Mayor removes Don Parrish, Beth Hawkins from Historic Review Board

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015, 12:07 a.m. — Two members of the Historic Review Board — including its chairman — have been removed from that board by Bardstown Mayor John Royalty for violations of the board’s by-laws.

• Letter removing Beth Hawkins from the Historic Review Board.
• Letter removing Don Parrish from the Historic Review Board.
• Letter removing Don Parrish as Historic Review Board chairman.

MAYOR JOHN ROYALTY

Board member Beth Hawkins was removed from the HRB in October for missing too many of its meetings, and board Chairman Don Parrish will be removed from the board this month for failing to read the letter removing Hawkins at the board’s October meeting.

Preservation Coordinator Hope Hawkins alerted Mayor John Royalty of Beth Hawkins’ violation of the HRB by-laws after she missed three consecutive meetings in May, June and July 2015.

In a letter dated Oct. 19, 2015, to Hawkins about the absences, Royalty wrote that he never heard back from her regarding their earlier conversation about her desire to remain on the HRB.

“Since I have not heard from you, I am assuming you no longer want to be a part of the Historical Review Board,” Royalty’s letter stated. “Therefore, we are moving forward and I will make an appointment in your absence.”

Board Chairman Don Parrish was asked to publicly read a letter removing Hawkins’ from the board at the HRB’s Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015 meeting, but failed to do so.

In a letter to the mayor, Hope Hawkins said she talked with Parrish about his refusal to read the letter the day after the Oct. 20 meeting, and she said he told her he would not do the Mayor’s “dirty work.”

Hawkins wrote that Parrish’s refusal put him in violation of the HRB by-laws and subject to removal.

Royalty talked with Parrish on Wednesday, Oct. 28, and asked him about his failure to read the letter removing Hawkins from the board. Royalty wrote that Parrish told him he was unable to do so because Hawkins left the meeting before he had the opportunity to handle it.

But a review of the audio recording of the Oct. 20 HRB meeting indicated that Hawkins was at the meeting when it ended.

In a letter dated Wednesday, Oct. 28, Parrish was informed his appointment to the HRB and position as chairman will end Tuesday, Nov. 17.

NEW APPOINTMENTS. At the Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015 Bardstown City Council meeting, Royalty appointed Lee Evans to fill Beth Hawkins’ unexpired term on the HRB. He withdrew his request for council approval of appointing Keith West to fill Parrish’s unexpired term after the council questioned West’s possible conflict of interest.

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