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Resident urges independent review of records and inspections; council moves to executive session
Summary
At the March 26 Mount Pleasant City Council meeting, resident Kyle Mooring presented documents alleging discrepancies in inspections and delayed public‑records responses and asked for written acknowledgement, an independent review and conflict‑free outside counsel; council agreed to take the matter to executive session and later set a 45‑day follow‑up and granted a motion to partially quash a subpoena.
Kyle Mooring, a Mount Pleasant resident, told the council he has submitted repeated public‑information requests, ethics complaints and inspection documentation since June 2025 and said staff have not provided written acknowledgments or full responses. "The public is watching," Mooring said. "The question is whether this council will answer a record with credibility or with silence again." He asked the council for three actions: written acknowledgement of all submissions with a timeline for resolution, an independent conflict‑free review, and conflict‑free outside legal counsel.
Council members and staff listened to a slide package Mooring said documented inspection observations, permit valuation shortfalls and internal emails instructing staff not to respond to his inquiries. Mooring pointed to joint state inspections (DSHS) that recorded observations while city records showed "passed" results and said a July roof replacement at a local retailer included 18,000 square feet of tear‑off without required remediation steps; he said DSHS later found asbestos in some material and issued observations. Mooring asked the council to order an outside review and to direct staff to produce full records.
City staff and council members responded that processes and tools are changing. The city manager and staff said the council had already addressed some procedural gaps, that a new software tool had been purchased to improve records searches, and that staff would continue coordinated responses through designated points of contact. Staff also said occupational‑safety and state agencies had engaged with some matters. The city attorney and other staff disputed some of Mooring's characterizations of past responses but acknowledged room for improvement in documentation and publication of inspection records.
After public comment and discussion the council recessed to executive session to consult with counsel about the complaints and procedures. When the council returned to open session it voted on a procedural motion related to subpoenas in an ethics matter (a motion to quash was moved and seconded; one member recused) and announced it would revisit related ethics complaints in 45 days. No independent outside review was ordered on the record at the meeting.
What happens next: Council members said they will continue to work with staff to collect records and determine next steps; the ethics matter and process questions are scheduled for follow up within 45 days.
