if you wanted your table, but it's up in the corner if you're interested. All right. I call this special meeting uh to order this morning at 9:00 December 10th. Um the uh purpose and intent of this
meeting is to uh discuss uh conduct of uh the mayor in some rec recent circumstances in town. Uh with that, I'll turn it over to Bruce. Bruce called for the meeting. Go ahead, Bruce. >> Good morning. I want to thank you all
for coming, especially in this weather today. Um, my name is Bruce London. I called the meeting. Based on the facts and information contained in a police report by Niswah
Police Department officer Dustin Hines, I learned the following. There was an email that was sent to Mayor Jennifer Carneahan and council member Joe Hall by a resident known as
Sophie Foster. Foster is an employee at the Niswah Main Street Ale House. Foster and other employees and customers heard what they referred to or what Foster referred to as a loud and rude conversation between Mayor Carneahan and
her companions regarding co councilman Jesse Zan. comments included such as, "If you just embarrass him," referring to ways to influence him to resign.
In Foster's email to Mayor Carneahan, she requested the mayor apologized to Jesse Zan. Later, on the evening of November 28th, Foster and Carneahan were both at the
pickle factory. As Foster and her friends were leaving, Mayor Carneahan said something to the effect, and I apologize for saying this. There's that that sent the email.
After which there was an alleged physical confrontation between Foster and Carneahan. Mayor Carneahan contacted Nisa Police Chief Sysmansky. She reported that she had been assaulted
and wished to speak to an officer. Nisa PD Officer Dustin Hines was assigned the case and completed an investigation. In the mayor's statement to Hines, she referred to the email sent by
Foster. The mayor stated Foster told her she was a piece of and what the words are in the report, crap human, and Carneahan shouldn't be mayor.
Officer Hines made contact with Foster and requested the email she had sent to Carneahan. Sophie Foster did forward the email to Officer Hines. In Fosters's email,
there is no evidence or mention that Foster made the above statements. She was a piece of crap human and that Carneahan shouldn't be mayor. Officer Hines investigation
was referred to the Niswah City prosecutor, the Severson and Porter Law Firm. The firm declined after reviewing this report and case file from Officer Hines. The uh Severson Porter Law Firm declined
to file any charges against Sophie Foster. This is not an act of violence against the city official. This appears to be a violation of our code of conduct policy.
We as city member council members have a code of conduct policy which we need to abide by. I'd like to continue. In recent weeks, there have been many negative posts on social media app known as Next Door
regarding city councilmen and particularly our Nisa volunteer fire department. One which was very upsetting to me was a particular posting regarding fellow Councilman Joe Hall.
[clears throat] And it went on stating, "Don't be fooled by a wolf in sheep's clothing." It's a very negative comment regarding someone who works very hard for our community. For example,
this past summer, there was extensive storm damage in Mirfield. Our volunteer fire department, including Hall, responded to Mirfield and provided their aid and assistance to those
residents which were involved. Later, after clearing the scene, Councilman Hall provided his equipment and employees to further assist those affected residents in Marifffield.
I am proud of our volunteer fire department and their members. There are many second and third generation firefighters on our fire department consisting of grandparents, fathers,
sons, and grandchildren. In my mind, in my heart, they are our heroes. During the past year, we have lost a city administrator. our city clerk has left and two interim city administrators
who left within a matter of weeks. When I interviewed for this seat on our city council, I was asked if I have ever dealt with conflict resolution. During the past year, we have had a
great deal of drama and conflict. We need to resolve it. We need to move forward into the new year and put an end to this toxic environment. Niswah deserves better.
In addition to the police investigation, after officer Hines's initial investigation, an additional witness had stepped forward. The police department did a further
investigation and those supplemental reports were once again referred to the city prosecutor, the Severson and Porter law firm. After their review, they once again declined to file any charges against
Sophie Foster. At this point, I'd like to open the meeting to other council members for their comments and input. I would also allow for public comment.
