PENDLETON — Marc Farrer — the Pendleton police chief who was fired because of inappropriate social media posts, then appealed his firing before ultimately negotiating a deal to stay on as a patrolman — is chief again.
“I didn’t know if this was going to pass or not,” Councilman Shane Davis said following a 3-2 vote at Thursday’s council meeting to return Farrer to the Pendleton Police Department’s top spot.
Davis — chosen by a Republican caucus in April to replace former council Vice President Chad Wolfe, who resigned after moving out of the district in March — made a motion to reinstate Farrer at the tail end of the meeting. The disciplinary actions against Farrer predated Davis’ appointment.
“I’ll second that motion,” Councilman Chet Babb said soon after.
The item was not on the agenda, and it seemed to take some people, including at least one council member, by surprise; the motion followed a public comment period during which several people raised several contentious issues.
“I think we should be careful what we do,” Councilman Bob Jones said.
Jones recommended — given the matter was not on the agenda, that it had been an “emotionally charged” meeting and that a vote could suddenly remove interim chief Randy Sidwell from his position — that the council put the issue on its September agenda.
But with a motion and a second, Babb said he wanted a roll call vote, which delivered three “yes” votes in order from Babb, Davis and then Jones.
There was applause from many of the dozens of residents in attendance.
Council President Jessica Smith and Councilwoman Jessica Bastin followed with “no” votes.
“They just did the right thing,” resident Lennie Stewart said after the meeting adjourned with an abrupt strike of the gavel by Smith.
Thursday’s vote reverses what began on Jan. 24 with a 3-2 council vote to fire Farrer because of social media posts it said “reflect and promote bias” and “compromise (his) ability to carry out your duties to the public as a law enforcement officer and as the Pendleton town marshal in a fair, impartial and non-discriminatory way.”
On Feb. 14, council voted 3-2 for an expanded notice of charges.
Smith, Bastin and Wolfe cast the majority votes in those decisions.
Termination was subject to an appeals process, and an appeals hearing was set for March 8. That hearing was canceled as the council, Farrer and their attorneys instead worked for two and a half hours finalizing details of a settlement agreement.
That agreement, which passed council by a 5-0 vote — allowed Farrer, who had been chief for 13 years, to continue working as a patrolman, with pay set at that rank with all of his years of service intact. It cut his pay from about $62,000 to about $46,000. He was also to be on probation for a year and “shall successfully complete sensitivity and diversity training.”
But Thursday’s vote relieved Farrer, who was not present at the meeting, of his current contract and made him chief again effective immediately.
“Last night’s actions were clearly a political stunt,” Bastin wrote in a text. “Our town deserves better. It is obvious that the ‘Good Old Boy’s Club’ is alive and well in Pendleton, and it is disappointing that we couldn’t do better for our community, and especially our children.”
Davis said he obtained all of the town’s documentation related to the case against Farrer a few weeks ago and read through it. He then reviewed it Thursday morning and again before the meeting.
Davis said he made his motion “for the town. I think it’s the right thing for the town.
“There’s no personal thing. There’s no political thing,” he said.
A town convention for is set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, at Pendleton Heights Middle School. According to Madison County Republican Chairman Russ Willis, any Pendleton voter who cast a Republican ballot in the 2018 primary election can vote at the conventions. The winner will face Democrat Lisa A. Floyd.
Babb, a Democrat, is on November’s ballot for Pendleton Town Council District 1, opposite Republican Michelle Skeen.
Bastin’s term expires this year, too. Bastin, a Republican, will face Democrat Steve Denny for the council’s District No. 2 seat.
Jones and Babb both voted against firing Farrer earlier this year. Jones pointed to those earlier votes when explaining his decision on Thursday.
Farrer “did a good job as chief in past,” Jones said after the meeting. “I’d preferred that we wait til next month … have it on the agenda.”
Not everyone in attendance agreed with the council’s move.
“This is a good one that they pulled,” resident Marty Parlos said, voicing frustration with the issue not being on the agenda; because of that, the vast majority of town residents didn’t have a chance to be heard, he said.
Sidwell, who was captain before being made interim chief, said he was fine with the council’s decision, even though it took him by surprise.
“I had no idea,” Sidwell said. “I can go back to doing my No. 2 spot. I was a little shocked at the vote … but the townspeople, the council, they made their decision.
“I yield those stars back over to him,” he said, referring to uniform pins indicating rank. “If you look, I never took my cap [captain] stars off.”
