Friday, July 1, 2005 | ||
Bad Links? | Union City mayor denounces accusationsBy BEN NELMS Union City resident Shirley Dean is nothing if not persistent. She surfaced a series of specific and general questions to the mayor and city council in February, again in May and, receiving virtually no answer, called for answers again at the June 21 council meeting. A response by one council member during the public comments portion of the meeting is all Dean got until Mayor Ralph Moore read a lengthy and often biting diatribe at the conclusion of the meeting. Speaking during the public comments portion of the meeting, Dean began her remarks by thanking the city for installing a sign board she had requested in February to be used to inform citizens for meeting dates and times. Dean maintained that the sign board was too small for many citizens to read but that it was better than nothing. She offered to help defray the cost of installing a larger board. Dean informed the council that she had filed a report on an incident that occurred in front of city hall after the May council meeting. Her reference was to a verbal exchange between herself, city Planning Commission member Angelette Mealing and the mayors wife, Camilla, and an incident between Ms. Moore and council member Barbara Bohannon after the meeting. Union City Police responded to the argument and filed incident reports but no charges were forthcoming. Im a United States citizen and Ive been in this town longer than most of you and I dont want to have to come over here and be in fear for my safety, especially when they are wives or members of the planning board, Dean said. I havent been attacking anybody politically, but I believe this was a political thing. I did (at the February meeting) bring up something about the (mayors) DUI and I think that might have irritated Ms. Moore, but I didnt bring up the arrest for theft by deception. So I thought I was doing pretty good about bringing up only part of it. Deans reference to Mayor Moores DUI charge stemmed from a October 2004 incident in College Park from which Moore pleaded guilty June 7 in Fulton County State Court. Her reference to an allegation of a theft by deception charge came from a former Union City bail-bonding company, Dean said after the meeting. Dean then called for answers to her written concerns, having already reminded the mayor and council that she had, at their request in May, provided them with additional copies of her questions. Though she did not read them again at the June meeting, Deans list of 10 concerns included the approval of six months severance paid to former City Administrator Alan Grindstaff after his termination earlier this year and the victimization of city Utility Billing Coordinator Glenda Norton, the need for a sign to be erected in front of city hall so the public could be aware of meeting dates and times, understaffing at the police and fire departments and what Dean thought was the inaccessibility of Police Chief Mike Isome. Other concerns included citizens receiving answers to their questions and the potential need for an investigation over spending from the 1997 bond issue. Deans sixth concern was that the city has become a platform for self-promotion and is in a never-ending downward spiral, questioning high foreclosure rates and the lack of upscale subdivisions and the businesses that follow them. Next on her list was the need to develop shopping pavilions like those in Fayetteville and Newnan, places where shoppers can go at night without fearing for their safety. Her remaining issues included the city losing long-term employees due to mistreatment and preferential promotions, accusations by an unnamed council member over disrespect toward some citizens and the need to have an open town hall meeting where citizens can express their concerns. Moore made a statement stating that he would temporarily hold his comments to Deans manifesto. Council member Helen Turner immediately followed Moores comment. She referenced a 1997 city bond issue, a part of which was designated for a city park. Turner added that elected officials have a responsibility to be accountable to citizens questions and concerns. You are the ones who put us in office. We cannot sit up here after we get elected like kings and queens on a throne, said Turner. You entrusted us to run the city and I feel like, as a citizen of this city, we owe it to Ms. Dean or whoever it is, to answer their questions. At the end of the meeting, Moore made his response to some of Deans earlier comments and questions. He announced that he would respond to some of the issues but would not answer other, unidentified racially-inciting statements at the time. Moore said his initial reaction to the entire letter was that it was a compilation of innuendo and mistruths, not facts, but unsubstantiated and misguided opinions. Moore said the disposition of the issue pertaining to the city employee is now a legal matter and can not currently be discussed. He said the sign had been installed in front of city hall and, as far as he was concerned, the issue was closed. Regarding Deans third concern, Moore said the city brought salaries for officers and firefighters in line with other cities as well as providing additional vehicles. The council, he said, will hopefully approve the additional positions requested for the upcoming budget year. Regarding citizens receiving answers to their questions, Moore said he was familiar with the operation of city government as was understanding of its technical operation. Responding to Deans fifth concern of a potential investigation over spending from the 1997 bond issue, Moore said he welcomed any audit or investigation. I am not quite sure about the confusion of where the monies went. We all voted for the expenditures, Moore said. Referencing Deans sixth concern, Moore disagreed, stating that Dean had not attended meetings when plans for development standards were being devised and discussed. I stand by our standards and by those that worked hard to balance our housing of all types in this community. The statement of our town being in a never-ending downward spiral I found to be one of the most ridiculous statements within this paper, he said. With non-residential and residential construction to be at an all time high only reveals the authors inability to reconcile fact with delusional fantasy. With older homes being purchased by new families coming into our city represents that other people see a total different picture of our city. Or should one begin to reason that maybe it is not a physical decline that is not overtly found in this city, but one that is because of the migrating people that are coming into our city that is causing this downward spiral? Moore added that developers such as John Weiland prefer the unincorporated areas of Fulton County for development. Fulton County provides a level of city services basically that discourages builders from building within the next city, services such as sewer and public safety, he said. Regarding the call for safer, pavilion shopping areas, Moore said the desirability and development of more trendy business establishments will likely be in the future. Moore said sprucing up the I-85 intersection at Ga. Highway 138 is a good move, adding that crime rates are not unusually high around the mall. Deans concern that long-term employees had been mistreated was denied by Moore. Promoting employees within a small city government is always difficult and not all employees will maintain complete job satisfaction, he added. But if you choose to listen to a few that are unhappy and draw a conclusion about the total organization only demonstrates the single motive for drafting this paper, Moore said. Moore did not mention, apparently due to legal considerations, the current federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint and potential lawsuit brought by long-time city Utility Billing Coordinator Glenda Norton over alleged discriminatory practices by city management. Dean made no response and asked no further questions, as her comments were procedurally limited to the public comments portion of the meeting. Moore chose to make his comments just prior to adjourning the council meeting. |
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