City Council Meeting
Police Pay Increase & City Mgr Terminated
TRACY HARRIS – Staff Writer
The Lewisburg City Council met for their regular meeting on Aug. 13, 2024. The Work Session was held the week prior on Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 5:00 p.m. Mayor Jim Bingham called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
Councilmembers voted in the following order: Joe Bradford, David Perka Patty Parsons, Vickie Michael, Tommy Burns.
Kyle Ostergaard, a citizen in Ward 5, made the only public comment against Ordinance 24-14, an ordinance amending Section 20-604. “This code prevents us from protecting myself and my property. The requirements are overbearing.” According to Ostergaard, last year, a neighbor’s dog came onto his property and attacked him and his dogs. “I decided to have a three panel wire backed fence installed,” and showed the Council photos.
In February 2023, when the fence was built, Ostergaard said he did his due diligence and found only public utility requirements of fence location, but no codes or restrictions on materials. “It met all requirements at the time, he said. Ostergaard spoke out because “your freedom should only be limited when your actions encroach the freedom or well-being of others.”
Old business had one item, the 2nd and final reading of Ordinance 24-13, an ordinance by owner Antonio Lazo Buruca and business owner Alvaro Rivera Jimenez, a request for rezoning of 511 Cedar St. from R-2 Medium-Density Residential to C-3 Neighborhood Service Business. It passed unanimously.
New Business contained items a-i and tems a-g passed by a vote of 5-0.
Item (a) considered disposing of old computers that no longer work at the Recreation Center.
Both (b) and (c) involve 1) building hangars at Ellington Airport 2) following the submittal process to the Planning Commission and 3) adhering to Lewisburg Ellington Airport Land Lease Guidelines.
Item (b) was to consider approval Preston Ryon building a 100 x 100 corporate hangar.
Item (c) was to consider approval of Justin Hamilton building a 60 x 80 hangar.
The next item, (d), considered approval to add items 23.1 through 23.10 (required steps in acquiring permission to lease and build) to the Lewisburg Ellington Airport Guidelines for Land and Construction of Hangers recommended by the Airport Board.
Councilman Tommy Burns brought forth “discussion of new hire police officers and retention of existing police officers” at the Work Session the week before the regular meeting.
Police Chief Scott Braden discussed the department’s seven vacancies, an ongoing problem hiring new officers, overtime of current officers, and the inability to retain officers.
Braden asked for a raise of $2.00 which may be offset by freezing three positions in this year’s budget. The Council felt the city is in a “crisis situation” with the shortage of so many officers and decided to place it on the agenda for Aug. 13.
Item (e) on the agenda was to consider approval of a pay increase of $2 to $3 as council deems attainable for new hire of police officers and retention of existing police officers.
Burns made the motion to increase the pay by $2.75 per hour and Bradford seconded the motion.
The City will apply for the Public Entity Partners Judy Housley Safety Partners Grant (f) to purchase safety items under Resolution 24-26.
Resolution 24-27, consider approving additional ARPA expenditures for St. John Engineering Site Study for 3rd Ave. due to stormwater drainage at a cost not to exceed $12,500.
Ordinance 24-14, consider amending Section 20-604 of the Fence Ordinance to specify materials for fencing in front of residences but the motion did not receive a second. The motion FAILED.
The last on the agenda in new business, item (i), was put forth by Bradford, to “Discuss effectiveness in leadership and make proposal to initiate positive changes.”
He addressed three concerns: communication, finances, and evaluations.
Bradford made a motion to terminate City Manager Roy “Bam” Haislip effective immediately. Perka seconded.
Mayor Bingham asked City Attorney Thomas Hutto if this was in line with the charter (allowed). Hutto said it was, and that the Council could vote on it.
Michael said, “I would like to see this deferred…until we have the new Council here next month for something this important.”
Bradford said, “I represent Ward 5 until the end of the month.”
Hutto said a motion to defer took precedence over the original motion; so, the Council voted on the motion to defer first.
A roll call vote was taken to defer until September. Bradford, Perka, and Burns voted NO. Michael and Parsons voted YES. It FAILED by a vote of 3 -2.
The motion to terminate the City Manager was back on the table.
A roll call vote was taken. Bradford, Perka, and Burns voted YES. Michael and Parsons voted NO. It PASSED by a vote of 3 -2.
The August meeting was the last scheduled meeting for Councilmembers Joe Bradford and Patty Parsons.
Shannon Crutcher ran against Bradford for Ward 5 and won on Aug. 1. Linda Thomas ran uncontested in Ward 1 since Patty Parsons did not wish to renew her term.
Councilmembers Crutcher and Thomas will take their seats on Sept. 1, 2024.
After he was terminated, Haislip said, “We’ve had one Councilman running around telling people he was going to get me if it’s the last thing he did. So this is part of a coup that happened quite a while back. That’s why we saw Ward 3 [inaudible] but that’s ok. I’ll be just fine. We all know it’s a plot. We all know it was planned. The perpetrators will not prosper.”
The crowd was visibly upset and in shock. A former City employee walked out right after the vote. Mayor Bingham dispensed the remaining items (Director’s Reports.)
Parsons gathered her things and made a motion to adjourn as she was leaving.
The meeting adjourned at 6:28 p.m.
