Pine Lawn Board of Aldermen meets days after cancellation
PINE LAWN, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Days after Mayor Terry Epps cancelled Monday’s Board of Aldermen meeting, city leaders returned to meet Thursday.
Epps told First Alert 4 the reasoning for his decision.
“I got some concerns and calls from city staff saying they felt unsafe, they heard rumors of a protest,” he said. “I’m sure you guys have seen the protests going on in California and all these other places, they turn violent and, that being said, I have to take that into consideration when the employees said they don’t feel safe.”
Just a handful of residents and aldermen ended up at city hall Monday expressing concerns about the state of the city and they mayor’s leadership concerns they touched on Thursday.
“We’re listening to the residents,” said Ward 2 Alderwoman Regina Gathright. “They’re tired they want you gone, we are tired of the way the city is looking.”
Mayor Epps said those concerns aren’t a fair representation of Pine Lawn.
“If the people wanted change, they had the opportunity to vote for change, and obviously they voted for who they wanted,” he said. “That’s why I’m still the city mayor.”
First Alert 4 has covered many incidents regarding meetings in Pine Lawn over the past several months.
Last September, residents called for the city to end its contract with the North County Police Cooperative and for Epps to resign.
A month later, two police officers were injured when they were charged at during a board of aldermen meeting.
“We have too many residents that do care about the city,” said Gathright. “They just don’t want to come to the board meetings anymore because nothing is being done.”
While there are different ideas about how to make Pine Lawn thrive, leaders want residents to know they want the city to succeed.
“We’re trying to make the best decisions for this community as elected officials, that’s our job,” Epps said.
No action was taken on Pine Lawn’s budget. A hearing for that is scheduled for June 26.
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