Oddities: 1

Among recent oddities at Town Hall that no one reported in the media was the curious exchange at the January 5 Town Board meeting over minutes.

The usual agenda sequence is that just after the pledge of allegiance, the Town Board adopts minutes of the previous regular meeting of the Town Board as well as of both closed and open sessions that may have been held in the interim. This is usually the least interesting or controversial part of the meeting. Occasionally one of the board members will propose an amendment to the minutes, and if there is any disagreement among members, it is quickly resolved and the minutes approved.

This time, as best I could tell from the back row, the board objected to both the form and content of closed session and open session minutes prepared by the recording secretary. Apparently the board had provided direction to the recording secretary at the agenda meeting. It seems that, instead of simply removing the text board members wanted removed, she used word processing software to line through the passages. When members of the board objected, she informed them that she "stands by" the version she prepared. Then she argued with the mayor over the facts.

It is worth noting that North Carolina General Statutes do not require minutes to be verbatim. If they did, the attic of Town Hall (where old records are stored) might have collapsed from the weight. The recording secretary is also not in the position of a court reporter. The minutes are under complete control of the Town Board.

Following a heated argument between the recording secretary, town commissioners and the mayor, the board once again directed the recording secretary to remove certain passages from the minutes. Then when the vote was held, Commissioner Venturi voted "no."

I have personally never seen an Oriental commissioner vote against adopting minutes. I have asked long time residents, including former commissioners and none of them recalls it ever happening before.

That's odd behavior.