A SPECIAL MEETING was held March 31, 2015 for the Loyalton City Council at Loyalton City Hall. Discussion and possible action regarding appointment of a Mayor was discussed. Current Mayor Brooks Mitchell stated his term would be over January 2016. Councilmember Mark Marin said some County officials indicated the City would get in their good graces if the Mayor was changed. Council member Pat Whitley stated January 2014 should have been Mitchell’s last year as Mayor and in January 2015 a new mayor should have been appointed. Mitchell said the Council chose to make him Mayor not Whitley and it bugged him that they wanted to make a change because county supervisors don’t want to work with him. Mitchell was worried about changing the Mayor with the City going to trial on May 5th and stated he’d signed seven depositions that morning. From the audience, Dave Bowling stated he follows things that go on with the City pretty well and said it was sad to see this turmoil going on. He added that good things were happening with the City but not when the Council is contentious. Whitley said people don’t elect the mayor, the council does. Bowling added the way the Mayor’s term is interpreted is very difficult. Another audience member, Burt Whittaker said to run it by the City’s attorney to have the policy looked at. Phyllis Mitchell spoke in favor of Mitchell stating that Mitchell does not bring up county business and does not talk about council members. She said Mitchell has integrity and character and what he is doing is not for his own glory. She added as a business Phyllis and husband Chet worked with Mitchell and stated he has honesty. Phyllis quoted a scripture in the Bible stating if you bite and snap at one another, you’ll devour one another. Whitley stood by the way she read the policy. Another audience member in attendance, Marilyn Whittaker, said she’d been here a long time and added that under Mitchell’s leadership he brought the City back to the black. She stated under his leadership it’s been for the city. Councilmember Marin stated the City should not have even been involved with cleaning up the hotel and said the City gave orders to clean it up. Mitchell asked Marin if he even read the report, adding the only thing the City did was pay Folchi to push the walls in. Whitley said the hotel was hurting the City immensely in the pocket book. Whittaker said the City has suffered because of the County, adding the City was better off without the County frankly and the City is moving along much better. Marin said the City has to work with the County and need to get along. Councilmember Ernie Teague said he’s made decisions he’s sorry for and does not like the many things that have been done. He finds it frustrating that too often the votes are 2-3. Teague said it splits the council and he doesn’t like it. Bowling told Teague part of legal procedure and that’s how it works. He said the point is when the vote is cast and final you move on. Bowling wanted to reiterate the positive things the council has done. Whitley said the City is trying to represent the citizens of Loyalton. She stated the main thing is to keep the City safe and keep the City monetarily with their head above water so they can swim. Mitchell’s brother Chet Mitchell said it saddens him there is so much backbiting going on from the City Council. He stated the Good Book says if a house is divided it will never stand, adding the City won’t agree on everything. Councilmember Marin made motion to appoint Pat Whitley as Mayor. The motion passed with Mitchell and Councilmember Betty Ferguson abstaining. Ferguson wanted to step down as vice mayor right then and stated she heard council members talking that since she is moving she can’t be on the council and she has a letter from the Attorney General for health reasons. Motion and discussion will be taken for Vice Mayor at the next meeting. Phyllis Mitchell said she’s heard the Council wants to shut down the project at the old middle school and wanted to know if that’s true. The Council said that wouldn’t happen.