Fireworks For Crockett City Council
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT – With every new election, there comes a new mix of politicians, attitudes and personalities. It can take a while for newcomers to meld with the veterans, sometimes. This was certainly the case at the latest Crockett City Council meeting held Monday, May 20. The meeting would see flared tempers, fireworks over fireworks and saw one member leave the meeting, not to return.
It was the first chance to see newly-elected Council Members NaTrenia Hicks from Precinct Three and Elbert Johnson from Precinct Four. After the recent swearing-in ceremony, the two joined re-elected Councilman Mike Marsh, along with Darrell Jones and Dennis Ivey. The mood at city hall quickly swerved from the accustomed jovial, good-natured meetings of the past.
After a public comment regarding the city’s water, Johnson began to respond, before Crockett Mayor Dr. Ianthia Fisher explained council members were not allowed to respond in any way, allowing the public their say, uninterrupted. Hicks added she had a comment, with the mayor advising she did not understand why the council had held a meeting on May 6, with the previous council members and did not include the new members.
According to The Messenger’s records, a meeting was called for May 6 on May 2, two days before the elections. The election results were canvassed May 13 and the new council members were sworn in, before the recent meeting.
“My understanding is that the tenure of the council member for precinct three, the council member for percent four and in addition to that, I believe the council member for re-election (Marsh) had expired as of May 4 at 7 p.m. or as the elections clerk released the results. So I’m just really concerned because the fact that those people were sitting and representing those precincts, which was precinct three, four, and five here in a council meeting on May the sixth. Mr… precinct five council member had not yet been sworn in for his new tenure. So what I’m asking is, and what I’m concerned about is, that we were not allowed to assume our duties on May 6, such as the charter states,” Hicks said.
Fisher said Hick’s concern were beyond the scope of the nature of the public comments section.
“You can talk generally about it, because we don’t have any facts here. If you’re interested in a response…” Fisher said as Hicks interrupted, saying she was not looking for a response.
“I’m not sure what you’re saying is, but I will say if it is a concern you feel you need to file a concern about, so you could get an answer, fine, but right now is more for general comments,” Fisher explained.
Hicks read from a copy of the city charter she brought with her, saying, “The Monday, following the first Saturday in May, or as soon after as is practicable, the council shall meet at City Hall and the newly elected members shall assume their duties.”
Councilman Jones asked for a special meeting to immediately reinstate CEIDC (Crockett Economic and Industrial Development Corporation) Executive Director James Gentry. Fisher explained this could go on the next council meeting agenda, but Jones repeated his request for a special meeting. Jones made a motion to end the suspension of all CEIDC employees.
Fisher explained they are not employees and it would be improper to put both of them in one motion. Crockett City Administrator John Angerstein pointed out Gentry was never suspended, but was on paid administrative leave, pending investigation. The activities of CEIDC were suspended, until a new board (the city council members at the present) could decide which steps to take next.
Angerstein explained the soonest a meeting could happen would be Friday, May 24, but it was unclear if this meeting would need to be as the city council or as the CEIDC board. Jones asked for the meeting to be held as soon as possible, with Angerstein responding he would need to speak to legal counsel to find out the proper way to address such a motion.
The city had recently accepted the state attorney general’s decision to decline to charge Gentry with a crime, opting to empower an outside firm to assign responsibility and suggest corrective action regarding the findings of a CEIDC forensic audit. The audit found there had been a lack of oversight in awarding contracts and Mr. Gentry had signed two bonus checks to himself, without proper approval, outside of normal CEIDC business hours.
The Messenger has learned this investigation is almost complete, leaving some to wonder if the findings should not be presented before any action is taken on Mr. Gentry’s status. As of press time, there is no confirmation of any meeting regarding CEIDC this week, although the deadline to inform the public of such a meeting would be Wednesday, May 22.
Marsh at one point left the meeting and did not return.
Crockett Police Department (CPD) Chief Clayton Smith presented the crime statistics for the city for April, noting the officers worked a total of 481 calls, 10 traffic accidents and issued 363 traffic citations. The report was followed by a request from Councilman Johnson.
“Is there any way we could find out the information by different races or genders? Because I’m just looking at numbers. I want a breakdown of who’s being pulled over, how many people have been arrested, how many people are getting traffic stops,” Johnson said. “I have been out here and got pulled over and it was racist profiling. I just want to know everything is cool.”
It was explained to Councilman Johnson that CPD, as all other law enforcement agencies, declares each year a racial breakdown by offense, which for the previous year, was presented by Smith, as reported in The Messenger.
Some members of the city’s charter review commission had left for various reasons and needed to be replaced. One of those was Hicks herself, who had served on the commission before being elected to city council. She requested to be able to replace anyone put on the council by her predecessor Ernest Jackson. It was explained these people had been appointed, accepted and agreed to serve and there was no provision to replace anyone willing to serve, in spite of the recent elections.
The fireworks only escalated when the topic of fireworks was discussed. Angerstein told the council the local chamber of commerce had requested the city’s help to cover any funding gaps in putting on another fireworks show for the July 4 holiday. Jones and Hicks quickly approved and seconded, before Dennis Ivey asked how much the event might cost the city.
“This would cover any shortfall?” Ivey asked.
Angerstein said the chamber “hosts” the event since it is a nonprofit and it directly pays vendors for the event. He said it wouldn’t be right to ask them to take from their own funds to cover anything not donated, for what is essentially a city event.
Fisher agreed, saying the event last year was a huge success and important to the community.
Ivey mentioned he had been stopped recently and asked about streets and drainage in the city. He said city taxpayers should be pleased first and foremost with the city’s streets. Fisher pointed out the possible $9,000 proposed shortfall would not make much difference, given how expensive it is to repair streets. She said many things the city does are for the community and not just for infrastructure.
“So when these people come up to me asking about their streets, I tell them money was spent on a fireworks display. Or can I send them to you?” Ivey asked Fisher.
“You can send them to me!” Fisher replied. “$9,000 will maybe fill a few potholes – until the next rain storm. A city must do things for its people. This is why we have a Parks and Recreations department.”
The measure was passed, with Ivey voting no.
The CEIDC bills needed to be paid, as is done each month, but Hicks said she would not approve. Angerstein explained these bills were money already paid by the city and this measure was to reimburse the city from CEIDC funds for money already paid. He noted this included Gentry’s salary. Hicks complained she had not seen the bills, which Angerstein produced.
For the next 10 minutes or so, Hicks read each bill, with Angerstein explaining them. Some of the money was for electricity to CEIDC properties or upkeep. Some of the money was for a filing cabinet to keep documents from harm.
The bills were eventually approved.
The minutes from the May 6 meeting were still opposed by Hicks, and Angerstein said he would follow up with the legality of that meeting.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
