Yelm City Council applicant Preston Collins went on the record tonight during the Pubic Comment period and questioned the Council’s selection and notification process for the vacant City Council seat [said he was not notified his application had been received. Mayor responded this is not a city procedure.]

This was AFTER the tie-breaking vote recipient Jennifer Littlefield was sworn into the City Council’s position 4 and seated on the Council’s dias. Mayor Harding’s comments & Mayor Pro-tem Isom’s bristling remarks in response to Collins were aimed primarily at the Nisqually Valley News (NVN) for two things:

1. They claimed the NVN showed no interest in asking for (nor publishing) the names of the 7 City Council applicants for the then-open seat,
2. Isom claimed the NVN showed no interest in the vacant Council position and only picked-up the news of the council opening off a blog. [Isom referred to the NVN coverage of this blog’s conflict-of-interest reference to Mayor Harding’s tie-breaking vote.].

In responding to Collins, Isom directed his anger at this blog and the NVN, which was misplaced, as Collins was not referring to this blog’s entry on the mayor’s tie-breaking conflict-of interest vote. Collins questioned the selection & notification process in choosing a Council candidate, distinctly different from the mayor’s conflict-of-interest vote.
This is a convenient ploy to deflect a situation – by responding to a different subject!

Isom NEVER mentioned the 7 candidates names nor acknowledged them for their willingness to serve.
Isom never thanked Mr. Collins for his willingness to participate in the public process.
That Isom was so defensive that his integrity and that of the council’s was questioned, was very revealing – a nerve has been struck with this on-the-record statement by a Council candidate last night.
Yet, all other Councilors were silent!
Hmmmmmm. Noted.

Stay tuned for more.