Residents press Forest Park council on cemetery upkeep and calls for consistent personnel accountability

Forest Park — Public comment at the July 20 council meeting focused on cemetery upkeep and calls for consistent accountability in recent personnel matters.

Julia Protho told the council the board was "visiting the upkeep and maintenance of the cemetery again" and said loved ones — including enslaved people and veterans — are interred there. She said a prior student study laid groundwork for historic recognition and urged the council to continue maintaining the cemetery, warning neglect could lower nearby property values.

Several other commenters pressed elected officials about personnel and transparency. Carl Evans criticized the city’s HR and code-enforcement practices and said the city’s reputation had suffered; Dwayne Thomas asked why one department head reportedly arrested for driving a city vehicle while impaired was allowed to resign while a former police chief faced a public termination process. Thomas asked for equal application of standards and suggested officials who knew details should resign if they cannot account for decisions.

Council members responded to public concerns during closing remarks. The mayor and other councilmembers acknowledged citizens’ calls for transparency and said a review of the events surrounding the reported vehicle incident and subsequent personnel decisions would be conducted; the mayor said the city had learned about the matter on the same day the public did and that legal counsel had advised limited comment pending review. No formal findings were announced during the meeting.

Next steps: council said it would undertake a thorough review of the matters raised and provide additional transparency as permitted by law.