UPDATE: MWA Chairman calls for investigation of board
Board members allegedly met to discuss employees
UPDATE:
Just as Thursday’s special called meeting of the Macon Water Authority was getting underway Chairman Sam Hart addressed the board with a major concern.
The Chairman made it known that he was told by a board member that four members of the board have been meeting privately together as well as allegdly meeting with employees and deciding privately on the employment status of those employees which is possibly a violation of the open meetings act as well as a violation of the board’s bylaws.
“So I want us to stay within our bylaws in terms of discussions we have with workers and other people that work there. When we go outside of that and start talking to employees and use what employees give back to us to influence the hiring and firing of them then that’s beyond the scope of what our bylaws permit.” -Sam Hart/MWA Chairman
Chairman Hart said that because the board cannot self investigate, he will be contacting the District Attorney.
The board also voted to to accept the resignation and sign the separation agreement with former executive director Joey Leverette, who resigned after less than a year.
The board also voted to nominate Ron Shipman as a candidate for interim executive director.
When it came time to take the vote for interim executive director Chairman Hart said that he was a little hesitant.
“I guess my concerns about the process of this particular appointment has nothing to do with the individual who’s being considered for appointment, it has more to do with the process that is we’re looking at trying to appoint somebody before we really open it up.” -Sam Hart/MWA Chairman
The nomination of Ron Shipman as interim executive director will come back before the board for final approval in two weeks.
We reached out to District Attorney Anita Howard’s office but as of the filing of this report we have not heard back.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Macon Water Authority Board Chairman is asking for an investigation of the board.
Prior a special-called meeting Thursday, Chairman Sam Hart addressed the board and said he’s gotten word that four members of the board may have been meeting privately in violation of the open meetings act to discuss personnel issues. Hart said that because the board cannot self investigate, he will be contacting the District Attorney’s office to investigate the board’s activities.
“Where the perception is that they’ve met and come with a set agenda before we meet, it means that it’s certainly legal to go out and talk to other board members about, you want their vote. Nothing wrong with that, but I guess I am concerned about when it has a negative impact on hiring and firing and those kinds of things,” Hart said.
Meanwhile the board voted to accept the resignation and sign the separation agreement with former executive director Joey Leverette who resigned after less than a year.
The board also voted to nominate Ron Shipman as a candidate for interim executive director. That vote will come back to the board for finalization in two weeks.
MWA recently announced the resignation of executive director and president Joey Leverette.