And it was my hope that the mayor would be here this morning and I would like to give her an opportunity to speak as well. I want to thank you very much. I'll turn it over to the rest of the council. >> Thank you, Bruce.
>> Sorry. Excuse me. You might want to consider having the public comment before the council does. >> Yeah. >> Sorry. Yeah. So, um we will turn over to public comment. Uh a lot of people in the room though, but
I would like to limit it to two minutes. Also too, um we are here for um a specific matter and that's the conduct of the mayor. Any other side conversation will be stopped. Also too,
I want to remind everybody here that um we are a small town community. Um you know, I'm not going to stand for somebody being you know, belligerent in some manner here too. We will we will ask you to stop also. So, with that in
mind, um, please raise your hand if you'd like to speak and, uh, I will call on you and state your name. Yep. And you'll have to come up to the podium. So, if there is anybody in this time from the audience that would like
to speak, please go ahead and raise your hand and I'll call on you. Okay. Right here, first hand. Good morning, council. My name is Fred and um >> please state your full name for the record. >> Okay, Fred Hidman. I I thought I just I thought I just heard you say first name,
but I maybe misunderstood. My name is Fred Hydeman. And um I was I I have a lot of things to say, but uh time is limited. So the the most important thing
that I want to say is that Nisa I agree with I agree with you Bruce. Nisa does need to heal. There's no doubt about that. And you know, there's a this this small town
uh does tend to swirl information and it does information changes from person to person and depending on how they feel about things. That's all I'm going to say about that. The primary thing I want to say is that
I feel that this is an inappropriate way to handle this. Um the council um is a group of people elected by the citizens to take care of the business of the city. If there are conflicts and questions and
concerns, I feel that should done be done behind closed doors. It doesn't matter who it is. It doesn't matter if it's any one of the four of you or or whatever. As as you guys know, with staff, you cannot have open public meetings about staff. So,
I think it's a little unfair to create what feels like a what can feel like a witch hunt. There's media here and people on both sides and all of that. And um it would it would be a better and and I sent you guys an email. I presume
you all saw it and I I gave my thoughts there and I laid it out. If you didn't receive the email, let me know. Um I'd be glad to get it to you. It's probably a little late now, but you know, I think a close meeting with
private discussions to see if if I if issues can be worked out is a place to start. Bring a bring in a a dispute resolution specialist if you need to help resolve it. But I think in the end what the city wants is a united team.
And if you guys can work behind the scenes to work out these differences and then come to the city to the citizens of the city and say, "Hey, um, we got together and we worked this out and
we're a stronger, better team today than we >> That's two minutes. >> That's that's fine. That's fine, Joe. That's that's what I had to say. Thank you. Thank you so much. Anybody else out in the crowd? So, I'm Sandra Puff and um I would like
to respectfully disagree with our previous mayor because I became aware of this issue when Jennifer posted about it on Facebook. And I would just like to raise one other issue uh from the Next Door. And I guess
in full transparency, I'm supposed to now articulate that I am related to Mark Freley. Um, which I think is irrelevant because I'm a private citizen who lives here in the city of Nisa, born and raised here, moved back in
retirement. And I rarely go on next door unless someone says their dog or cat has been missing or found. uh but came across the posting where um the issue of the
funding of credit card transactions uh was posted and that's the first I ever saw of it because I hadn't watched the um video of the meeting. But when I voiced my opinion very respectfully and Jennifer gave a
respectful answer back except said that well in the in fairness of full transparency that I'm related to one of the council members which I think was inappropriate because I think Mark would be the first to admit that he and I are very
different politically. I respect his opinion. He respects mine. here's something I actually happened to agree with him on, but hadn't read the full context to know whether I had or hadn't disagreed with him. But I think if there are uh public officials that are posting
on Facebook or Next Door or any social media, I as a private citizen have a right to voice my opinion without it being put out there for transparency who I may be related to. I just thought
that was totally inappropriate and I wish Jennifer were here so that I could say it to her in her presence. Um, >> thank you. >> I don't do tit for tat on I was just voicing my opinion and to be told that
oh in full transparency I'm related to someone to me that was just a violation of my privacy. >> Thank you. Hi, my name is Josh Gazelka. I drove through the snow today on my bald tires
