Carthage Council member walks out of special meeting

May 10—CARTHAGE, Mo. — Carthage City Council member Chris Taylor walked out of a special council meeting Friday after another council member sought a vote to forcibly remove City Administrator Greg Dagnan from the administrator's seat in council chambers.

Council member Tiffany Cossey maintains Dagnan was fired at the council's April 9 meeting. That was when five new members were sworn into office after the April 2 election, and another member resigned, leaving nine members who voted 7-2 to fire Dagnan.

Mayor Dan Rife refused to go along with the vote and City Attorney Nate Dally backed the mayor, saying the city charter requires the mayor to also agree to fire the city administrator.

Dally announced his resignation last month. His last day as city attorney was Friday, and he was not present at the special meeting.

The beginning of Friday's meeting became heated during the report and remarks when Cossey noted that Dagnan was still sitting in the city administrator's seat in the council chambers.

"I would like to make a note and also make a motion, Mr. Dagnan was fired and he is still sitting in the city administrator's seat," Cossey said. "I would like to make a motion that Mr. Dagnan be removed to the gallery with the general public since he is not a city employee."

Rife replied that no motions were to be made during the report and remarks of the council.

Cossey then made a motion to add to Friday's agenda six resolutions or ordinances that Dally had previously said violated the Carthage city charter, city ordinances or state law. Before the April 29 meeting, the city shared emails between Dally and Cossey and council member Alan Snow in which Dally explained how the proposals went against the city's code of ordinances, charter or state law.

Dally also suggested at that time the ways the items could be made to conform with the applicable laws, but Cossey replied with an email that she didn't believe he had the authority to refuse to post the items "as presented to you."

"We have reviewed your notes, and you are certainly welcome to voice your objections on Monday night as the city attorney," an email signed by Cossey and Snow said. "However, you do NOT have the legal authority to prevent these items from being posted on the agenda as written. If you will review the city procedures, while it is your role to make sure that everything is in the proper format, you have zero legal authority to prevent the items from being placed on the agenda."

Rife defended Dally's actions regarding these items, saying city code requires the city attorney to draft all ordinances that are brought before the council.

"He has to draft all ordinances," Rife said. "And he didn't. He's only going to draft what's legal."

Cossey, during the special meeting on Friday, appealed Rife's decision not to put the agenda items she requested up for a vote.

"He (Dally) refused once again to do his job, which means, Mr. Mayor, you are wrong," Cossey said. "He does not have the ability to prevent these things from coming onto the agenda. So at this point I'm assuming the mayor's ruling is he's not going to take a vote on that. I would like to appeal the ruling and vote that we place these things on the agenda today."

Snow seconded and the vote was 6-1, with Taylor voting no.

Rife countered, saying, "You do not have the authority to chair this meeting."

"Actually, the person who makes the appeal has the ability to take the vote, you don't have the ability to prevent it," Cossey said.

At that point, Taylor voiced his objection to the proceedings.

"And what you are doing according to my attorney is illegal," he said without naming that attorney. "I'm going to excuse myself because I will not be party to anything illegal, and you all can do what you want. Excuse me, Mr. Mayor, I'm sorry for the problem, but it's either I leave or I'm going to go to jail."

The meeting continued for another 40 minutes with more confrontations between Cossey and Rife and Dagnan.

Cossey again sought to remove Dagnan from his seat as city administrator, but the motion met with resistance from the remaining council members.

The second vote to have Dagnan removed to the audience received support from Cossey, Jana Schramm and Derek Peterson, with Tom Barlow voting no and Snow and Terri Heckmaster abstaining.

Cossey claimed that the vote meant that Dagnan should move to the audience but Rife again refused to recognize the vote.

Cossey then moved to have police Chief Bill Hawkins remove Dagnan to the audience.

The vote was the same, but Rife again refused to recognize it and Hawkins refused to take that action.

The council moved on with Dagnan still in his city administrator's chair.

The only action taken during the meeting was to hire Joplin attorney Karl Blanchard to act as a temporary city attorney.

Heckmaster said she had spoken to Blanchard and he agreed to take the job, but emphasized it would be only for a short term.

Efforts to contact Blanchard late on Friday were unsuccessful.