Photo: Carroll labor attorney, Michael Galloway, provides options to Carroll City Council members after Chief, Brad Burke, rescinds authorization for closed session
The Carroll City Council chamber was full Monday night for what was scheduled as a closed session. The room was crowded with supporters of Carroll Police Chief, Brad Burke, who says he had agreed to the closed session, but under false pretenses.
The city’s labor attorney, Michael Galloway with Ahlers & Cooney of Des Moines, instructed council members they had a couple of options at this point. They could cancel the meeting and have no discussion or they could hold their meeting in an open session. Council member, Carolyn Siemann, read the part of the code they were to consider in that closed session.
Siemann says these are powerful words and she is fully in support of complying with Chief Burke’s wishes. Council members knew of the subject matter of the meeting, but were reportedly not briefed on the details of the issue prior to the closed session in the same way as a general meeting. Galloway says the closed meeting was not to discuss disciplinary action or termination, but performance-related issues so the council, as direct supervisors, could understand recommendations coming forward. Siemann pointed out that Carroll City Manager, Mike Pogge-Weaver, has “active control” of several of the city departments, including the police department, and she asked for clarification on how the context of this meeting was presented to Burke.
Members of the gallery were also seeking answers on the reason for the meeting and to express concerns over the way this situation has played out. And though council members professed little knowledge of what was expected to transpire, former council member, Brandon Vonnahme, says he was hearing out in the community that Burke’s job was in jeopardy and that he was up for termination. Vonnahme has family ties and had a personal conversation with Burke over the weekend. He came on Monday because after reaching out to several council members, the way this was handled just didn’t seem right.
Former Chief, Jeff Cayler, also had his say during the meeting. He told council members that never once during his tenure was he evaluated before the council.
He added that as a citizen and former police chief, he is embarrassed. This is not the way we treat employees in Carroll, we never have and never should. A motion was made, seconded and approved to cancel the meeting with no other comment by council members or Mayor, Eric Jensen. Full audio from Monday night can be found below.
Carroll Council chamber was filled
with supporters of Chief, Brad Burke,
Monday night
