The Town of Gore’s regular monthly meeting held on February 20 took an unexpected turn with the resignation of the town’s top law enforcement official, police chief Jeremy Walters.
Town Clerk Lisa Settlemyre read Walters’ resignation letter, leaving the community seeking answers concerning his departure.
During the public speaking segment, resident Ron Stokes expressed concerns about police presence, taxpayer money, and alleged improprieties surrounding the cancellation of a contract with Solomon Miller.
Stokes said he believed the trustees took a simple issue and “blew it way out of proportion.”
“This isn’t just about Gideon Miller’s (former Ward 5 trustee) residence anymore, we’re going to be looking into a lot of things,” Stokes said. “Solomon’s contract was cancelled, according to him, because he wasn’t doing the monthly maintenance. But why did one of you guys say you didn’t want him having access to the town’s emails? Concerns over city employees earning extra money? We are looking into that.”
According to meeting minutes, Stokes also raised questions about the mayor and her husband’s voting eligibility in the last election.
All trustees voted to accept the January 16 regular meeting and Feb. 6 special meeting minutes with the exception of Randy Foley, the new Ward 5 Trustee.
The meeting then moved into executive session, focusing on the employment, appointment, promotion, discipline, or resignation of various town positions, including the town’s building inspector. Others listed included Tracy Christenberry, Townsil Lane, Travis Dickerson, Shawn Fullen and Kandace Jennings.
One of the most notable discussions revolved around the appointment of a new building inspector. Solomon Miller, during the public speaking segment, questioned the need for a new inspector when there was already one in place. He also raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest if the current inspector, who is also a police officer, continued in the role.
Despite the controversy, the trustees voted to hire Townsil Lane as the new building inspector at a rate of pay of $400 per month.
Other actions included the appointment of Tracy Christenberry as police chief at $21 per hour, Townsil Lane also as assistant police chief at $18.45 per hour, and the hiring of Travis Dickerson and Shawn Fullen as police officers at $15 per hour.
Kandace Jennings was also appointed as the new camp host at Gore Landing. The trustees also voted in favor of a DEQ Permit and installing a holding tank at Gore Landing for the camp host site.
The trustees also gave the green light on the endorsement of the 2024 Events Calendar, and the allocation of $500 to support the upcoming Easter egg hunt on March 30.
In the Town Clerk’s report, Settlemyre announced the receipt of flashlights and trauma kits awarded in a grant, while the police chief ’s report highlighted 13 citations and five warnings issued in January, with more than $1,000 collected in citation fees. The fire chief reported 10 calls since the last meeting, emphasizing collaboration with the county for EMS training.
D uring the public works authority meeting, administrator Jeremy Lane reported a 25 percent water loss, stating “he would like to have it around 15 percent.” Lane also said that the water line at Haven Heights was almost complete.
This news story is based on the unofficial minutes from the board meeting and could be in error if the minutes are changed prior to adoption.
