A special meeting called with the intention of dealing with the suspension of Kellyville’s interim Police Chief was canceled tonight because not enough board members were in attendance.
Immediately after Town Administrator Beverley Lucas notified everyone of the cancelation, the last full-time reserve officer, Teddy Badgwell, announced his resignation to a crowded Town Hall and handed in his radio to the board. He said “we’ll make it official when we have a real meeting,” and left the room.
The resignation of the last full-time officer of the Kellyville Police Department means that the town will now be protected by the Creek County Sheriff’s Office, which had two deputies in attendance tonight.
With only Ed Pruitt and Mayor Terry Voss in attendance, plus the newly-appointed City Attorney Clay Fees, and Town Administrator Lucas, the Kellyville board of trustees didn’t have enough board members present to meet the quorum required for a voting body.
Lucas told Sapulpa Times that one of the board members was out of town and that she had known they wouldn’t be present. The other board member had to call in because of “health issues.” Russ Howard and Bobby McGarragh were the two members not present at the meeting.
The only items on the agenda were to allow for public comments and to discuss the suspension of Interim Police Chief Eric Lovell in an executive session. Without at least three of the four remaining board members present, there was not even enough to pass a vote to enter into executive session.
A fourth board seat remains open after the resignation of John Taylor earlier this month. City Attorney Clay Fees says the board has 90 days to appoint someone to that vacant seat, or they will have to call for a special election.
Another special meeting may be called, but Lucas said not to expect it until after Monday, due to the awaited return of one of the absent board members.
