Tuesday, September first’s meeting kicked off with a tense discussion between Mayor Stendeback and Landon Rudolph regarding the city’s handling of matters involving American Water and public information requests. During the exchange, Stendeback reminded those in attendance that the public comment portion of the meeting is meant to serve as an open forum for comment and was not intended to function as a question-and-answer or interrogation session. This clarification was sparked by Public Comment sections of previous meetings “getting out of control,” as the mayor addressed.
Mayor Stendeback: Didn’t I just say we’re not going to entertain that?
Landon Rudolph: Who first gave you their name? You said this year.
Mayor Stendeback: Did you not hear what I said?
Landon Rudolph: This is public comments which can be used for concern regarding-
Mayor Stendeback: You’re not going to interrogate these people because they’re not going to answer your questions.
Landon Rudolph: They don’t have to.
This would not be the last the council heard from Rudolph that evening, however, as Rudolph later re-addressed the council regarding public comment procedures and advocated for the consideration of Ordinance Y (which he has proposed previously).
“My anger is part of the reason Ordinance Y had to be written, because government cannot judge the rights of its citizens by whether those citizens are calm enough, pleasant enough, agreeable enough, or convenient enough to hear.”
He expanded on this with a proposed ordinance to establish clearer standards for public participation and decorum during council meetings. Rudolph claims the ordinance would promote transparency and give residents a fair opportunity to address the council. He also emphasized the desire for objective criteria when determining whether conduct constitutes the disruption of a meeting.
“This is not a personal shield for me, and it is not a weapon against this council. It is a set rules meant to outlast all of us. It says that public comment belongs to the public while still recognizing that the council has legitimate duty to conduct an orderly meeting. It gives each speaker a defined amount of time. It prevents people from stacking or yielding time to take over the floor. It allows intervention when someone truly prevents the meeting from continuing. At the same time, it makes a distinction that no, it makes distinction that should never be blurred. Criticism is not disruption. Disagreement is not disruption. Naming a public official is not disruption. An accusation is not automatically a disruption. A raised voice is not automatic disruption. And offensive language standing alone is not the same thing as material obstructing the business of the meeting.”
Rudolph requested that Ordinance Y be placed on the agenda for the council’s next meeting, but was met with silence when he asked for a motion.
The council also approved several items during the meeting. A partial payment estimate for Brown and Roberts, Inc., related to storm sewer improvements was approved unanimously. The work is expected to be reimbursed through an Energy Transition Grant. Council members also unanimously approved a service estimate from Motor-Services Hugo Stamp for repairs to Engine 7; the repairs had previously been attempted in-house.
Finally, the hiring of Alan Wurst as a substitute animal control officer was also approved unanimously.
During standing committee reports, the council received an update from Jack Bradshaw on the city’s skate park project.
“State Park it’s all here it’s sitting behind the welding shop and they’re going to try to start maybe getting some concrete poured next week or 10 days State Park it’s all here it’s sitting behind the welding shop and they’re going to try to start maybe getting some concrete poured next week or 10 days”
Council members, including fellow project member Sherri Stevens, commended Jake Burnett for his fundraising efforts on behalf of the project.
In other community centered updates, the council notified that the Carmi League of Arts would have the stage reserved some kind of upcoming event, “the League of Arts is going to, we don’t know for sure what they’re going to do, but they have got the stage for October the 4th, it’s a Sunday, and we’re kind of looking forward to getting them out there.” Conversation among the council highlighted the organization’s previous activities and contributions to the community.