Those looking for fireworks at the Carmi City Council meeting July 2nd were left stymied. Instead of addressing an anonymous letter sent prior to the June 18th meeting, Mayor Pollard instead said he was waiting until the meeting was adjourned and then would pass out a packet containing a 6 ½ page press release and 4 pages of supporting documents in response.
In closing, with my stuff, before everybody gets out of here tonight, I have a letter to address a letter that Jc put on the WRUL website so it will have all the questions that were asked. It’s taken me about 2 weeks to write it. There’s 7 pages worth of the letter and 4 pages worth of the union contract. So hopefully that…when we close the meeting, I’ll hand it out to everybody and that way they can take it when they leave.
In it, Pollard said questions are a good thing and that he’s “never not” answered them when asked. He said the problem with the May 21st meeting was Alderwoman Lacey Bradshaw already knew the answers to all of the questions she asked. He would go on to say the question Bradshaw asked about overtime “was trying to paint a picture that there is new activity going on since Bradshaw quit working for the city.” He says that picture is false. With regards to his back and forth with Bradshaw’s father and fellow council member Tracy Nelson at the subsequent meeting, he said “me asking Nelson if he was sure he wanted to discuss it in open session was more about talking freely about Bradshaw and her involvement with paying bills, overtime, and normal office activities, not anything else or trying to hide anything.” Pollard also surmises the letter was written by a disgruntled employee who he says started the lie of raises being given and office salaries being higher than employees with more tenure.
Pollard closed the presser/letter with 3 points saying he intended to not address any more accusations contained in anonymous letters by scurrilous individuals. He also warned individuals who might throw out comments about family members and where they live that that individual should take a good look around before “stirring that pot” because he says a lot of families are affected by those comments besides his own. Finally, he says there is a group searching for someone to run against him and he wants “whoever decides to run to know and realize the position takes a toll on you, your family and even your circle of friends.”
You can read the full statement below.
In regular business, council approved a change order through the Rebuild Illinois grant meant to make repairs for the antenna corral of the west water tower. The $25,500 will come out of that Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grant.
Council also approved an invoice to pay Marshall Electric $9,960 for work performed behind the Light and Water offices installing a generator. That payment is coming out of TIF 2. Also coming out of TIF 2 funds are payments for $337.50 and $120 to Conger and Elliott for legal work attached to an easement at Rosebud and the state TIF Audit, respectively. Council also approved an invoice for $300 for SI Title Insurance Services for the Rosebud water project.
Council also approved action recommended after the audit delivered by Arlynne Davis of Botsch and Associates. Ordinance #1625 establishes a Local Government Travel Expense Control Act. The second (Ordinance #1626) repeals and replaces sections of a 125 year old ordinance that deals with who keeps track of monies belonging to the City. The 1899 ordinance is handwritten in cursive.
Officials granted Jason Cates a TIF Façade Agreement totaling $3,750 for the property at 211 North Main Cross.
Council adjourned without fanfare at 5:42pm.
Release and documents from Mayor Jeff Pollard:
