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City of Carmi City Council met June 4.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

The Carmi City Council met Tuesday, June, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Room of the Municipal Building, 225 East Main Street.

Prior to opening the council meeting, Mayor Pollard asked Alderman Winkleman to give the invocation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Mayor Pollard presided with the following Alderpersons present: Steve Winkleman, Mark W. Blake, Tracy Nelson, Lacey Bradshaw, Jeremy Courson, Mike Knight, Sheila Headlee and Doug Hays.

The minutes from the May 21, 2024 council meeting were presented. Motion was made by Alderman Winkleman and seconded by Alderperson Blake to approve the minutes as presented. The motion carried on roll call by each Alderperson present answering “yes” except for Alderman Hays who abstained due to be absent from last meeting.

For council consideration, discussion, and possible approval

a) None.

Reports and/or updates from Mayor Pollard

Mayor Pollard reported the alley behind the City building will be closed beginning next week for approximately a week. The payment drop box will be temporarily relocated to the North Main Cross Street.

Reports from Standing Committees

Alderman Nelson said he wanted to clarify some things from the last meeting. Alderman Nelson said Lacey had asked questions about money being moved and what it was about and then she asked about overtime for the girls at the office. He said he had seen overtime sheets for other departments but not the office and maybe that should be considered for the future. He also said that he did not believe it was fair for people to get mad when questions are asked here at the council meeting. He stated “yes, we do get a packet every time; if we didn’t, we would not know what was going on and would not know what questions to ask.” Mayor Pollard addressed Alderman Nelson’s questions stating “I do not think any of us sitting at this table like to be slammed on Facebook or on social media which we get on a day-to-day basis. And it does show in your packet what the girl’s overtime is. It probably does show what the times are. Alderman Nelson said it says how much but its not in here. Mayor Pollard then stated “And when Lacey worked for us, it was the same thing when Lacey was there and she had overtime just like the rest of them did.” Alderperson Nelson stated “right.” Mayor Pollard went on to say the overtime had been addressed and has been put to a stop. He stated there had been many meetings with the office overtime and not to do this and one of them was because they weren’t clocking in and out for lunch or they were leaving and doing this and that and I answered the question that night because we do have some overtime right now because of the new meters. I don’t think it has ever been an issue about questions being asked…I think it depends on what the intent was behind when you were asking a question. Alderman Nelson stated “Oh, and you know what that intent is? Mayor Pollard stated “Well Tracy, this is really not the time and place probably to have this conversation.” Alderman Nelson said “Then when is?” Mayor Pollard said whenever you want to come to the office. Alderman Nelson said I think we can do it in an opening meeting. Mayor Pollard then stated “That’s fine. I mean, like I said, you can ask the questions anytime. Everybody else around the table has ever come to the office before for anything and asked. You know that and you’ve done that in the past. Lacey worked in the office all those years so she knows how it operates and she knows when she puts something out there like that, that everybody’s gonna get started up. And with the Facebook stuff, when you have an employee that works side by side with somebody and they start in and go on about how packets this and packets that; she already knows she gets a packet. She already knows what the financials are. So instead of stopping it right then and there, it didn’t get stopped.”

Alderperson Headlee wanted to commend the Carmi Fire Department with the great job in helping out with the Norris City lumber fire recently.

Business or Comments from Visitors

None

Closed Session to discuss personnel and property issues with action to follow:

None.

Adjournment

At 5:38 p.m. Alderperson Courson made a motion to adjourn. Alderperson Headlee second the motion. The motion carried on roll call by each Alderperson present answering “yes.”

https://cityofcarmi.org/minutes-city-council-meeting-june-4-2024/