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Citizens press Attica council over alleged committee misuse and a councilmember’s residency
Summary
Two residents used the citizens-petition period to press the council: Debbie Hassani accused a zoning committee member of weaponizing a meeting and presenting false information, and Ed Darnell presented a petition alleging a councilmember does not live in Attica and urged removal. Council discussed limits of its authority and next steps.
Debbie Hassani, who identified herself at the podium, told the Attica City Council she has endured 16 years of harassment tied to a property-line dispute and said a committee member used a zoning meeting to advance a private agenda. "Using your position as an appointed committee person to advance your own personal agenda should not be accepted," Hassani said, and accused the committee member of providing "false information" during a July 14 meeting that she said led to a vote based on inaccurate claims.
Hassani said she brought police reports and survey paperwork to the meeting and offered the documents for council review. "She lied," Hassani said. "Whether she wants to admit it or not, there was no snow fence." A council member urged Hassani to provide the paperwork to the mayor and council; the mayor said he would "take [her statement] under advisement" and stressed the council would not hold a trial during the meeting.
Separately, Ed Darnell presented a petition asking the council to remove a sitting councilmember, alleging the member uses a West Lafayette property as a primary residence and cited public records and court citations to question the member’s eligibility. "You need to resign from the city council immediately," Darnell said, addressing the council.
Council members and the accused councilmember responded that local election officials and the Fountain County Election Commission had previously verified residency for the officeholder. The mayor and other attendees repeatedly emphasized the legal limits of the council’s authority in personnel and election matters and directed Darnell to the appropriate channels for formal complaints. No formal removal action was taken at the meeting.
Why it matters: The session highlighted two separate but related accountability issues: (1) a resident’s allegation that a committee meeting was used to advance personal interests, and (2) a petition alleging potential residency and tax issues for an elected official. Both items raise questions about board appointments, the scope of committee authority and how local complaints should be routed and investigated.
What happens next: The mayor said he would review Hassani’s materials and take them under advisement; one council member said the council could pursue legal action if the mayor did not remove the appointee, while others urged following established civil and administrative channels. Darnell was directed to pursue formal complaint processes for election or residency concerns.
