Airway Heights council forms ad hoc committee, hires outside investigator to review complaint against mayor

The Airway Heights City Council voted July 6 to hire an outside investigator and create an ad hoc committee to review a complaint filed June 15 about Mayor Bowman.

Council discussion began with a recommendation to "hire attorney Andrea Ayson to investigate the complaint," and to have a three-member ad hoc committee receive Ms. Ayson's investigative report and make a recommendation to the full council. The city attorney (presenting the motion) outlined the committee's role as receiving the report but not micromanaging the investigation.

Council members debated committee membership and conflicts of interest. One councilor noted concerns about public perception and transparency, urging that the council not give the impression it was "trying to hide or conceal anything." The presenter said Ms. Ayson had quoted an hourly investigative rate: "her hourly rate for investigations is $400 an hour." The motion as presented named three members to the ad hoc committee and authorized hiring the investigator.

The motion passed with five votes in favor and one abstention. Council directed the investigator to provide a report to the ad hoc committee, which will then make a recommendation to the full council. Councilors said they expect to receive the full investigative report; one member explicitly asked that the entire council be "privy to that full report" once the committee had reviewed it.

No timetable or maximum budget for the investigation was recorded in the briefing; the council recorded only the hourly rate referenced during the discussion. The council did not take any additional disciplinary action at the meeting; the item was limited to forming the committee and hiring the investigator.

What happens next: the ad hoc committee will receive the investigative report from the hired attorney and present a recommendation to the full council for any further action.