Citizens use public comment to press council on agenda procedure and allege misconduct by city officials

Several residents used the public‑comment portion of the Hooper City Council meeting to press for procedural changes and to raise allegations about city staff and elected officials.

Jake Kelso, introduced himself during public comment and asked the council to restore citizen comment to the start of the meeting, saying the mayor had removed the item that the council previously agreed to include early in the agenda. Kelso urged the council to pass an ordinance preventing the mayor from removing or blocking items added by council members.

Amber Kelso, who identified herself as the sister of Amanda Prince (a planning commission member), praised Prince’s public service and accused the mayor of using city resources and authority to target political opponents. Amber Kelso said the actions amounted to harassment and called for transparency; she said those were her assertions and that they “can be verified if you are willing to look into it.”

Chantal Murrah said a planning commission member physically assaulted a member of the public and said the Royce City Police had recommended the incident be referred to the prosecutor. Murrah said she felt unsafe and urged the council to allow time for an investigation before taking actions affecting the commission. Murrah attributed the referral to the Royce City Police and criticized the council for not allowing more time for a prosecutor review.

Council response and legal guidance

A councilor and the mayor explained that city legal counsel had recommended putting citizen comment at the end of the agenda to avoid turning every meeting into a public hearing. The mayor and other council members encouraged residents to contact their council representatives directly with questions or concerns; one councilor said the city would consider other venues for community questions and possible additional public forums.

Other public comments

A resident, Blake Severing, asked whether trailers could be parked at a lot east of the city pickleball courts to remove trailers from streets after recent storms; the council said staff would investigate and report back.

What the council did not decide

The council did not take formal action on changes to agenda procedure, ordinance amendments, or disciplinary actions during the meeting. A councilor said she had received information from the city prosecutor during the meeting; no outcome or action was announced on the record.

Ending: Multiple citizens asked for greater transparency and procedural protections; councilors cited attorney guidance about agenda structure and asked staff to follow up on questions raised during public comment.