4.1: Truthfulness in Statements to Others:
This rule prohibits lawyers from making false statements of material fact or law to third persons. It also addresses misleading omissions that are the equivalent of false statements.
Rule 4.4: Respect for Rights of Third Persons:
.
This rule addresses a lawyer's conduct that could embarrass, delay, or burden a third party. It also prohibits a lawyer from obtaining evidence through means that violate the rights of a third person, including inadvertent disclosures
of information.
In essence, Minnesota's Rule 4 emphasizes the importance of honesty, transparency, and ethical conduct in all interactions with third parties during the course of legal representation.
WHY DOESN'T DOHM BELIEVE THAT SHE, TOO; IS REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE ETHICAL and
PROFESSIONAL RULES OF HER OWN PROFESSION ??
IT'S NOW TIME to involve the OFFICE OF LAWYERS PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY because of DOHM'S UNETHICAL and UNPROFESSIONAL LAWYER MISCONDUCT !!
Fortunately, 'DEPUTY' CARVER COUNTY ATTORNEY PETER IVY is NO LONGER A MEMBER of the OFFICE OF LAWYER'S PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY's 'Governing Board' as he was in 2020.
Because of that fact, DOHM will NOT HAVE 'DEPUTY' CARVER COUNTY ATTORNEY PETER IVY AVAILABLE TO INTENTIONALLY 'DERAIL' and 'COVER-UP' another FORMAL INVESTIGATION OF UNETHICAL and
UNPROFESSIONAL LAWYER MISCONDUCT, made to the OFFICE OF LAWYER'S PROFESSIONAL
RESPONSIBILITY; like took place INVOLVING DOHM IN 2020.
See
FROM THE WEBSITE OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION .....
PUBLIC CORRUPTION
“THE TOP CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE PRIORITY BECAUSE IT POSES A FUNDAMENTAL THREAT TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY & WAY OF LIFE.”
HAMBURG TAXPAYER DOLLARS
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October 2, 2026
Mr. Jeremy Gruenhagen, City Clerk/Treasurer
Responsible Authority and Compliance Official
City of Hamburg
181 Broadway
Hamburg, Minnesota 55339
RE: REQUEST TO INSPECT PUBLIC RECORDS RELATING TO LEGAL FEES
PAID TO MELCHERT, HUBERT & SJODIN, PLLP — JANUARY 1, 2013
THROUGH SEPTEMBER 10, 2026
Dear Mr. Gruenhagen:
Enclosed is an additional completed City of Hamburg General Data Access Request form concerning the public records identified in my September 18, 2026 letter regarding legal fees and payments made by the City of Hamburg to Melchert, Hubert & Sjodin, PLLP.
I continue to believe that a second request form should not have been necessary. My September 18 letter clearly asked for the detailed public records supporting the total amount of legal fees previously provided by the City.
Nevertheless, I am submitting the additional form to eliminate any possible argument that another form is required and to remove any claimed procedural reason for further delay.
THIS ADDITIONAL FORM DOES NOT WITHDRAW, REPLACE, OR RESTART MY SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 REQUEST. IT SIMPLY CONFIRMS AND CLARIFIES THAT REQUEST.
Attorney Kelly C. Dohm's September 28 letter states that the City's legal-fee information is
Mr. Jeremy Gruenhagen
Hamburg City Clerk/Treasurer
Responsible Authority and Compliance Official
October 2, 2026
Page 2
stored electronically in QuickBooks. Her letter asks whether I want the QuickBooks information itself, the records supporting those entries, copies of the records, or an opportunity to inspect them. This letter answers those questions clearly.
RECORDS I AM REQUESTING TO INSPECT
I am requesting the opportunity to inspect the existing public records showing and supporting payments made by the City of Hamburg to Melchert, Hubert & Sjodin, PLLP, from January 1, 2013 through September 10, 2026.
Those records include:
1. The City's QuickBooks entries showing payments to Melchert, Hubert & Sjodin, PLLP;
2. Invoices and billing statements submitted by the law firm;
3. Claims-list entries showing payments to the law firm;
4. Check-register entries, payment records, vouchers, general-ledger entries, or other City accounting records relating to those payments;
5. Records showing the date, amount, invoice number, payee, and description associated with those payments; and
6. Any existing reports, spreadsheets, summaries, or accounting records already maintained by the City concerning those legal expenses.
I am not asking the City to create a new report, perform new calculations, or prepare a new accounting. I am asking to inspect existing public records already maintained by the City.
Minnesota law provides that government data are public unless specifically classified otherwise by law. It also requires government entities to establish procedures so requests for public data are handled in an appropriate and prompt manner.
