Bland aldermen vote to dissolve park board, appoint new members

By Roxie Murphy, Staff Writer
Posted 8/10/22

BLAND — Bland aldermen on Monday night were confronted with former park board president Leslie Cronin after she learned that they had dissolved the previous panel following the July …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Bland aldermen vote to dissolve park board, appoint new members

Posted

BLAND — Bland aldermen on Monday night were confronted with former park board president Leslie Cronin after she learned that they had dissolved the previous panel following the July meeting.

“It gets worse and worse because you guys don’t help,” Cronin said, slapping her hands for emphasis. “You guys don’t give a crap about helping us to make sure that we’re successful. All you want to do is make ya’lls look better and make us look like crap.”

Cronin addressed Alderman Diana Mayfield directly.

“I’m gonna tell ya too that next time you call the cops on my kid for being a kid outside —,” Cronin laughed. “Explain to me, as an adult, you’re really gonna call the police on an 11-year-old kid for riding his minibike outside? You couldn’t have came to me and said sommin (SIC)? You know, I wasn’t feelin’ good that day so I — I actually had him ride up and get me a soda. That’s the only time he’s ever been —.”

Mayor Kenny Sullinger tapped his gavel on the table and told Cronin calmly that she was out of order.

“She’s ridiculous,” Cronin said, referring to Mayfield. “You guys are all (expletive deleted) fools if you think this (expletive deleted) up here is going to help this city. You guys are a (expletive deleted) mess.”

Board members began to interrupt and tell Cronin she was out of line.

Cronin began to walk towards the door and caught sight of two former park board members who were not officers.

“And you guys have the nerve to say we aren’t at your meeting?” she began. “These two are here every meeting.”

Cronin was referring to June and Joe Ridener. However, the couple did not back her.

“How many times did we text you about the stuff that wasn’t done?” June Ridener asked.

Cronin claims they have never texted her and June Ridener called “Balogna.” Cronin said they were “psycho and a joke.”

Cronin left the meeting.

The board came back to the park board line item to discuss appointing a new board.

“I have Lee Medlock, Sheila Hayes, Joe and June Ridener, Bill and April Taylor,” Sullinger said.

A citizen at the meeting asked about the offices the individuals will hold.

“There are no positions, they are just appointing a board,” Alderman Mathew Dittman explained.

Mayfield added that once the board organizes they can decide who their officers will be. Sullinger will have to go to the first meeting until a board president is officially elected and takes over the meeting.

“Have all of these people been notified that they have been chosen,” Alderman Merrilee Spurgeon asked.

Sullinger said everyone approved it. 

New board members who were present said they have ideas they would like to share about events and ways to raise funds for the park.

“You just have to remember, because we have a couple of husband and wife teams, that only one of you can serve on the executive board — the officers,” Mayfield said. “So keep that in mind when you come together for election.”

Mayfield explained that it is nepotism and that they need to be careful when they are voting to avoid it.

“If you ever have questions,” she nodded to the board.

Tony Kottwitz added that he is willing to help on the park board so they added his name.

“I make a motion to approve the nominees for the park board,” Mayfield said.

The motion was seconded and approved with a 4-0 vote. 

The new park board appointees will meet at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at Bland City Park.

City Clerk Diane Decker said she would post the meeting for the park board.

Aldermen made the decision to dissolve the park board after the July 11 meeting when minutes from their meeting were not turned in and hadn’t been turned in since February according to the board’s estimation. Additionally, funds from the 4th of July fireworks celebration that took place on June 25 still had not been deposited into the park board’s bank account.

“Six checks have been written without any receipts and there was a $500 cash withdrawal on June 25 with no explanation,” Mayfield had shared previously.

Additionally, Mayfield again shared complaints about the sanitary conditions of the restrooms at the park, that they are being left open at night.

“The park board has also not given the city a resolution for the amphitheater,” Mayfield said. “New bids will need to be obtained for the construction since the rates on supplies have increased.”

Mayfield shared that if the city were to be audited, it would receive bad marks for not being able to reconcile the park board’s funds.