Lake Santeetlah – It is apropos that the final Town of Lake Santeetlah council meeting before the newly-elected members are sworn in next month was was unable to take place Nov. 9.
While the fault was not a lack of quorum – a recurring issue in recent months, due to growing animosity between those elected – the issue Nov. 9 was simple: the council was not able to agree on the agenda.
Councilmember Tina Emerson made a motion to approve the agenda. Councilmember Jim Hager seconded.
Mayor Connie Gross then asked if everyone agreed.
Before everyone could agree, Hager brought up a discussion. Hager asked what item No. 3, “Closed Session to receive advice from town attorney” -- under “New Business” on the agenda -- was about.
Emerson answered, saying it was about general legal advice.
Hager thought it was about a property dispute.
“I understand that we have a property dispute between two property owners, and that’s not town business,” said Hager.
Emerson tried to assure Hager that the agenda item is about general legal advice and not a property dispute.
Councilmember Diana Simon then chimed in on what she thought the closed session was about.
“I understand that it deals with zoning and zoning should be passed on to the planning board,” Simon said.
Emerson tried to clarify more that the closed session is about general legal advice on town property. Simon stated that Emerson said she told her it was about zoning.
Simon also commented that Emerson didn’t know what the town property in question was.
Gross countered, pointing out that they will discuss what the town property is in closed session.
“Is there any evidence that this is town property?” Hager asked town attorney Bo Carpenter.
Through a Zoom call, Carpenter recommended that the council go into closed session when talking about legal advice concerning town property.
Gross asked again for a vote to pass the agenda. Gross and Emerson voted yes. Hager and Simon voted no. The council agreed on the rest of the agenda, but not the closed session.
Each member stood fast in their stance.
Simon made a motion to amend the agenda to remove the closed session and keep the rest of the agenda the same.
Hager seconded the motion.
“The reason to go into closed session is to get advice from the town attorney, to make sure we are protecting town property,” Emerson said. “You would not be doing your due diligence and being a good steward for the town if you don’t ask for legal advice.”
Gross asked for a vote to amend the agenda. Hager and Simon voted yes. Gross and Emerson voted no.
With the council unable to agree on the docket, no further progress could be made. Outgoing councilmember Ralph Mitchell, 94, was not present.
Beginning in December, the council is tentatively scheduled to include Simon, Hager, Kevin Haag, Ralph Strunk and Keith Predmore.
Aside from the incumbents that were re-elected, only the latter has served on the Lake Santeetlah council before.