Residents demand transparency and urge action after police IA report prompts harassment complaint against councilor

Public commenters filled the Loveland City Council meeting on Tuesday night with repeated calls for transparency after news reports about an internal affairs (IA) investigation and a harassment complaint filed by Police Chief Tim Duran against Councilor Erin Black.

The most pointed remarks centered on allegations that city leadership withheld or delayed public records. "Is it true that over half $1,000,000, dollars—$600,000—is being slushed over to Homeward Alliance and/or homeless funding?" Lori Goble, a Ward 3 resident, asked the council during the public‑comment period, echoing a broader demand that the council explain recent budget decisions and any reallocation of reserves.

Why it matters: speakers said the combination of undisclosed IA findings, questions about who authorized payments from housing funds, and a high‑profile harassment complaint have eroded trust between city officials and residents. Several commenters urged Councilor Black to resign; others cautioned the council against hasty conclusions and asked for full public release of the IA report and supporting exhibits so citizens could judge the facts themselves.

Multiple residents said they had seen parts of the IA file in the press or via leaks and urged the council to make the full investigation documents available. Trudy Bauer, who said she attended a prior meeting where verbal attacks were described, told the council she had watched a pattern of behavior and supported resignations or remedial steps if complaints were substantiated.

“I feel some people don’t have the temperament for this type of public position,” Trudy Bauer said, asking the council to consider whether disciplinary action, counseling or resignation would be appropriate.

Others defended Councilor Black. Danielle Hastings, who said she volunteered on Black’s 2019 campaign, described Black as an advocate for underserved people and urged the council not to conflate a single episode with the councilor’s broader record of community service.

Several commenters also pressed the council on a specific budget question raised repeatedly during public comment: a roughly $600,000 payment to Homeward Alliance from the Community Housing Development Fund. Tammy Fisher, a member of the city’s Affordable Housing Commission, said commissioners sought detail about the $600,000 and were told certain meetings were not recorded; she said the commission will continue to press staff for answers.

The council majority agreed to let all sign‑ups speak early in the meeting after a procedural motion from Councilor Foley, which passed by roll call, and council members repeatedly said they would direct staff to follow up on specific public‑comment requests. Several speakers urged that the city waive attorney–client privilege in the cited matter so the public could see full documentation; councilors did not adopt that action during the meeting.

What’s next: the council recessed at 7:50 p.m. after finishing the scheduled public comments and reconvened to take up the evening’s agenda items, including downtown financing and the Heart Improvement (Hip Streets) project. City staff indicated that records requests and follow‑up items mentioned in public comment would be directed to the city manager for response.

Ending: At the meeting’s close, multiple residents said they would continue to monitor the council’s handling of records requests and any disciplinary or legal steps related to the IA report.