BELLE — Belle Board of Aldermen met briefly for its monthly meeting on June 10, voting only to pay bills before adjourning due to health-related concerns.

Alderman Rebecca Withouse sent City Clerk Sherree Burkholder an email at 12:23 p.m on June 10 with an attached doctor’s note from the same afternoon confirming a positive Strep test. Withouse added a note that she was sick and unable to attend the evening’s board meeting due to illness.

Alderman Seth Klein said he notified Burkholder via email between 12:15 and 12:20 p.m. on June 10 that he could not attend due to matters requiring his immediate attention.

With two of the four aldermen indicating they would be absent, the board would not have had a quorum and would have been unable to proceed with official business. Withouse informed The Advocate at 2:44 p.m. that Mitchell had contacted both her and Klein, asking if either could attend remotely; both responded that they could not.

No notice of cancellation was posted at City Hall throughout the day. Several members of the public were in attendance when Mayor James (Pudd) Mitchell arrived at the Lonnie Feeler Memorial Building, along with Aldermen Jeanette Struemph and Steve Vogt, City Treasurer Charro Reasor, and Burkholder. City Attorney Todd T. Smith with Lauber Municipal Law was not present.

Klein arrived shortly after the meeting was scheduled to begin and took his seat, followed by Withouse moments later. With a quorum now present, the meeting was called to order.

Struemph made a motion to pay the city’s bills, which was seconded by Klein and passed unanimously.

Withouse then made a motion to reschedule the meeting. Klein seconded the motion, which passed with a 3-1 vote, Struemph against.

Klein subsequently moved to adjourn the meeting. Withouse seconded, and the motion was carried unanimously.

According to Burkholder, on Tuesday afternoon, the meeting had not been rescheduled before The Advocate’s deadline.

Withouse and Mitchell both made statements at the meeting, which will be covered in the full story in next week’s edition of The Advocate.