Now that Charter has the internet fixed here are some pictures, videos (links to youtube) and comments from the Special Called Meeting last Thursday night.
VIDEOS
There were 2 video clips that did not capture well enough to post.
1. When attorney Thompson went on a rant making some outlandish accusations against the County Administrator that you would hope the Virginia State Bar would get ahold of the official meeting recordings and review. Then they just might issue Thompson yet another admonition.
2. When Sherriff Bell went up to the Board and warned Chairman Tyler that he would shut down the meeting for a 3rd straight time if he did not regain and maintain control of the meeting. This warning came right after Tyler allowed Thompson to rant for more than his allowed 2 minutes. Oh yes he did softly gavel down after a while but still allowed him to continue.
Maybe (maybe not) it was because of Sherriff Bell"s warning but other citizens were not afforded the opportunity to talk more than about 1 min 45 sec to 2 minutes, I was keeping time, was the Chairman? Citizens did find a way (legally) to talk for longer by having other citizens yield their time. Democracy at work!
PICTURES
An overfilled Courtroom required moving the meeting to the High School.
The media was there. Not just TV but also the local Newspapers as well.
Holding nothing back she let the Board have it with both barrels and received applause from the crowd. Hopefully the Board heard this message AND support loud and clear. This lady had a message for the Board that they were voted in by the people and they were being held accountable by the people for their actions or lack thereof. There was a round of applause from the audience indicating solidarity in our support of trying to make a difference.
This gentleman, a military war vet (who is commended for his duty to our Nation) provided some very direct challenges to the Board to set aside their personal “issues” and get to the job of running this county.
Taking her allotted time and the time afforded her by 2 other citizens Debbie Turck gave the Board several Virginia code sections that they were either in violation of or should be guided by. She was informative, concise and articulate in her comments, was the board listening as were the citizens? Let’s hope so.
And since I am talking about citizens comments … WHY WAS IT THAT WAKEFIELD REPRESENTATIVE STRINGFIELD WAS THE ONLY OPPOSING VOTE WHEN THEY WERE VOTING ON TO ALLOW CITIZENS COMMENTS AT EVERY PUBLIC MEETING OF THE BOARD, REGULAR MEETINGS, SPECIAL CALLED MEETINGS OR MEETINGS THAT WERE RECESSED, WHY???? I’m not sure but I think along with Stringfield’s NO vote Tyler abstained. A 4-1-1 vote thank you Fly, Caple, Futrell and Warren for allowing us the Democratic right to speak.
One after the other concerned citizens spoke up about their dissatisfaction with the dysfunctional Board asking, no pleading with them, to set aside their personal agendas, personal indifferences, personal issues and GET TO WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT … running this county.
You could just see 8 months of frustration bubble to the surface as County Administrator pleaded to the Board (specifically Tyler as the chair) to “Let me do the job I was hired to do!” How refreshing is this that part of the county management wants to work and do the best they can. Is County Administrator Harris right 100% of the time ??? No, he’ll probably admit to that but he is giving 100% trying to make Sussex County the right place to live and invest in. YES !! Let the man do his job!
Warren and Futrell were chastised by Chairman Tyler for calling this Special Called Meeting. Stating that as "new bees" on the board they need to learn when and when not to call a special meeting. Tyler went on to say that everything covered tonight could have waited to the regular meeting on the 19th. COULD IT ??? We now have a Lawyer (hopefully) that can represent the County in court on the 11th in a lawsuit. Could that have waited Mr. Tyler??
He should be ashamed for how he presented himself at the meeting, disrupting the proceedings by trying to give his personal comments during the meeting and before the allotted time for citizen's comments and getting into a personal verbal battle with Board members and a county employee.
I wonder how the carefully orchestrated parade of Thompson supporters from 2 months ago feel about the man now after such an unprofessional and at times childish showing. He said it himself during his rant "The Emperor Has No Clothes". The true Thompson was on display for all to see what he really is.
A 5 minute recess was called for as the meeting had been going on for quite a while and lots of water and pop was being consumed by several Board members but 5 minutes turned into almost 20. What other “business” was being conducted behind closed doors???
Some closing comments ..
