Nightmare Council #2

It began with councilman Parker Raphael stomping out of the meeting room because he didn't want to listen to a citizen speak on several issues that have the whole town wondering. His behavior was inexcusable and childish.

After the "Citizen's Free Speech" section of the agenda was over, and Councilman Raphael came in from the cold, the meeting began with a visit to Old Business. This time the bone of contention was the acceptance of the state's grant of $100,000 to be given with no strings attached to our Parks and Recreation commission. It seems half the council was 'looking the gift horse in the mouth" and checking for cavities.

At September's meeting, the grant was passed by a 4/3 vote, with the Mayor Pate breaking the tie. However, October's meeting became a "shade of the past" when councilman Lany Balance tried to throw a monkey wrench into the proceedings by calling for more discussion and a new vote on the grant. Balance would not listen to reason and dragged out her much thumbed copy of Robert's Rules in order to contradict Pate and three other councilmen.

Finally, it was determined by the City Attorney plus Pate and the other councilmen that a passing vote had taken place last month, and much to Balance's disappointment, Parks and Recreation got its' grant.

In watching the fiasco at the start of our council meeting, I wonder why the constituents of these council members haven't demanded their resignations. The three members in question are: Lany Balance, Dean Kirkpatrick and Parker Raphael. These councilmen are supposed to represent the people of Eureka Springs, but they seem to care only about their own whims and desires. These people would choose to throw away gift money from the state rather than appear to be doing parks any favors, and all because of spite and disagreements with its commissioners.

Really kids, play nice or go home and let someone else take your position, someone who really cares about our town.