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Resident urges council to protect Lamar utility employees amid talks of a potential sale
Summary
A Lamar Utility Board volunteer warned that staff are anxious about reports an outside company may seek to purchase the utility; Mayor Cressman said the council merely agreed to hear an offer and that any transfer would require Lamar Utility Board review and possibly a public ballot.
Jay Brook, a 40-year-plus Lamar resident and volunteer on the Lamar Utility Board, addressed council during public comment about recent council discussion to "hear" an offer from Southeast Power regarding acquisition of the Lamar Utility Board. Brook said many utility employees are asking whether they will keep their jobs and urged council to communicate with staff: "They're asking a lot of questions such as, am I going to have a job? Do I need to look for other jobs?"
Mayor Kirk Cressman responded that the council's action was to investigate and listen to the offer, not to decide on a sale. He explained the sequence the council would follow: the city would hear the offer, discuss with the Lamar Utility Board, and if council and the board think it appropriate, the question could be placed on the ballot for the community to decide. "The council does not make this decision at all," Cressman said, stressing that any transaction would require broader review and a public vote if it advanced.