to be here for Sophie because what happened over the last few weeks to her is completely unacceptable. I think our community values openness, honesty, and being able to come and present concerns when you have them instead of have them shut down. I think
that's a basic foundation for any healthy community. And straightforward over the last few weeks, what we saw was a resident expressed a concern. She saw unprofessional behavior and she raised that concern through the appropriate
channels and was faced with first silence. Then she was cussed out in public and her reputation was smeared online. She was accused of assault. That's something that most people couldn't
stand up against. It's completely unacceptable. We give a lot of grace to our leaders, but that crossed a line. We need to have a community where people feel like they can stand up, speak, say something when they see something. We need to do
better. And frankly, I'm disappointed. Thank you. Anybody else? Troy Sheffller. not from Nisa, but I end up here quite a bit for some reason. But, uh, the first
thing I need to say is in a matter of fairness and kind of how did you not see this coming? And the first thing I I need to mention here is that everyone here knew
Carneahan did not have residency when she was running for mayor. But yet no one said anything. So here we are. So certain things come back to bite people. Um granted
a lot of people like to give the benefit of the doubt of to people and uh see the best in people and she does come off rather affiable at first and when you get to know her then
things change. Um, when I read Sophie's email, it was very familiar to my experience with Miss Carneahan. Um, in fact, exactly. It was like, "Wow, did I write this and not remember this?"
um as far as the public slanders and and whatnot that she prefers to air for the attention of things. I mean, there's been from the first time I ever met her, there's been comments, say, for example,
there's this long-standing feud between Miss Carneahan and and Coltman Zan. Remember the first thing that she said when and and by the way, she does like to accuse everyone of being racist. I'll put that on the record cuz she always
does. But the first thing she told me about Mr. ZH before I ever even knew the guy was that he was a rich little white boy. Thought that was a little little inappropriate and uh knowing me that uh inappropriateness and me finding
something inappropriate. Uh >> thank you. That's two minutes. >> Holy cow, that goes really quick, man. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Hey, maybe I'll come back next time. >> All right. Anybody else?
>> My name is Cindy Carneahan and I'm Jennifer's mother. And I'm here because I sent an email to the council members and I was going to read it, but I don't think I can read it in two minutes. So, I'm just going to say one thing. We need to remember that there's two sides to
this story. And and even though there wasn't a prosecution of anyone, just because Jennifer says it's one way, I well, I of course believe her, but one of I only had a
response. I just want to say I only had a response from one council member and he said to me in his response, I would be disappointed to hear that Jennifer suffered bigotry in Nissa. So I'm just going to tell you two quick
incidents that happened to her when she was running for mayor. When she was canvasing doortodoor, a man came out of his house and said, "Get off my property. I don't allow Chinese people on my lawn. And in a bar, a man
said to her, "We like our women blue-eyed and blondhaired up here." If that doesn't show bigotry, I'm not quite sure what does. Thank you.
Anybody else? Okay, if there's nobody else for any comment, I'll turn it back to uh other council. Mark, well, I feel kind of out of it and one, I don't have any social media, so
can't attest to what's on social media. I stay off of it because a lot of people say a lot of stuff, you know, and but I, you know, someone might [clears throat] have said, "Oh," or shown me something that was there.
That's it's bad. I was also, uh, in Ohio, uh, and got a call from a resident uh, about things going on in Isla. So, I really wasn't up to date on it until I got back
and it was I I I was a little shocked when I when I read the email from Sophie um as to what had transpired. And I just I was shocked that that a
council member would be in public discussing with constituents how to remove another sitting councilman from the from their seat. And that that's that's up to the elections and
individuals. And it it it was just shocking. And I never thought I'd be in this situation um to come in here and and have this, but there have been some tumultuous times this year. And that's all I have
to say. I've had uh quite a bit of time to reflect on this since this special meeting was called by council member London and Hall and uh it's a culmination of thoughts that I thought would be best to try to put down in a brief statement which I'll share now. Um
and really before taking office in February of 2022, I was told this position is a thankless job by an outgoing city councilman. I took those remarks as a challenge to best serve the city that I call home. This city in which I've grown up in and has provided me so much is in an obvious
state of distress. Elected public officials come and go every two years, every four years. But while serving this great city for the past four years, I've had the privilege to work with some of the finest that this city has to offer.
