- Mason City Council Member Rita Vogel speaks up about her concerns about keeping talent in the Mason Police Department
- Mayor Russel Whipple and Mayor Pro Tem Leon Clark co-wrote a letter addressing the unattended firearm left in Mason High School Gym
- Watch to learn more about what was discussed at Mason's City Council Meeting on Monday
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
During Monday's City Council meeting, Mayor Russel Whipple addressed a letter he co-wrote with Mayor Pro Tem Leon Clark in response to the allegations made at a City Council meeting earlier this month against City Manager Debra Stuart.
"I don't want to go through the whole thing because anyone can read it, and they can interpret it any way they want. But, the fact of the matter is based on the information that was available to the City at that time, this chronicles the allegations that were made against the officer," said Mayor Whipple.
Mayor Whipple addressed council and residents at Monday's Mason city council meeting regarding a letter titled "Facts and Thoughts on the Unattended Gun Belt Incident at Mason High School and the Determination of Tamaracks Future."
The letter was sent out with Monday's City Council agenda and meeting packet and addressed community and city council concerns about decisions the city made surrounding the resignation of former k-9 handler Hayden Wildfong from the Mason Police Department.
In the letter, the mayor and mayor pro tem defended the city's actions and supported the officer's resignation, alleging, that Officer Wildfong also ignored a call for K-9 assistance, left his holstered gun unattended not once but twice, and allegedly falsified documents related to his work the day of the incident
The letter also says the officer's actions violated many terms of his employment. Adding that many community members are ignoring that fact because the future of the handler's K-9 was questioned.
At the February 5 Mason City Council Meeting, Wildfong said the city manager forced him to resign, and in an email to the city council, sent to me by Officer Wildfong, states he did not ignore a K-9 call and assisted the Mason High School Resource officer in helping track a juvenile.
City Council member Rita Vogel says she believes the mayor's letter is an abuse of power and full of misinformation.
"I don't know where they're getting the facts from; the rest of the council didn't receive the facts. The letter reads like he's actually seen video surveillance. I don't know how that's possible; I don't know how the City Manager would have given him personnel information. They can't be facts because we have no way to prove the facts or investigate the facts. We are not trained to do that; that is not the council's job," said Vogel.
One of the main concerns about the letter is the review of surveillance footage of the incident at the high school. The letter says Mayor Whipple and Mayor Pro Tem Clark reviewed surveillance video of the incident and other city records.
But, Mayor Whipple admitted in a city council meeting Monday he did not watch the footage.
"There is video evidence, I'm told. I haven't seen it, but I believe the person who told me uh that he was in a part of the weight room that he could not see where that gun was placed," said Whipple.
Vogel says Whipple should not have released the letter because City Council members are not allowed to involve themselves in personnel matters, and he did not watch the surveillance footage.
"I feel my job is to protect taxpayers from government, right? We are the checks and balances," said Vogel.
And is concerned about the Mason Police Department's high turnover rate since City Manager Stuart has been in office.
"The police and elected were both there to protect and to serve. And the council missed another opportunity last night to validate the constituent concern, to validate the citizen's concern that we're now without another police chief," said Vogel.
In a statement written to Fox 47, Mayor Whipple said, "The information in the correspondence includes a description of the facts known at the time. Had the investigation been completed, clearly, additional information might have come to light regarding those facts. But none of that excuses the violations admitted to by the officer."
Mayor Whipple says the City Attorney also reviewed the letter for accuracy. Despite calls for an investigation into the city manager's conduct regarding Wildfong's alleged forced resignation and other matters concerning the police department, the council voted 5-2 not to pursue any action.
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