By Jim Bloch
Port Huron City Manager James Freed accused Mayor Anita Ashford of insulting a city staff member during a city council meeting and then packed up his laptop and files and exited the meeting before it had been officially adjourned.
The staff member was City Clerk Cyndee Jonseck. The incident occurred at the regular meeting of the city council Feb. 10.
A review of the recording of meeting suggests that Ashford did not insult Jonseck. Freed appeared to be the one leveling an insult to the mayor. Then, following Freed’s accusation, Ashford said she did not trust the city manager.
Asked to comment on his early exit, Freed said via email Feb. 17: “Falsely alleging the clerk made a typo, or didn’t follow instructions via a nonexistent email is insulting. Also telling staff you don’t trust them during a live public meeting is very insulting.”
The situation began after the council voted unanimously to approve the consent agenda, which included two appointments to the Brownfield Redevelopment Board and two reappointments to the Downtown Development Authority; the DDA resolution #25-021 began “Confirming the Mayor’s reappointment…”
Ironically, the consent agenda is supposed to include noncontroversial items about which discussion is not needed.
After the vote, Ashford asked to remove an item from the consent agenda.
“We can’t do that,” said Freed. “The vote’s happened. It’s already done.”
“There is something I’d like to take off of there,” said Ashford. “Where’s the charter?”
“It would be in the rules of procedure,” said Freed. “The vote has been completed.”
According to Robert’s Rules of Order, a vote by the city council is not necessarily set in stone. The council could have reconsidered the motion, amended it or rescinded it.
“I just want to make sure,” said Ashford.
“The Mayor never called for a vote of reconsideration, but instead looked to the Charter so she could ‘make an exception’,” Freed said in his Feb. 17 email. “The mayor does not have that authority. Per the rules of procedure, the Council would need to make a motion
of reconsideration, which would require four yes votes. The mayor never asked for a vote of reconsideration. She has been on Council for I believe almost 30 years. She should know the rules by now.”
There was confusion about the dates of the terms Ashford thought she had submitted to the clerk for the appointments of Jim Soto and Jacob Orr to the brownfield board, both of whom were filling partial terms created by vacancies; after some off-mic discussion, Ashford and Jonseck appeared to clear up the misunderstanding.
Then Ashford said she had never seen the reappointments to the DDA.
“I don’t have any idea where that came from,” said Ashford. “How can we vote on something I didn’t have any knowledge of?”
“That information came from the DDA directly,” said Jonseck.
“So, the DDA spoke for me?” asked Ashford.
“Usually, when it comes to reappointments, that department reaches out (to me),” said Jonseck.
“They’re telling us they’d like to continue,” said Ashford.
“Correct,” said Jonseck.
“But wouldn’t you think they’d talk to the mayor?” asked the mayor. “How can they appoint themselves?”
“Usually, they just submit it to me,” said Jonseck.
“Oh, okay,” said Ashford.
It was the seventh regular meeting of the city council that Ashford had presided over since her election Nov. 5.
Freed and – at the end of the meeting – council member Jeff Pemberton implied that Ashford had not read the agenda or the meeting packet.
“There’s a reason we send out the agenda the Thursday before (the council meeting) so it can be reviewed,” said Freed at the meeting. “Historically, a reappointment automatically goes up for renewal unless you say otherwise. The agenda’s been out since Thursday. We haven’t heard a thing about it.”
“You wouldn’t have heard anything, because if I trusted you — in such a manner,” said Ashford. “I promised the public I’d be transparent and that’s what I’m doing. I’m being transparent.”
“I just want to point out for the public’s perception,” said Freed. “Cyndee did everything she was supposed to do, properly and correctly. The agenda’s been put out since Thursday. If a mistake was made, it was not made by staff. In my 17 years, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more disrespectful comment made to city staff and I don’t appreciate it.”
Several residents over the past five years have said far worse about Freed himself, the former police chief, various police officers and the city attorney during the public comment portion of the meetings.
“But Cyndee did her job right and properly,” Freed said. “There’s a reason that the agenda is out days in advance.”
Ashford said that Jonseck knew that she meant no personal harm by questioning the resolutions.
The mayor had hardly finished speaking before Freed stood up and left the meeting.
Jim Bloch is a freelance writer based in St. Clair, Michigan. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com.
1 comment
I feel Freed was rude and he needs to apologize to the Mayor. It’s seems like he has a problem with the Mayor he over step his position and his tone was out of line .