Mayor Carneahan was to be no exception to that coming into the start of her term. I welcomed our new mayor in January with open arms, meeting with her to embrace her push for transparency, unity, and fiscal conservatism.
Three months in, when she made the decision to run for the vacant Senate state seat, I consoled her into running and further showed my support via handwritten letter, getting support from two other council members here. And that included also a $10,000
donation to her campaign that I personally made. After Carneahan's failed run, it appeared that Carneahan's sentiment towards this council turned negative. The mayor's behavior started to reflect bouts of insecurities, anxiety, and an
overwhelming desire to maintain control of this city's council and its staff at all cost. This was on full display after a first city administrator left to take a position with another city. Something that was expected but came to fruition.
However, within 7 months from that point, we are now on our fifth interim city administrator. As council member London mentioned, a long-standing clerk has also left. City projects and initiatives have fallen to the wayside as this council
has routinely been left dealing with the aftermath of our mayor's conduct, whether it be online or on the street. The role the role of a public official is not to politic but to officiate and facilitate.
I have learned this keenly over the last four years. This council and this city have been severely hampered by the politicking when it should be focusing efforts on providing its residents the best services at our disposal.
This council has never displayed acts of sexism, racism, or bigotry to any other fellow member of this council or member of this community. This council is not a good old boy club.
We have earnestly attempted to embrace, collaborate, and respect our elected mayor's leadership since she took office. The conduct of the mayor and the public has yet again shown that the feelings are not mutual towards this council and
perhaps even this city. What does the council have to gain with this conflict? There has been no power grabbing. There's no power to be had. The power is with the people. There have been no attempts, as
previously stated, at removal from office. Respect is demanded. But where is mutual respect to begin when there is routine, blatant, and proven public slandering and defamation of character of other elected officials?
This conduct is something I have not yet experienced in my life. Coming into Nishwa Nisah for a fresh start is a promising endeavor, but the shackles of the past still seem to be lingering.
and now have bogged this council down into a stalemate and a city into divide via misinformation and lies. The smearing and negative rhetoric is not constructive and I ask that it again stop.
Let us work together people and elected officials once again to solve our collective challenges at hand. We are one team. The ego and victimization must be replaced with decorum and stout leadership.
It is time for the city to reset and that must start now. That change must start with formally requesting that Mayor Carneahan consider her immediate resignation. Thanks.
