April 20, 2023 |
Photo – Rawlins City Hall – Bigfoot99 file photo
Behind-the-scenes discord between factions of the Rawlins governing body spilled into public view Tuesday night. The trigger point came during discussion of whether a councilmember, who advocates for public ethics, should reimburse the city. The councilmember missing a scheduled training session on ethics and then billed the city for an additional night’s stay.
The discussion unfolded after council members returned from executive session. Mayor Terry Weickum asked if any council member considered anything that had been said during the closed-door session as improper. A few moments of silence followed. Mayor Weickum then singled out Councilman Darril Garner. The mayor explained what was discussed out of public view.
Over three days at the end of January, the Wyoming Association of Municipalities, or WAM, held a conference and training program for newly elected town council members. The training boot camp, held in Cheyenne, consisted of several classes on ethics, community planning, and budgeting.
Mayor Weickum accused Councilman Garner of missing a specific portion of the WAM conference. The mayor said the city paid an extra fee for Garner to attend the training boot camp. Councilman Garner said he was under the impression the entire event was one set price.
Mayor Weickum provided Councilman Garner with an invoice breaking down the cost associated with the WAM meetings.
The city paid $260 per council member to attend the sessions. Mayor Weickum suggested that Councilman Garner should reimburse the city for the price of the boot camp, since he missed that portion of the conference. Councilman Garner said the boot camp was included in the overall price of the conference. He acknowledged that a separate price for the training existed, but said it was only for people who didn’t pay for the entire event.
Councilman Garner said the total price of the conference included the training boot camp. Mayor Weickum said the city paid $150 for Vice Mayor Steve Sanger to attend only the training classes. However, the mayor said the city paid the full registration fee for Councilman Garner to attend both the conference and boot camp.
Councilman Garner said WAM did not provide a separate fee to only attend the conference. The training boot camp was part of a package deal. The councilman said it would have cost the city the same amount whether he went to the boot camp or not.
Mayor Weickum also accused Councilman Garner of charging an unauthorized day’s hotel stay to the city. The councilman said the poor weather caused the delay, adding that he should not be expected to reimburse the city because his delay was caused by an act of God.
The conversation then returned to the topic of Garner missing the training session. Councilman Garner attempted to turn the tables on the council. He pointed out that dinner was also included in the conference price. The councilman said many of his fellow council members did not attend the first evening’s meal.
Vice Mayor Sanger said the first night was a reception with only hors d’oeuvers being served. Councilman Garner then turned his attention to Mayor Weickum. He accused the mayor of willingly skipping parts of the conference to address personal matters. The councilman demanded the mayor be held to the same standard.
Councilman Garner appeared to become agitated by the discussion. He accused the council of personally attacking him. The councilman said he could have added additional expenses to the city’s tab but opted not to.
Vice Mayor Sanger said Councilman Garner has the right to charge meals to the city while on official business. Garner said he didn’t feel comfortable having the taxpayers pay for his food, knowing he was absent for a portion of the conference.
Councilman Garner asked Mayor Weickum if he would face repercussions for his actions. Before the mayor could respond, the councilman accused the mayor of being misinformed about the price of the training.
Following Councilman Garner’s comments, Mayor Weickum asked for a motion to adjourn the city council meeting. The council did not provide any further comments on the contentious matter.
