A Calhoun City alderman left Tuesday’s meeting abruptly after objecting to what he said were unneccessary special meetings during the past month.
Alderman Marshall Coleman voiced objection to having special called meetings that were not emergencies and wanted the minutes from them to be pulled and not approved.
After a heated discussion Coleman left the 6:30 p.m. meeting at 7 p.m., telling Mayor J.R. Denton, “If you’re going to run the board room, you need to know how to run it.”
Marshall Coleman
All members were notified of the special meetings by phone, e-mail and text, according to City Clerk Raenell Moore. Special meetings can be called by the mayor or two board members, and conducted so long as a quorum is present. A three-hour notice is required to have a called meeting.
Shane Cook was hired as water operator, and Kenny Langford was hired as wastewater operator and part-time worker at the regular scheduled Oct. 7 meeting.
A special called meeting was held Oct. 13, and the action of hiring Cook and Langford was rescinded. Aldermen Coleman, Larry Bratton, Dale Hays and Barbara Goodson were present with Mayor J.R. Denton and board attorney Paul Moore Jr.
At an Oct. 27 special called meeting, Shane Cook was hired as water operator, Christopher S. Staggs was hired as waste water operator, and Kenneth Langford as part-time worker.
Also in the Oct. 27 special meeting, Lee Burns was appointed as Public Works Director and Department head, from interim. Aldermen Jerry Vaughn, Hays and Goodson, Mayor Denton and Atty. Moore attended.
In other news, Denton reported the water meter replaced at Calhoun Health Services is working well. The board agreed to apply for two wells to be included in the Well Abandonment Grant Program.
Aldermen Bratton and Hays expressed their concern over eight mis-reads of water meters last month while approving adjustments, with Hays saying that needed to be addressed.
No action was taken on a replacement for Library Board member Robert Gaston, who is resigning at the end of his term (Dec. 31). They also accepted the resignation of City Election Commissioner Jerry Christian.