Ann Schneider and Councilman Doug Nodine. The council then voted 4-1 favoring McClellan’s motion, with Kinneman voting no. Pittman voted yes after being assured that remote meetings are an option under the plan. “This is a pernicious virus, for sure, but it’s not impossible for us to meet in person,” Schneider said. She pointed out that town staff had installed acrylic dividers separating council members and staff in the council chambers in Town Hall. People who attend the meetings are seated apart from one another, and they wear masks when they’re not speaking, the mayor noted.
“I believe we are more effective as a council when we meet in person,” she said. “These meetings are essential to continuity of government.”
Fight erupts in Summerfield over redacted legal bills by CHRIS BURRITT SUMMERFIELD – Summerfield Town Council member Teresa Pegram said she objects to Town Attorney Bob Hornik’s decision to redact from his invoices the names of people he talks to about the town’s litigation. Hornik said council members are entitled to see the same information as the public. That doesn’t include materials that the lawyer said he considers privileged. The dispute during the council’s meeting last Tuesday, Jan. 12, prompted Councilman Reece Walker to tell Pegram he doesn’t trust her with privileged information about the town. “I don’t trust y’all,” she replied. “Ya’ll withhold so much information from me.” Banging his gavel, Mayor BJ Barnes brought an end to the clash without resolving Pegram’s complaint. “This is over,” Barnes said. Pegram offered a motion requiring that all of the town’s legal bills be left
un-redacted, but no other council member seconded her motion. Walker told Pegram he’d support her motion as long as she was willing to allow information to be redacted from legal bills concerning active litigation. That includes a lawsuit by former mayor Gail Dunham and a second suit by residents Don Wendelken and Dwayne Crawford. Pegram said she wouldn’t agree to Walker’s condition. Hornik said he based his position on redacting privileged information on his understanding of state law related to public records requests. “If my bill says I had a specific conversation with a specific person about a specific topic, I might redact that,” said Hornik, explaining that Dee Hall, the town’s finance officer, removes information at his request. As an elected council member, Pegram said, “I watch the taxpayers’ money that is being spent. How as a
council member can I do my job if the finance person and you are redacting information from legal bills?” Hornik explained that “even redacted bills show all the time we’ve spent and every cent that was charged.” “But why are we being charged?” Pegram said. “That’s what I can’t see.” Town Manager Scott Whitaker also sees the lawyer’s un-redacted invoices, as do Barnes, Mayor Pro Tem Tim Sessoms and council member Lynne Williams DeVaney as part of their duties to review legal bills and write checks to Hornik’s firm. “Why can’t I be privy to it?” Pegram said. “You’re privy to it.” Barnes said he doesn’t scrutinize the invoices, but instead trusts town staff to make sure that Summerfield is charged fairly. Whitaker said he looks at bills closely as part of his job. “We’re in different roles,” he told Pegram.
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