Thomas: Meeting was staged
BY ALYSSA MEIER
Editor
A special meeting held last week by the Washburn City Commission was a “choreographed ambush” aimed at tarnishing his name, City Commission President Larry Thomas said Monday.
A special Washburn City Commission meeting was called by commissioners Keith Jacobson and Reese Boehm last week in order to address a new security system and the 2016 audit. During the meeting, which took place Sept. 27 at 5 p.m., the commission discussed harassment allegations that expedited the need for security cameras in city hall.
“All three of us are nervous to be in this building alone because of actions from the President of the Commission,” City Auditor Joan Zimmerman said in an email sent to commissioners Boehm, Jacobson and Noelle Kroll. The email was read aloud at the meeting by Boehm, who also presented quotes from security system installation companies.
During the meeting, Thomas questioned why neither he nor commissioner Kit Baumann were sent the email. Jacobson said after the meeting that the email was sent to human resources representatives, as well as Boehm, who holds the city’s buildings and grounds portfolio. Jacobson said, in this situation, sending the email to Thomas would have been inappropriate.
