The meeting resumed quite late and went until a bit after 2:00 a.m.
Here is one eyewitness account of the "highlights" of the evening.
...council did not end until 2:15!!!!
They passed almost all of the resolutions.
The ordinance on the water department was a TOTAL fiasco. Councilman Bethea was so confused. Council President McBride claimed she didn't have enough information until Councilwoman Caldwell-Wilson reminded her that Sewer came in to talk to them several months ago and this ordinance was originally presented in February. Councilwoman McBride still claimed it wasn't enough.
Edmund {Johnson...of the Water Utility} got up there and freaked out on Councilman Bethea after trying to explain it over and over again. It was horrific.
Councilwoman McBride tried to vote to have the ordinance removed. Council members Phyllis Holly-Ward, George Muschal, Zachery Chester, and Marge Caldwell-Wilson denied it then they voted to pass the ordinance. That passed by the same four votes. Then like a magician Councilman Chester pulled out an already done resolution to make it effective immediately and it passed by the power of four. It was an amazing display of effective government. I was really proud of them.
Councilwomen Reynolds-Jackson and Holly-Ward got into a fight and they started cursing at each other. Muschal and McBride yelled at them. Then Caldwell-Wilson and McBride got into a fight. It was a hot ghetto mess.So there you have it, folks. Our city government in action.
They also did not pass the preliminary budget. Rousseau explained that it will affect the application for state aid. Councilman Chester reminded Rousseau that he had asked for information from the administration at the meeitng where the budget was introduced and Rousseau admitted that he didn't address those issues. They are going to have a special meeting before September 9 so it doesn't affect the transitional aid application.
