BELLE — The city of Belle has requested a 10-day extension from Jay Turner, the Attorney General’s director of Sunshine Law compliance, regarding the Maries County Sheriff’s allegations of Sunshine Law violations.

On Monday afternoon a source at Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s Office said the city has requested a 10-day extension, but that would leave the deadline on a Sunday, so the extension was approved through July 17, at the end of the business day.

Horstman confirmed that Turner’s own Sunshine Law request for all meeting notices, agendas, and minutes was submitted on June 19, the same day it was requested.

Mayor Daryl White, Jr. said on Tuesday afternoon that the extension was due to medical issues with the board and its associates.

“We have had some medical issues with board members and that’s why it was unable to be reviewed before the deadline,” White said. “We will have our response submitted to them by July 17.”

According to Turner’s original letter to City Clerk Frankie Horstman, recorder of record, officials had until July 6 to respond to Sunshine Law violation allegations made by Maries County Sheriff Chris Heitman. The Maries County Advocate requested a copy of the city’s response letter at the end of business on July 6, addressing it to both White and Horstman. Horstman replied the same afternoon.

“I have received your request,” Horstman wrote via email. “I did forward the email on to Daryl and asked him to contact you because I do not have any information to provide you.”

At the end of business on Monday, White still had not responded to the Thursday request for information. The Advocate made contact with Aldermen James (Pudd) Mitchell and Adam Padgett at Belle City Hall on Monday afternoon. Mitchell said he had not heard for sure and that White had passed the issue on to the city attorney. Padgett also said on Monday that he wasn’t sure where the city was on the issue.

On Tuesday afternoon, The Advocate reached out to White via telephone.

“I’ve prepared a response,” White said. “I was going to show it to a council member before we tuned something in. Our council meeting was canceled the other day (June 26 and rescheduled for June 28). Amanda (Grellner, city attorney) has gone over the response. We’re gonna turn it in. It’s not due until the 17 of July. “I’ve talked to Jay Turner at the Attorney General’s Office a couple of times in person. We have not put it off. We have not forgot about it. We have not took it lightly. It’s in our hands to respond to.”