05 18 21 Minutes

Machine-read OCR text; verify every number, name, and layout against the original page.

May 18, 2021
Page 5o0f5

-15-
REQUESTS FROM CITIZENS

Larry Eaton, 279 Sweetfield Valley Road, presented the City Council with handouts regarding two
missing nest cameras in the Police Department. He requested the City Council investigate and
have open hearings on that issue as well as on the City Manager’s actions last year in response
to the Governor’s Executive Order requiring restaurants not to be open to persons, except only
to offer drive-through, pickup, carry-out or delivery service. Mr. Eaton claimed the City Manager
began watermarking only his public records requests because the City Manager was trying to set
him up as a harassing individual of the public records request process and felt watermarking
needed to be stopped. Glenn Whiting, 237 County Road 655, requested the City Manager be
investigated for the issues Mr. Eaton had already addressed and to look at City’s Charter and
address the abuse and corruption that was going on.

Council Member Pelley stated he wanted the City Manager to be treated in the same manner the
Council treated him when investigating complaints about him. He distributed to the City Council
a handout outlining issues he felt the Council needed to address in an open hearing. Council
Member Witt-McMahan stated she has been sitting on the City Council since November and
some of the same issues continually come up. She did not feel it was fair to the City Council, City
Manager, Glenn Whiting, Larry Eaton, and definitely not to the people who live in the city that
statements were being made without someone being allowed to respond. In her opinion, they
are going to have to figure out a way to end this conflict and move forward with the business of
Athens. Mayor Perkinson stated, with the consensus of the Council, that this item would be
placed on the June Study Session agenda.

-16-
REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER

City Manager Sumner reviewed his monthly report including the various Parks and Recreation
and Public Works projects and activities going on throughout the city.

-17-
ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to come before the meeting and upon motion duly made and

seconded, the meeting adjourned at 7:22 p.m.

WILLIAM BO PERKINSON, Mayor

anager