Council holds illegal executive session

PRESCOTT – October’s meeting of the Prescott City Council ended with an illegal executive session being held Monday night.

As the meeting was winding down, Councilman Susie Meeks called for the executive session, reportedly to talk about an employee. However, once the meeting was back in session, it was brought up the panel was discussing Colby Tillman, the former detective of the Prescott Police Department, who is the current chief of the Prescott School District’s Police Department and not a city employee.

As soon as Tillman’s name was mentioned, the executive session should have been stopped with the regular meeting called back to order. This, though, didn’t happen as the council discussed the issue for several minutes, getting loud at times.

When the regular session was called to order, City Attorney Glenn Vasser was asked about Tillman’s jurisdictional authority, and if he made an arrest, could the person arrested be taken to the Nevada County Jail to be locked up. It was also asked if the school had an interlocal agreement with the city about this.

Vasser said the interlocal agreement was a money thing as the district was using a member of the PPD, who had to be compensated and there were no issues of jurisdicition.

Councilman Jerry Hightower asked if the school’s police can request city or county assistance. Vasser said it could.

Vasser continued saying he was surprised the district didn’t want an officer at the school, and knew the district and city doesn’t have an interlocal agreement.

Councilman Ivory Curry voiced concern about the boundaries for everyone involved.

Aside from this, the meeting was mundane.

The panel approved changes made to a lease agreement concerning a section of the Potlatch property and NoWay Pulpwood. The changes were requiring 120 days notice if a firm offer for the sale of the property occurred, and the gate being locked when no employees were present.

Mary Godwin, executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office, said the deal was literally finished earlier in the day and there wasn’t time to give the council advance notice. This after the question was raised as to why the council wasn’t informed about the agreement ahead of time.

The council also approved amending the clean up ordinance, reducing the time residents will be given to clean up their property from 20 days to 14 days. Letters will first be sent notifying property owners to clean their property, letting them know failure to do so can result in fines of $100 a day until the land is cleaned up.

Hightower suggested new residents getting their meters installed be given copies of the ordinance when they pay their deposit as there are people who aren’t familiar with this law. He also questioned how the ordinance would deal with out-of-state owners.

Vasser said for those who live elsewhere or can’t be found, an affidavit will be filed, with the city cleaning the property and putting a lien on it. If it remains unpaid, the city will foreclose on the land. This was approved 7-1.

Prescott Mayor Terry Oliver appointed a committee consisting of Bruce Bean, himself, Satarra Williams, Hightower and Curry to look into the electric situation and see which way the city needs to go.

Councilman Howard Austin complained about how the American Rescue Program Act funds were to be used as Prescott, he said, is only getting $200,000, which isn’t enough to do much with.

Oliver said the amount the city received could be spent strictly on water and sewer to make needed repairs. He pointed out these are federal funds sent to the state with the state dividing the money based on population size in cities and counties.

City Accountant Carl Dalrymple said the city’s portion is $308,000 which has been placed in an account until the council decides how it is to be spent.