Residents, employees defend city manager Lance Petty as council disputes escalate

Several Freeport residents and employees used the public-comment period at the March 3, 2025, City Council meeting to defend City Manager Lance Petty and to press the council on alleged misconduct and transparency.

Human Resources Director Donna Fisher, speaking as a city employee, said she signed a letter of support for Petty and denied any pressure or retaliation connected to that letter. "I did not feel pressured to sign the letter of support. I did not feel that my job depended on my signing," Fisher said. She added that a reported employee who collected signatures outside work hours used vacation time, and that she would report any credible claims of retaliation to the mayor and council.

Multiple members of the public described a tense atmosphere at council meetings and alleged that Councilman Pina has fostered division. One anonymous submission read to the council urged that "Councilman Pina step down," saying his actions had "deeply tarnished our city's image." Another anonymous writer described fear of retaliation for speaking out.

Several speakers praised the police and fire departments; Brenda Laird said she felt safe living in Freeport and described positive experiences with officers during ride-alongs. Sam Reyna, a longtime resident, spoke in favor of supporting public safety while warning about the fiscal implications of creating a civil service commission and suggesting other budgetary adjustments if the commission were adopted.

Pamela Dancy described a confrontational encounter after a previous meeting in which she said a council member approached her in what she called an invasion of personal space; she said the incident felt threatening and that she intended to meet at the police station if the council member did not respond.

Mayor Jerry Cain told the public the city had received a representation letter for Lance Petty and that the council would discuss the matter in executive session. "We are aware of this and we are working with all parties to try to resolve the matter," the mayor said. He also said Petty "is still the city manager fully acting, full access" as of the meeting.

Legal counsel Olsen said new information had come to the city's attention in the days before the meeting and that the information required counsel to update the council in executive session. "Some information has come to our attention in the last several days that I need to update council about," Olsen said. "We are gonna consult with legal counsel and executive session so I can update counsel and answer questions about that matter."

The council closed the regular meeting and moved into executive session to consult with counsel. The record shows the representation letter and the planned executive session were raised in open session but specifics were discussed in closed session.

No formal action on the representation letter was taken in open session; the council did approve the ethics resolution later in the meeting and then entered executive session to review the newly received legal information.