PENDLETON — Pendleton Town Council had an agenda for its meeting June 27 — including a proclamation thanking all who helped with tornado cleanup, and related presentations by representatives of South Madison Community Foundation and Madison County Emergency Management Agency.
But a few dozen residents had an agenda of their own, coming to the meeting to voice concerns — or to support those who were to speak — about how they feel the town is being run, especially in light of a list of complaints a group of employees filed and the town has investigated.
Sammi Thatcher was the first of more than half a dozen residents to speak of such concerns during the public comment section of the meeting.
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She said there appears to be a lack of transparency with how town decisions are made and that residents’ concerns are not well received.
“I think these meetings need to be a little more open … not slam the gavel down,” she said.
“Please listen to us. Please listen to our concerns. We are all valuable people.”
Other residents proceeded to speak, sharing concerns they have with a few town employees, saying they at times have been rude, derelict in their duties, or not properly supervised or disciplined.
Resident Dinah Shirley-Wright said there’s a good ol’ boys club in town that is “comprised of individuals who seemingly do not have the town or its residents’ best interest at heart.
“It’s comprised of individuals who pick and choose who to publicly shame and who to let be left swept under the rug.”
Several residents, including Shirley-Wright, raised issues they’ve had with a couple of employees, who were the subject of an eight-page list of complaints signed by 10 other employees and presented to supervisors before reaching the council.
The document has been widely shared on social media and includes descriptions of internal friction among various town employees.
“We are all working in a hostile work environment,” the document reads.
A couple of people mentioned the disciplinary case of former Pendleton Police Chief Marc Farrer from earlier this year, and how that was handled in full public view, while the recent issues have not been.
Town attorney Alex Intermill, with the Indianapolis law firm Bose, McKinney and Evans, said state law dictates that cases involving public safety officials be conducted in a public setting. Not so with other employees.
Town council members said they have read the recent complaints but are unable to comment on employee matters for legal reasons.
Town council President Jessica Smith said after the meeting that the complaints had been investigated by attorneys because the town doesn’t have a full-time human resources manager.
While she said she couldn’t comment on the matter at hand, Smith did note “there are two sides to every story.”
Sandra Perry and Mark Wohlford, both with the Labor and Employment Group of Bose, McKinney and Evans, handled the investigation.
As a result, Smith said an action plan has been devised and communicated with employees, and that some changes have been made and will be made.
Town manager Tim McClintick is responsible for managing the town and employees, she said, with the town council ultimately responsible for McClintick.
“I fully support Tim and his decisions,” Smith said.
Smith said no one was fired after the investigation, but some employees did quit.
As resident Sandi Butler asked questions, the issue about the amount of money the town has spent on legal fees this year came up.
Councilman Chet Babb said the town had budgeted about $75,000 for 2019 and that so far this year the town has spent $106,400.
From the meeting’s agenda:
• Town council passed its “Proclamation of Thanks and Gratitude to all Those Who Have Aided in the Pendleton Memorial Day Tornado Recovery” (above).
• Lisa Floyd, on behalf of the South Madison Community Foundation, reported the foundation has received 208 donations totaling $42,163 from people across the country to help with rebuilding after the May 27 tornado. She said the foundation has helped and continues to help keep the public informed about storm recovery and will spend the donations during the town’s next phase of recovery.
• Tom Ecker, executive director of Madison County Emergency Management Agency, complimented local agencies who responded to the tornado. “You all worked very well together,” he said. He made some emergency alert recommendations. The best tool is the NIXLE system, he said, which is available to everyone and sends out alerts in several ways, including text and email. He said weather radios also work well. Storm sirens are expensive and limited in use, he said, and therefore he would not recommend investing in them. Siren technology dates back 60 to 70 years, he said. “How many of us are using 1950s and 1960s technology?”
• Julie Schnepp, president of Pendleton Business Association, thanked all the people who helped businesses get up and running again after the tornado. She said that helped mitigate losses but that many businesses are still feeling the pain of the impact. She asked the council to do everything it can to patronize local businesses.
