During the Marshall City Council meeting on December 27, Mayor Julie Schwetz recommended the appointment of former council member Chuck Hines to succeed Wick Jacobi on the Municipal Utilities’ Board of Public Works.
An overflowing audience was in attendance and more than 10 persons- including a couple of current BPW members- spoke about the impending appointment, many urging the council to not approve the appointment of Hines and reappoint Jacobi to another term during the council meeting on Monday, January 3.
Mayor Schwetz addressed the audience and read a letter that she drafted. In part, she said:
Ward 1 Councilman Leon Thompson addressed the situation, supporting the appointment of Hines. He explained the vote is not for the removal of Jacobi because his term expired on December 31. Thompson also said it is not a personal attack on Jacobi.
In the end, the council voted 6-2 to approve the appointment of Hines. Ward 1 Councilmen Dewey Hendrix and Thompson, Ward 2 Councilmen Kirk Arends and Robert Ashford and Ward 3 Councilmen Charlie Guthrey and Dan Brandt all voted to approve; while Ward 4 Councilpersons Craig Thompson and Phesa Wright voted no.
Hines’ is now on the board for four years.
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TO HEAR WARD 1 COUNCILMAN LEON THOMPSON’S COMPLETE COMMENT CLICK ON THE AUDIO LINK BELOW