Well, I first just want to say that um yeah, none of us want to be here today. None of us want to do this. However, we are elected to take on [clears throat] whatever issues are at hand in this
town. And uh it's my commitment to um try and make this behavior stop in this town. you know, it's just gone on far too long um with too many people. And the sad part is it's just a small group of people in this town that um
that keep uh bringing turmoil to the town. Um that being said, you know, the responsibility that I have is um is to um the citizens, you know, um as
Bruce mentioned in the article or in what he read in the email, um the conduct over at Main Street, and I'll read it, um you know, from Sophie's email. Um it was with the mayor and even
a former mayor, both two leaders of the town, you know, as a mayor and a former mayor, um the conduct just is not appropriate at any level. That being said, um our community
deserves better. Our community deserves leadership rooted in in honesty, respect, and integrity uh for the good in Isla. um these incidents and uh reveal a pattern
of conduct that is um not um comparable with the um dignity of the mayor may mayor mayoral office. Um the information that is also out there
on social media I am not on but it seems to plague the city. Um a lot of times people share it with me. Um it is just misinformation. I mean, um, as Abraham Lincoln said, you
can't believe everything you read on the internet, you know, and that's basically what it is. That's how I'd sum it up. Um, it's, you know, if you want to do that, fine. But it it's just not true. You know,
it's it's interesting when even myself get some of those and I'm like, "Oh, I guess I didn't know this. I didn't know I was going to do that. I wish somebody would tell me first what I'm going to do before I hear it secondhand. Um, and that that's just got to stop in this town. It's plagued this town for too
long. And uh I have no time or tolerance for this. I got better things to do today than be here and and once again mediate yet another situation with the mayor and the community or the staff um as which I have done throughout the past
year. That being said, um moving ahead, um you know, this was stronger when the leaders actually encourage um humility
and respect of each other and to the community. You know, I mean, I remain committed to uh these values to work with everybody up here. Um you know, at the end of the day, none of us see eye to eye. Um, but I can say with great
confidence that we all respect each other and that we all have the best interest of the town um in mind with our conversations and our decisions that we make. That being said, we are here today um
you know to address this. I agreed to call the special meeting. Um, I will be out of town for the December meeting with my family, but I did not want the December meeting um to go ary. There's a lot of actual important information that
the council needs to go over in December and not yet to have another distraction of um of uh this nature um take control of that meeting. So that was one of the purposes of the meeting today. So, uh,
here we are. Um, I'll use this analogy. It was told to me by somebody wiser than I am. I've shared it with number of you. Um, Jennifer has squeezed the toothpaste out of the tube. You can't put the toothpaste back, but we are left here to
deal with the mess that is be created by that. And, and that's what we are dealing. That's what we are here. We are dealing with the mess um of this. And um I don't know what the next steps forward
are. I do know that um I can speak for myself and I think most of council we're done with the uh the drama, the uh turmoil, the constant conflict that has plagued this town on so many levels. Um,
I'm sure there's still going to be that small group of keyboard warriors out there that are going to, you know, just sit in their basement and type away whatever they want. But as I look out into the crowd, um, I see a lot of good people in this town. You know, I
encourage you to do what, um, Sophie did. uh step up, say something, be a productive uh member of this town rather than um continue to fuel that fire of negativity. It's just another black eye
for NESA and uh it it needs to stop. So, I would encourage people in this town to do that and I know a lot of you will. Um, that being said, you know, um, what I would do, you know, at this
point, you know, I I was hoping the mayor would be here today, um, you know, I would call, uh, really on her, um, to address this. you know, um this isn't any really with
the four of us, but yet we're here because we have to deal with it and it's the correct thing to deal with it and uh not hide it. Um Abraham Lincoln said, "You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today."
And that's what's going on. And uh that needs to stop. It needs to be addressed. So, uh, the mayor will have to, um, uh, speak for herself and, um, go from
there. as a council. However, though, um appropriate discussion, you know, are there um any other thoughts, steps, you know, I would ask maybe the city attorney for some guidance on next steps from the council
to um what we can do to um make sure behavior like this does not happen again in town. Um, also too, you know, um, there's different things like votes of no
confidence, stuff like that. But I guess I would ask the city attorney maybe um, to look into further steps for us as a council that um, we could take or um, look at doing
in this situation. Joe, I don't have a really easy answer for that, right? Um, I think everybody's sort of spoken their piece about this, >> but without trying to be suggestive in saying this, but um when issues like this arise other places, you've seen
examples of council votes of, as you said, no confidence. Um, censure is another um situation that you'll see in other communities uh with issues um where city
council members or whatever have issues. And so those I suppose are options that the council could look into if it was so inclined. Other than that, I really don't have a
answer to other than those things to address the concerns I've heard expressed here today. >> If the council was to pursue any one of those options or all, what would be the suggested timeline and approach that you would have for this council?
