Two Stevensville Town Council members, Jaime Devlin and Dempsey Vick, tried to compel the other two council members, Bob Michalson and Robin Holcomb, to attend last week’s town council meeting but to no avail. The meeting was subsequently adjourned due to lack of a quorum.
Under old business on the agenda was a discussion and decision concerning the IT services agreement with First Call Computer that is at the basis of the recall effort as well as a discussion/decision concerning Code of Conduct violations, oath of office violations and improper influence “all conducted by Robert Michalson.”
Neither Michalson nor Holcomb showed up at the meeting. Holcomb had given short notice that she would not be attending but gave no reason. Michalson gave no notice. When the meeting was called to order and the roll call was taken, Mayor Dewey announced that there was no quorum and asked how the council wanted to proceed. Councilor Devlin moved to compel the missing council members to attend and the Chief of Police was sent to give them notice.
After a short wait the meeting was adjourned.
Chief James Marble said that he did go to residences of each council member to deliver the message but neither agreed to attend. Holcomb informed the town that she would not be attending due to illness earlier in the day. Michalson gave no notice but has since told a television reporter that his absence was due to illness. The meeting was adjourned due to lack of a quorum.
According to Mayor Dewey, a meeting with all the same agenda items, including the 2020-21 budget, was scheduled for Tuesday, July 14.
Council member Dempsey Vick has called for an investigation of Michalson’s refusal to attend the meeting to determine if it constitutes “open neglect or refusal to discharge duties.”
He quotes state law [MCA 7-4-4111(6)] which states: Determination of vacancy in municipal office. An office becomes vacant on the happening of any of the following events before the expiration of the term of the incumbent: … (6) the incumbent’s open neglect or refusal to discharge duties.
“Bullying, misogyny, hate, unwanted hazing, etc. will no longer be tolerated by myself, especially in respect to our beloved town,” wrote Vick.
Council member Devlin said she fully supported Vick’s call for an investigation. She said that Holcomb’s message was too late to meet the notice requirement and is unexcused and that Michalson gave no notice at all.
“We wasted a lot of people’s time a lot of resources. It was completely unprofessional and uncalled for,” said Devlin. “Council members have a duty to the public they were elected to serve.” She said that the Town Attorney was looking into the law concerning the issue.
Devlin said that she was very disappointed in some of the town’s people.
“I’m very disappointed that my house was vandalized. It makes me pretty restless,” said Devlin. She said that another woman who has been supporting Mayor Dewey in the recall also had her house vandalized over the weekend.
“That’s unacceptable behavior,” said Devlin. “It’s not who we are as a town. All of these poor choices and bad behaviors have to stop.”
In a press conference in front of town hall on Friday, Mayor Dewey stated, “We are all aware of yesterday’s Town Council meeting where Council member Bob Michalson failed to execute the duties of his office by protesting the meeting… As far as I am concerned Mr. Michalson’s actions do not represent the values of this organization or what our community stands for. I may have failed as the leader you elected to defend those values and for that I apologize. However, the values of the town that our community stands for are not set by me. You get to determine the factors. They are established in daily interaction, with how we treat our neighbors.”
He said that the Stevensville community was not a divided community. He said a radical minority, 2% of the people, does not constitute a divided community.
“The hatred, negativity, and destruction these people express and inflict on others is reprehensible,” said Dewey. He made a plea for respectful behavior.
Jim Crews says
You have to watch those radical minorities. A bunch of them signed the Declaration of Independence and started a fight to kick the King of England out of our lives.
Camy Stiner says
I would just like to say that our mayor and the people working for this great little town are impressive.
Their dedication is noted.
If they can manage to keep our town afloat despite the adverse , destructive individuals and the covid pandemic – imagine what they could do with more advantageous conditions. I hope they hang in there. The hateful rants and unacceptable (illegal) antics will cease eventually. One way or another.
Jim Crews says
There are no council rules to compel a member to come to a meeting. They were part of the unfinished business I left when I left office, that Dewey never has taken the time to work with council to get done.
The mayor and two council members appear to have held an illegal council meeting and conducted business without a quorum. It takes 3 members of the council to make a quorum. The mayor does not have a vote and does not count as a member of the council because Stevensville has a weak Mayoral System contrary to what Mayor Dewey believes.
And the Mayor may have violated the constitutional rights of a Citizen when he told her she was not allowed to attend the council meeting.
Who does this guy think he is?
Vick claims that Michalson refused to discharge his duties. so I ask Vick, what about you missing 4 budget meetings?
And Devlin has been absent of occasion as well.
There are no rules about how a member of the council notifies the Presiding Officer of their plan to not attend a meeting. The only requirement is to get permission if you are going to absent for 10 or more days without council consent. Not the Mayor.