I have heard through the grapevine that some think I have my own personal agenda. Well I DO, that’s what blogging and social media is all about. What is my personal agenda?? IT’S TO GET CITIZENS OF SUSSEX COUNTY INFORMED AND INVOLVED. If that’s a bad thing I am sorry you don’t like it. Think back, in our history has any movement that improved our nation/government ever happened without the people getting involved and being informed???? I am forever in debt to every drop of blood and bead of sweat that has given me this opportunity and RIGHT to speak up.
Also I usually wait and see if the paper prints my letter to the editor befor I publish it on the blog but this time I need to post it now as I might not have the opportunity to later. So here is what I submitted to the Editor of the Sussex Surry Dispatch.
Letter to the Editor
Four and a half hours of what? Here is WHAT!
Not only did the TV and Newspaper reporters show but so did the CITIZENS OF SUSSEX COUNTY. Not since the Landfill, Pig Farming and OLF have so many citizens attend a county meeting. In the neighborhood of 250 concerned citizens first showed up at the courthouse but soon overfilled the room’s capacity and the meeting had to be moved to the HS auditorium. What was so refreshing that the CITIZENS WERE UNITED in one cause. There were differences on how we reached that cause but the cause was LOUD and CLEAR. Board of Supervisors … get over yourselves, get over your personal agendas, and get over your dislike for each other and GET TO WORK FOR US. We deserve better!
The first 2 hours or so of the meeting did see some decisions being made, maybe it was because of the media pressure, or the outpouring of citizens, a camera in your face, a reporters pad being filled with notes and pictures being taken obviously had an influence. The remaining 2 and half hours was … well it was disheartening.
There was the typical backroom maneuvering, too much to go into now, but the bottom-line on a few issues is what really matters. The county now has guidance that when hiring a county attorney the candidate chosen must not have any public or private admonition by the State Bar for the last 36 months. With Mr. Thompson having at least 1 such admonition and no longer in the running for county attorney it cleared the way for a majority vote (not unanimous) to offer employment to an attorney that has no allegiances to any one board member nor any citizen but just a well-respected and highly recommended attorney. We just hope this attorney still wants to work for us. This also cleared the way for the County employees to receive their long overdue and promised second part of a bonus.
The State Bar of Virginia really needs to look into how attorney Thompson conducted himself last night and I would bet he would not be able to negotiate his way out of that.
The Board is currently in violation of the Sate Code of Virginia section 15.2-802 which states that the board shall elect a vice-chair at the first meeting. Let’s hope they can clear up this violation at the next regularly scheduled BOS meeting on the 19th.
There was also a vote which passed to pay a portion of a bill for services rendered to the county by a local attorney. But STILL there is an impasse to pay the entire bill not only to this attorney but 2 others who also provided services. And what is with Chairman Rufus Tyler stating that Mr. Fly proceeded ILLEGALLY with securing their service BUT if he (Fly) apologized it would a forgiven and he (Tyler) would vote for full payment. Well I guess then it would not be illegal since I am sure MR. Tyler would not want to enter into anything illegal by being part of paying for this "so-called" illegal action. Maybe we all should not pay our county taxes and when confronted with the threatened action we could go down and apologize and all will be forgiven.
More proof that the county is not "running on all 8" as the saying goes, is the fact that our County Administrator, Mr. Harris had to ask the board to “allow” him to do what it was he was hired to do or at least what he was told he was hired to do. He also asked for a copy of his job description and contract and asked that the board be guided by that original contract. Neither document it seems is available however there is available a contract that the Deputy County Administrator was allowed to pen for the most part himself in which he is given duties and responsibilities in direct conflict to what is required of a county administrator by code. Chairman Tyler acknowledged that there is unrest and discord in the County Administrators office and seemed to be at a loss as to how to remedy this. At one point in the debate between County Administrator Harris and Chairman Tyler, Tyler told Harris I know, I know, I had training in that. Well do we need a Chairman “in training” or do we need leadership with the ABILITY to do the job?
Please KEEP your interest up in how this county is being run and then and only then will we see real change and improvement in OUR COUNTY.
Fred X Turck and Debbie C. Turck
Fred and Debbie Turck
Blackwater District
PLEASE citizens of Sussex County stay united in our attempt to get our governing body to act professionally and GET ON WITH THEIR JOB we hired them to do. I will always attempt to provide those who could not attend the meetings “information” so they along with all of us can be better informed as to how our tax dollars are being spent.
