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Two residents use public comment to raise complaints about Merriam Community Center incident and to read lawsuit
Summary
During public comment at a Merriam City Council meeting, resident Billy Crone accused a Ward 4 resident of retaliatory behavior related to campaign signs and called for censure; Dr. Justin Spies read portions of a federal lawsuit alleging an unlawful arrest at the Merriam Community Center and named city employees as defendants.
At the start of the council's public comment period, two residents pressed concerns about events at the Merriam Community Center and alleged retaliatory and unconstitutional conduct by city employees and a neighbor.
Billy Crone, who gave his address as 6633 Wedd Street, told the council that after he spoke at a previous meeting about an incident at the community center involving Merriam employees Anna Slocum and Aaron Simmons, a Ward 4 resident contacted his homeowners association and distributed materials intended to intimidate him. Crone named Daniel and Stacy Chavetta and accused them of directing or enabling harassment of his neighborhood. He said the conduct included signs placed on private property and messages sent to his HOA, and he urged the council to hold those responsible to account, suggesting three options: a public apology, a censure under “Merriam ethical code section 2-197 subsection 4,” or resignation. “You will not silence me,” Crone said.
Dr. Justin Spies then addressed the council and read portions of a complaint he filed in federal court. Spies said he was arrested at the Merriam Community Center on Feb. 17 while he was, he said, standing in a hallway and reporting on an ACLU town-hall meeting and exercising speech he contends is First Amendment–protected. He identified the defendants in his lawsuit as the City of Merriam and individuals he named as Anna Slocum, Aaron Simmons, Devin Allen and John Kisthardt, and he said the complaint alleges wrongful detention, retaliatory arrest and viewpoint discrimination. Reading from the filing, Spies said officers did not view security camera footage or otherwise investigate before arresting him and that the defendants treated the public hallway as if it were private property. Spies told the council he filed the case March 3 in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas and said video of the incident is available on his YouTube channel.
Neither complaint produced a staff response or formal action during the meeting. The council closed public comment and proceeded with the consent agenda.
The matters raised in public comment concerned internal personnel actions, alleged criminal arrests and a federal court filing; council members did not vote on the allegations during the meeting.
