Commissioner says they will stay away until county attorney feels safe to attend meetings

At the start of public comment, one commissioner read a statement citing a letter and said he would not attend future meetings "until Mr. Rice notifies me that he does feel comfortable giving us legal advice and being present at public meetings." The remark sparked heated debate among attendees over whether the county attorney had been threatened and whether commissioners who left had abandoned their duties.

Multiple public commenters disputed the characterization of Rice’s absence. One speaker said Rice "was actually threatened by a constituent in a meeting one on one," while others called for Rice to resign if he could not attend public sessions. The transcript includes attendees arguing both that Rice is fulfilling his duties when available to commissioners and that absent commissioners are effectively suspending county business by removing quorum.

Attendees repeatedly raised procedural questions: whether the commission voted in closed session to authorize legal action, whether hiring of outside counsel was properly approved, and whether law enforcement could compel commissioners to return. The county sheriff was cited by a speaker as the source of legal guidance that commissioners who leave a meeting reduce quorum and that the remaining commissioner may adjourn, which some residents found unsatisfactory.