Twenty area residents, including several business owners and two children, showed at City Hall for the 6 p.m. start. The meeting was finished before it ever began.
No quorum, no meeting.
And Councilmen Steve Newberry, John Cook and Terry Newberry were a councilman short of a four-councilmen quorum.
“We’ve got to have four council members to have a quorum to conduct a meeting,” Cook informed the audience. “Legally, we cannot conduct this meeting. However, I have some announcements for the audience myself.”
Cook then stressed again that no meeting was taking place. Instead, he emphasized again, he had simply an announcement to make to the audience.
Cook said he was contacted by state Sen. Mae Beavers on Monday, after the senator had already spoken with Macon County Mayor Shelvy Linville.
Beavers “said we needed to get on the stick talking to businesses, individuals and the government and start outlining what our needs are going to be,” Cook said.
Cook said he attempted several times to reach RBS Mayor Kenneth Hollis throughout Monday but never received a return call.
Earlier Wednesday, it appeared Cook and T. Newberry would be the only councilmen present.
Hollis and Councilmen Willie Brown, Bobby Etheridge, S. Newberry and Billy Joe Carver had all refused to accept notification of the meeting when each was presented with such by RBS Assistant Police Chief Doug McDonald.
At some point between Tuesday afternoon and 6 o’clock Wednesday evening (May 5), S. Newberry changed his mind and was present at the meeting – or least what scheduled to have been a meeting.
Cook said Beavers, a representative from state Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver’s office and Linville were all committed to attending the meeting. Cook said he advised each of the three not to come once he said it was apparent no such meeting would take place for lack of a quorum.
Instead, it was a community discussion and not an official meeting of the City Council of Red Boiling Springs.
The ensuing discussion lasted nearly an hour, and the audience in attendance, which included several local business owners, was very critical of Hollis, Brown, Carver and Etheridge for not attending the meeting.
At one point, there was even discussion among citizens of how to go about removing a sitting mayor from office.
At no point during the discussion did any of the three councilmen present accuse the missing three or Hollis of failing to act when flood waters rose Sunday.
Cook was critical of what he said was a lack of information-sharing on Hollis’ part.
For his part, Hollis earlier that day released a notice concerning the flood relief/recovery effort. It was addressed to RBS citizens and RBS/Willette utility, gas and garage customers.
“The city is working along with the city engineers to access the damages to the roads, bridges, parks and the utilities,” the notice stated. “The water and sewer is safe and up and running. Trash pick-up has resumed. Clean up in the park is planned for Friday with help from the City of Lafayette and Macon County Rescue.
“Please bear with us as the clean-up process continues to be slow so not to do more damage. We are cleaning our creeks, ditch lines, streets and under bridges as fast as possible.
“If you know of exposed water lines or anything that needs brought to our attention please call City Hall. If you have any questions concerning flood damage or recovery, we will do our best to help you.”
Several days later, on Monday, May 10, Macon County Emergency Management Director Keith Scruggs said the flood damage in RBS is an estimated $3.5 million.
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