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Public commenter criticizes Bluff City board for response to police investigation and employee treatment
Summary
A Bluff City resident told the board it failed to acknowledge a police lieutenant's role in recovering a senior resident's stolen funds and criticized board members for micromanaging staff and creating a hostile work environment for the town manager.
A Bluff City resident used the public comment period to criticize the Board of Mayor and Aldermen for its response to a police investigation and for what he described as board interference with town staff.
James Roberts told the board that at a June 18 special-called meeting Captain Shane Watson reported that Lieutenant Bays led an investigation that recovered about $20,000 of a senior resident's savings after a scam. Roberts said the board did not acknowledge Lieutenant Bays' work or call for a press release and instead focused on "contractual obligations of our officers." "As a citizen, I was viscerally incensed at how Lieutenant Bays' above and beyond duty and action could be so callously overlooked," Roberts said.
Roberts also criticized board members for delving into daily operations and for behavior he said created a hostile work environment for the town manager. He urged the board to respect the town manager charter and allow the appointed manager to perform duties without intimidation. "Our charter calls for a town manager," Roberts said.
The board did not take formal action during the public comment period. Chief de Pue and Captain Watson were present at the meeting; the transcript records the public comment but does not include a formal board response in the hearing record.
Roberts' remarks were followed by the meeting's regular agenda items; later in the meeting the board engaged in a lengthy discussion about the town manager appointment.
