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Advisory committee moves to warn member after verbal attack at prior meeting
Summary
Following two emails to the parks department, the committee voted to send a formal warning to a community member accused of verbally attacking another attendee at a previous meeting and threatened that a repeat would lead to a one-year bar from meetings.
The Plant River Community Advisory Committee addressed an added item about inappropriate conduct at its prior meeting and moved to issue a formal warning to the individual accused of harassment.
The chair summarized multiple complaints, saying a community member "verbally attack[ed] Karen Nielsen... Extreme things such as your husband sells poison and your children are going to die," and continued the harassment into the parking lot, prompting at least one resident to say they no longer felt comfortable attending meetings. The chair apologized to Karen Nielsen and recommended the committee send the individual a written warning and notify them that a repeat would result in a one-year exclusion from PRCAC meetings.
"This is your 1 and only warning, that if this happens again at another PRCAC meeting, you will... not be allowed to attend for 1 year," the chair said when proposing the action. The chair made a motion to write the letter and submit it; the committee voiced agreement and the chair called for a vote.
Committee members discussed civility and the goal of keeping public meetings open while ensuring respectful conduct. The motion to send a warning was advanced by the chair; the transcript does not record a roll-call tally for that specific motion, and committee staff will prepare the written warning for distribution.
The committee's action was procedural — instruction to staff to draft and deliver a warning letter — rather than a punitive legal hearing. If the membership enforces the stated one-year exclusion in the future, the committee may record a separate formal exclusion at that time.