Minnesota Rule 1205.0300 further requires access to public data without regard to the reason a person wants the information and requires government entities to respond to access requests within a reasonable time.
I AM REQUESTING INSPECTION, NOT COPIES
To remove any issue concerning copying charges, mailing costs, search charges, or other ex-
Mr. Jeremy Gruenhagen
Hamburg City Clerk/Treasurer
Responsible Authority and Compliance Official
October 2, 2026
Page 3
penses, I am requesting inspection of the records rather than copies at this time.
Minnesota Statutes §13.03, subdivision 3(a), provides that a person must be allowed to inspect public government data at reasonable times and places. It also specifically provides that when a person requests inspection, the government entity may not charge a fee simply for allowing the person to inspect the data.
The City's own Data Practices form also recognizes inspection as an available option and states
that inspection is free while charges may apply to copies.
Accordingly, copying or production costs should not delay scheduling my inspection of these public records.
INSPECTION AT HAMBURG CITY HALL
I request that the records be made available for inspection at:
Hamburg City Hall
181 Broadway
Hamburg, Minnesota 55339
The City's own written Data Practices policy identifies the City Clerk/Treasurer at Hamburg City Hall as the City's Responsible Authority and Compliance Official for public-data requests.
Minnesota law requires that public data be available for inspection at reasonable times and places. Given that Hamburg's own policy identifies the City Clerk/Treasurer at City Hall as the City's Responsible Authority, I believe City Hall is the reasonable and appropriate location for inspection of these City records.
I therefore do not agree that I should be required to inspect City records at the private office of the City's contract attorney.
If the City believes that these records cannot reasonably be inspected at Hamburg City Hall, please state that position in writing and explain the factual and legal basis for requiring inspection at another location.
CONDITIONS OF INSPECTION
I expect the inspection to take place in an ordinary, professional, and non-interfering manner.
Mr. Jeremy Gruenhagen
Hamburg City Clerk/Treasurer
Responsible Authority and Compliance Official
October 2, 2026
Page 4
I expect to be allowed to review the requested public records without unnecessary interference, intimidation, harassment, retaliation, or other conditions that would interfere with or discourage the lawful inspection of public records.
The City may, of course, take reasonable steps to protect original records, preserve City files, maintain normal security, and prevent access to information that is legally classified as nonpublic.
However, I do not believe that inspection of public City records requires the presence of outside
legal counsel or multiple law-office personnel. If the City believes such supervision is legally
required, please identify the legal authority supporting that position.
ANY RECORDS WITHHELD OR REDACTED
I understand that certain limited portions of attorney-related records could contain information protected by attorney-client privilege, attorney work product, or another law.
Minnesota Statutes §13.393 addresses data maintained by attorneys acting professionally for government entities, but it also states that the section does not relieve the government's responsible authority from the duties imposed by Chapter 13.
Therefore, if the City withholds or redacts any responsive information, please identify:
- What information is being withheld or redacted; and
- The specific statute, federal law, or other legal authority relied upon for doing so.
The existence of protected information in part of a record should not be used as a reason to withhold other portions that are public.
NO FURTHER PROCEDURAL DELAY SHOULD BE NECESSARY
Attorney Dohm's September 28 letter states that the City wanted another Data Practices request form before continuing to process my request. That additional form is now being provided.
The City now has:
1. My original request for the legal-fee information;
2. My September 18, 2026 letter requesting the detailed records supporting the total amount previously provided;
Mr. Jeremy Gruenhagen
Hamburg City Clerk/Treasurer
Responsible Authority and Compliance Official
October 2, 2026
Page 5
3. Attorney Dohm's September 28 acknowledgment that the City's legal-fee information is stored electronically in QuickBooks;
4. My clarification that I want to inspect both the QuickBooks accounting entries and the existing documents supporting those entries, including invoices, billing statements, payment records, claims-list entries, and other related City records; and
5. My clear request to inspect those records rather than obtain copies at this time.
There should therefore be no remaining uncertainty about the records I am requesting or how I wish to review them.
I request that the City now provide me, promptly and without further unnecessary delay, with reasonable dates and times when these records will be available for inspection at Hamburg City Hall.
The enclosed additional request form should not be treated as creating a new request date or restarting the time for responding to my September 18 request. I am providing it solely to remove the additional procedural issue raised by the City and its attorney.
Nothing in this letter or the enclosed form waives any position I have previously taken regarding the City's handling or timing of these requests.
Please respond in writing.
Sincerely,
RICHARD ODOMS
Enclosures
TO BE CONTINUED; PLEASE CHECK BACK !!I
