The Henderson City Council voted 6-2 Monday to limit the time Mayor Melissa Elliott can spend at City Hall to no more than two hours twice a week until it can review information contained in recent employee surveys.
It was one of two items added to Monday’s agenda at the request of Council Member Lamont Noel. The other item concerned removing Michael Venable as mayor pro tem and reinstating Garry Daeke.
Daeke, Noel and Council Member Sara Coffey were not present when Venable was voted in as pro tem back in February. The action violates the rule that all members be present to vote on agenda additions.
Coffey made the motion, which Venable seconded. The motion passed 7-1, with Council Member Geraldine Champion voting no.
Coming on the heels of the mayor pro tem vote was Noel’s recommendation to restrict – temporarily – the amount of time that the mayor can spend at City Hall.
Noel told WIZS News Monday night that the move was made “to offer relief based on the complaints that we have received in the employee surveys. The findings were rather alarming,” he said, without going into any details.
Noel continued by saying the Council needs to carefully review and consider the information in the employee surveys to determine next steps. In the meantime, Elliott was to turn in her key fob and limit her time to no more than two hours a day, twice a week at City Hall.
Council Member Sam Seifert made a motion to accept Noel’s recommendation. Council Member Daeke seconded the motion and it passed 6-2. Voting no were Council members Champion and Venable.
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