COEUR d'ALENE - Mary Souza has established a "Truth Page" on her campaign website to give her side of the story concerning her termination from the City of Coeur d'Alene Planning and Zoning Commission.

On that page she explains three issues that arose during her last days on the Planning Commission, and her association with the Coeur d'Alene Press.

At the time of Souza's termination, Planning Commission Chairman John Bruning sent the City Council and the mayor a letter supporting her termination. Two other commissioners did as well.

Bruning referred to what he believed to be a couple of conflicts of interest. One concerned the Copper Ridge development that was before the commission, and the other concerned a business neighboring Souza's business, Design Events.

She was investigated for both of those alleged conflicts and absolved of any wrongdoing.

"Although Souza was absolved in both cases, these are the only two instances of apparent misconduct weighty enough to have warranted investigation during my 25-year tenure on the Commission," Bruning wrote. "Another issue is her unprofessional behavior in a public forum."

He referred to a meeting with Lake City Development Corp. Executive Director Tony Berns.

"Souza's disdain for LCDC has been well-documented in her weekly Coeur d'Alene Press Column," he wrote. "Souza used Mr. Berns' appearance as an occasion not to ask questions, but to reiterate her own opinions about LCDC. She repeatedly interrupted Mr. Berns and fellow members of the Planning Commission in a rude and argumentative tone."

Souza disputes that, saying she wasn't rude at all.

Bruning's last issue with Souza concerned quasi-judicial proceedings, in which the Planning Commission acts as the judge and jury on certain matters coming before it.

"It has to be impartial," he wrote. "It must make its decisions based only on the evidence presented in the form of staff reports and public testimony.

"Ex-parte communications and personal opinions unsupported by the evidence presented during the hearing must be excluded from the decision-making process."

Legal staff have reminded the commission of those laws numerous times, Bruning's letter said.

"Nevertheless, Souza has disregarded the advice from legal staff and has openly argued with them on these points of law," he wrote.

He said Souza had ignored previous attempts to correct her, so he had no reason to believe that Souza would change.

"Her behavior on the Commission is an embarrassment to many of the people who serve with her and is a potential liability to the city as well," Bruning concluded. "Therefore it is my recommendation that Commissioner Souza be removed from the Planning Commission."

Commissioner Scott Rasor sent an email to Warren Wilson in the City Attorney's office saying that Souza was an embarrassment to the whole Commission.

"Mary Souza has been focused on making trouble for the current city administration, council, mayor and LCDC," he wrote. "These are issues the other planning commissioners don't need to be a part of."

He went on to say that Souza's newspaper column was a problem.

"In this she writes articles bashing the city and LCDC on unrelated Planning Commission issues, but she is a member of the Planning Commission, so these articles and her personal agenda become Planning Commission issues," he wrote.

Rasor said that Souza's statements criticizing LCDC are enough to declare a conflict of interest on any of LCDC's projects.

"Based on the ongoing conflicts that Mary will have, it is my position that Mary should be removed from her position."

Commissioner Tom Messina also weighed in on Souza's City Pulse column in The Press. He said she is certainly entitled to her opinion, but when her opinions concern city matters it compromises her ability to remain unbiased.

"Articles have attacked individuals, business leaders, and city administration," he wrote. "How Mary Souza gathers information for her articles is beyond me. Some information has factual merit and other information does not."

Messina said he doesn't believe anyone who expresses their opinion in a column like Souza's could remain unbiased.

"It is unfortunate that this situation has to come to this. I feel the City Council should ask Mary Souza to resign," he wrote.

Souza said Messina was biased because he had a project in the works with LCDC at that time.

"He had a motive to make sure LCDC was looking good," she said, adding another commissioner, Brad Jordan, was also a board member of LCDC and still is today.