Tensions from Last Carmi Council Meeting Bleed into Next Gathering

Following the May 21^st Carmi City Council meeting, family and friends duked it out on social media based on alderwoman Lacey Bradshaw asking questions surrounding financial transfers and overtime by the ladies in the Carmi Light and Water office.  The report on the council meeting was aired on WROY/WRUL News as well as posted on the website and shared via social media where the court of public opinion is always in session.  The tension from that May 21^st meeting spilled over into the June 4^th gathering.  This time however, it was Bradshaw’s father, Tracy Nelson, himself an alderman, who spoke out.

I just want to clarify a couple things from last meeting.  So Lacey asked questions about money being moved and what it was about and then she asked about overtime for the girls at the office and got slammed all over facebook for it.  So I’ve never seen an overtime report for the girls in the office; there’s always one for everybody else.  Maybe we should start doing that.  I don’t think it’s fair for people to get mad when questions are asked here at these council meetings.  Yes, we get a packet, everytime, sure.  If we didn’t get a packet, we wouldn’t know what’s going on and wouldn’t know what questions to ask.  So I just want to clarify that for the public.

Mayor Pollard would respond directly to Nelson.

Pollard:  I think in my response to that…I don’t think any of us sitting at this table like to be slammed on facebook or on social media which we get on a day to day basis.  And it does show in your packet what the girls overtime is.  It probably doesn’t show what the times…

Nelson:  It says how much, but it’s not in here.

Pollard:  And when Lacey worked for us, it was the same thing when Lacey was there and she had overtime just like the rest of them did.

Nelson:  Right.

Pollard:  And it’s been addressed.  So that has been put to a stop.  I mean we had how many meetings before, multiple, two or three about things with the office and the overtime and not to do this and one of them was because they weren’t clocking in and out for lunch or they were leaving and doing this or that and I answered the question that night because we do have some overtime right now because of the new meters.  I don’t think it has ever been an issue about questions being asked.  I think it depends on what the intent was behind when you were asking a question.

Nelson:  Oh, and you know what that intent is?

Pollard:  Well, Tracy, this is really not the time and place probably to have this conversation.

Nelson:  Well, when is?

Pollard:  Whenever you want to come to the office.

Nelson:  Well I think we can do it in an open meeting.

Pollard:  That’s fine.  I mean, like I said, you can ask the question anytime.  Everybody else around the table has ever come to the office before for anything and asked.  You know that and you’ve done that in the past.  Lacey worked in the office all those years so she knows how it operates and she knows when she puts something out there like that, that everybody’s gonna get started up.  And with the facebook stuff, when you have an employee that works side by side with somebody and they start in and go on about how packets this and packets that.  She already knows she gets a packet.  She already knows what the financials are.  So instead of stopping it right then and there, it didn’t get stopped.

The individual mentioned by Pollard is Ruth McAllister, who works with Bradshaw at a local financial advisor and insurance agent and is herself Chairwoman of Carmi Township.  Chris Hertzing, the mayor’s sister-in-law was also engaged in the back and forth and has since deleted her comments.

Noticeably silent was Bradshaw herself.

There were no agenda items on the agenda.  The only other business that came out of the meeting was a report from the mayor on an alley closure and Alderman Steve Winkleman following his Library meeting  Pollard first…

Either the end of the week or next week, for probably about a week or so, the alley behind the office will be closed down.  Marshall is going to start working on putting in the transformer and getting that all hooked up.  So while they’re tearing out the concrete, I told Brad to go ahead and take out the concrete where the puddle is where it’s an ice skating rink and a swimming pool in the summer.

The payment drop box will be moved during that construction.  Winkleman said some landscaping needs to be done at the library as well as some tuck pointing and some carpet replacement at the counter area of the library.  He says library officials are also concerned about the heat in the foyer.  Officials suggested getting some tint on the windows.

Alderwoman Sheila Headlee also commended the fire department for it’s assistance with the Bond Lumber and Hardware fire Sunday night.  The meeting adjourned about 5:40pm.

Leaders will gather again June 18^th at 5:30pm.