UPDATED @ 8:00 PM 1:43 PM Remember The Meeting At Ashford City Hall

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
[email protected]
334-790-1729
Date: Nov 14 2019 1:58 PM

ASHFORD:     The Ashford City Council had an illegal meeting last week where they made personnel changes.

After RSN posted a news article took the Ashford Town Council and City Clerk to task over the violation of the Alabama Open Meetings law, the voided all of the actions taken. A "legal notice" for a legal meeting was then posted.

NOTE:  Gary Gibson was not at the meeting. He was leaving the day after for a cruise so he was not present for the illegal meeting.

The Ashford Town Council cut the hours of three minority employees and terminated the fourth minority employee. All four are at the Ashford Senior Citizens Center. One is the Center Manager with more than 20 years employment with Ashford.

The Ashford Town Council terminated the Ashford Recreation Director weeks ago. We are looking into that and some other information passed onto us. Some interesting things has been going on that does not pass the smell test!

Carol is the Mayor of Ashford. Denise wants to be the Mayor and Gary wants Denise to be the Mayor. And they are teaming up on Carol and a lot of confusion and smuck has been ongoing within the bowels of Ashford City Government.

And the actions against the minorities is setting the stage to cost the City of Ashford hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

Gary and Denise, did I answer the question correctly so I can get a raise?

Stay tuned.

UPDATED @ 2:08 PM  

The meeting is at Ashford City Hall in the Mayor's Office today at 4:30 PM. Fill that place up.

The normal place for the meetings is Ashford Senior Citizens Center. But since they are "slashing the throats" apparently they did not want to hold the Special Called "LEGAL" Meeting in the normal place.

UPDATED @ 9:00 PM

Want to clarify some things about the Ashford Town Council, the meeting and actions taken:

Tonight Councilman Gary Gibson said the Mayor brought the personnel cuts to the Town Council and Mayor Barfield said the City Clerk made a list from notes in the budget meeting. 

And these issues was discussed by the Ashford Town Council several weeks ago.

Last Monday Councilman Gibson was present for the regular scheduled meeting. Then Ashford Town Council went into Executive Session the night of the budget hearing.

The Executive Session lasted an hour and Councilman Gibson could not stay for the budget hearing. The reason he could not was because his wife was stranded and he had to go get her and the meeting lasted longer than usual.

At the regular scheduled meeting they decided to postpone the personnel cuts for further discussion at a later time.

Let me set the stage so we are clear:

1. Several weeks ago in a regular scheduled meeting of the Ashford Town Council the budget cuts were discussed. The list came from City Hall. The Mayor said from notes in a budget hearing and others have said from City Hall.

2. Last Monday night, in a regular scheduled Ashford Town Council Meeting the budget cuts was brought up. It was decided to postpone those cuts for further discussion. Councilman Gibson was present for that meeting.

3. The same night following the regular scheduled meeting members of Ashford Town Council went into Executive Session. The Executive Session lasted for over an hour.

4. Following the Executive Session, which had zero to do with the budget, Councilman Gibson had to leave to go pick up his wife which was stranded and the meetings lasted a lot longer then planned.

5. The same night, following the Executive Session, the Ashford Town Council held a budget hearing. It is not understood the questions of the other Ashford Town Council members was answered.

6. A special called meeting of the Ashford Town Council was called for Tuesday. No one from City Hall ever notified Councilman Gibson of the Special Called Meeting for Tuesday evening. Which turned out to be an illegally called meeting. The purpose of the Special Called Meeting was to vote on personnel cuts that Councilman Gibson seconded the motion to postpone the night before.

7. Councilman Gibson owns and operates two businesses. He schedules his workforce around regular scheduled meetings. And he was never notified by City Hall of the Special Called Meeting. He "heard" about it around noon but was never notified, but it was illegal anyway. In the "illegal" Special Called Meeting the vote was unanimous for the budget cuts that were to be postponed. When they realized the meeting was illegal those in attendance voided their decsions.

8. Councilman Gibson did go on a vacation, which was scheduled, and when he returned he caught up on all actions taken while he was gone. Councilman Gibson did not miss any legal meetings.

9. Councilman Gibson did receive a email last Wednesday of the Special Called Meeting for today.

AND THAT BRINGS US TO THE LEGAL SPECIAL CALLED MEETING TONIGHT...

The items were left off the printed agenda for tonight. You see the Mayor speak to Gibson while RSN camera is on and he points something out. You see the Mayor leave the room and return passing out something to the Council Members. That was correcting the agenda of which Councilman Gibson pointed out was left off the printed agenda.

LAST TUESDAY THE PERSONNEL CUTS VOTE WAS UNANIMOUS, AND TONIGHT... the vote was 3 to 3, so the issue died.

What changed from last Tuesday when those present for the illegal meeting when the vote was unanimous until tonight? Gibson was not present for last week's illegal meeting when the vote was unanimous.

Not attempting to defend Councilman Gibson or pick sides. But the information RSN provides, regardless of what people say or accuse RSN of being a bully, not Councilman Gibson, right is right. We do attempt to be accurate and in doing so we do step on people's toes and they yell.

 

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