Minister ejected from meeting after alleging mayor made racist remarks

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015 — Tuesday’s Bardstown City Council meeting opened with an opportunity for the mayor and council to listen to the public’s input. That input turned into a confrontation that prompted the mayor to eject a person from the council chambers.

At the start of the comment period, Councilman Bill Buckman read a statement to remind the audience the public input was limited to topics considered “council business.”

The Rev. Godfrey Kaufman was escorted from Tuesday’s Bardstown City Council meeting after he voice concerns Mayor John Royalty was making racist statements to the media.

One of the first to speak was the Rev. Godfrey Kaufman of Bardstown, who rose to ask the council consider creating a roundtable discussion that could include the mayor, the council and the public.

A roundtable “is where the public can come in, sit down with the mayor and council, and discuss business that you all don’t consider city business,” Kaufman said. “All it takes is four votes, and I ask that you do this tonight — and require the mayor be there to hear the citizens of Bardstown and any concerns they have.”

Kaufman began to speak about “racist statements that have been made” when Royalty banged his gavel and told Kaufman he was out of order and to take a seat. “That has nothing to do with city business,” Royalty said.

“It does when I’m a citizen of Bardstown –” Kaufman said as Royalty told stopped him in mid-sentence to tell Kaufman once again he was out of order.

“But isn’t this the citizen’s business?” Kaufman asked again. As Kaufman continued to protest, Royalty told him it wasn’t city business and asked Bardstown Police Chief Rick McCubbin to restore order.

“But I have a concern that the mayor is making racist statements, is that not city business?” Kaufman asked. McCubbin walked up to where Kaufman was standing in order to escort him from the council chambers. Kaufman continued to protest as he walked with McCubbin walked to the door.

Councilman Francis Lydian told the council that the municipal order addressing how council meetings are conducted does not mention limiting public input to city business.

When asked about Kaufman’s comments after the meeting, Royalty said he wouldn’t tolerate accusations like that at a council meeting. “I’m not going to stand for it,” he said. “His personal beliefs are his own, and I have no idea what he’s talking about.”

During public comments, Bardstown resident Shonna Sheckles expressed frustration at not being able to schedule a meeting between Royalty and a group of concerned citizens. She asked the council for their suggestions.

“His office has been called four times, and we only received one call back and we still can’t get on his calendar,” she said.

After the meeting, Royalty said he won’t meet with the group. “That won’t happen,” he said without hesitation. “I’ll meet with them individually and address their concerns, but I won’t meet with what I consider a mob — an angry mob.”

As he did at the last council meeting, Councilman Francis Lydian took issue with the statement read by Councilman Bill Buckman stating public comments must be related to city business.

Lydian noted that the text of the municipal order that dictates the operation of council meetings does not limit public input to city business. “You cannot add new language to this municipal order — Councilman Buckman — without the city council’s approval.”

After the meeting, councilman Roland Williams said he was in favor of allowing people to express their opinions at council meetings if it can be done in a reasonable amount of time.

Williams said in his opinion, anytime someone speaks on behalf of the city or in a capacity as a city official, then that is probably constitutes city business. While he agreed that council meetings weren’t the place for lengthy discussions, Williams encouraged Royalty to consider meeting with the group to listen to their concerns.

Bardstown businessman Jack Hurst asked the council about tamper fees he has been assessed.

UTILITY TAMPER FEES. Bardstown businessman Jack Hurst spoke to the council regarding utility charges he’s been assessed including tampering fees going back about a year. When he questioned the charges, no one at City Hall could give him an explanation. Ten months later, Hurst said his Internet access and water cut off due to approximately $400 he was assessed in tamper fees.

“I don’t specifically know why I was charged,” Hurst said. “I wanted to know how I tampered with it and I received no answers, just a lot of attitude” without any due process.

Hurst noted the city collects $16,000 to $18,000 a year in tamper fees. “If they had the same due process I received, they had none,” he said.

Rosemary Baunach shows the council her concerns over the intersection of South Elm Grove and Kurtz Avenue.

Hurst said he wanted an explanation of the charges he was assessed earlier, and those he’s currently assessed. “If I owe it, I’ll pay it,” he said. “But I don’t think I owe it.”

Royalty asked Hurst to come into City Hall to meet with him and the chief financial officer and he’ll review the situation.

MAPLE HILL REQUEST. A resident of South Elm Grove spoke to the council to request that the city public works department clear snow from the last segment of the road where it ends, and asked the city to pick up brush from the homes on the street and not require residents to bring limbs to the corner of Kurtz and South Elm Grove.

Royalty said he would bring the issues up with the public works department and see what can be done.

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