>> When you say those options, what? >> A vote of no confidence or a vote of censure. Is that something that we would be inclined to do today or would that be at a meeting? He's council member Hall stated he's going to be absent for December. So
which is January >> pro probably a a process for either or both of those things roughly just kind of thinking off the top here would be to you need some sort of resolution, right? That's not something you'd make up on
the fly. Um, if a city council has items that it would want to put into a resolution for either of both of those actions, they would be rooted um in a review of
the code of conduct. Um, you'd want to populate a resolution with if you think certain provisions of the code of conduct have um been violated, not complied with. Those are the sorts of things that would populate a
resolution resulting in a conclusion of either or both of those things that you described, censure or no confidence. Um, as I think about this, if you're interested at all in pursuing either of
those things, then that process probably looks like um continuing this meeting, this agenda item, this meeting to your regular December council meeting for the council to each independently
review the code of conduct and any other things it considers and has been discussed today. Um those things would be discussed at a council meeting um with then um a direction to me to
prepare an appropriate resolution reflecting those things that you discussed and that you want to populate a resolution like that which would then come before you probably in January or whenever >> another special meeting whatever it might be. Council motion required for that
>> for what? >> The continuation of this agenda topic to December. >> If what I just said is a process that you're interested in looking into, then yes, you can continue this meeting and this agenda item to your December
agenda or it could just be placed on the agenda. But it's probably just easiest to do that now if that's your if if that's your thought. Okay, I'll open it up. Bruce, do you have thoughts? Yeah, I definitely think that uh this
matter as a whole needs to be addressed and uh as soon as possible and uh if it calls for another special meeting or whatever to make up with this resolution, um we want to go about it the right way
and uh do the best that we can in the best interest of our community. Mark, >> I concur. >> I concur. Jesse, >> I'd like to make a motion to do a continuation of this agenda topic
discussion regarding the conduct of Mayor Carneahan uh to the December regular city council meeting. >> Second. Thanks. >> Not yet. >> Okay. >> Okay. There's motion second. Any other discussion?
>> I have a question. Um Tom, do we need to specify um giving you direction to put together anything at this time or that will come in December? >> If that's what you decide to do, it would be later. >> Okay. >> One week.
>> So, we'll use this time to review the code of conduct. Y >> Okay. Okay. >> Call them out. >> All those in favor? >> I I >> Okay, motion passes. The the only thing
I would say following that then is for anybody that isn't I think you mentioned that you are not going to be here for the December meeting. If you've just continued this agenda item to that meeting then um again I encourage the council to um review the things that have been discussed today in light of
the a review of the code of conduct in order to discuss that further in December. If you come uh if the council comes with a a passed motion at the December meeting to instruct me to prepare a resolution, then at the December meeting, you should be ready to
instruct me about the items that should be in that resolution. Um Joe, for instance, if you can't be here in December, then I encourage you to um give your thoughts on those matters if you have any uh to the city administrator so they can be part of that packet
>> or or if you're present on Zoom or whatever it might be. But um if you've got thoughts about that evaluation, then that should get into uh the packet to aid that conversation in December. >> Okay. Thank you. Any other comments,
points, questions? >> Not at this point. >> Okay. So, um, last thing I'll say is, you know, uh, couple people in the community asked, you know, what we were hoping to get out of this, you know, and they said nothing positive out of this,
but I do want to, um, say the positive thing coming out of this is from today, moving forward, as we all walk out of this door in this town, this sort of behavior is not going to be tolerated
with. It's going to be done. I am not going to waste more time calling a special meeting, coming up here and dealing with crap like this. So, as you go out in the town, spread the word. This is done. We have lots of
great things going on in this town. Great people, great events. The firework night where this happened was one of the best events in town, one of my favorite. And uh that sort of stuff does not need to be shadowed by this. So spread the
word everyone. You know, this is over. It's done with this group of people up here. We're not going to stand for it. We're going to stand up. Say something. Do something. Um thank you Sophia.
Sophie, sorry Sophie for um standing up. I hope more people do. But spread the word. this is over today and that is the positive thing coming out of this meeting. With that, have a good Christmas and um
make a motion to adjurnn somebody. I'll second. >> Okay. All those in favor? All right. >> All right. J, thanks.