03262001r.�
DUNN CITY COUNCIL
CITY OF DUNN, NORTH CAROLINA
MINUTES
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUNN HELD A SPECIAL CALL MEETING ON
MARCH 2:6, 2001 AT 4:30 P.M. IN THE DUNN MUNICIPAL BUILDING. PRESENT WAS
MAYOR ABRAHAM OUDEH, MAYOR PRO -TEM MIKE WOMBLE AND
COUNCILMEMBERS CAROLYN MCDOUGAL, PAUL BASS, GEORGE ROBINSON AND
JOEY TART. ALSO PRESENT WAS CITY ATTORNEY BILLY RAY GODWIN, CITY CLERK
JOYCE VALLEY, AND POLICE CHIEF PAT GODWIN. INTERIM CITY MANAGER
CANDIDATES PRESENT WERE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR RONNIE AUTRY, BOB
NICHOLL, PRESTON SHORT AND O. B. STOKES.
MAYOR ABRAHAM OUDEH OPENED THE MEETING AT 4:30 P.M. AND STATED THAT
THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING WAS TO DISCUSS A PERSONNEL MATTER.
INVOCATION
MAYOR OUDEH ASKED COUNCILMEMBER TART TO GIVE THE INVOCATION. AFTERWARD,
THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE WAS REPEATED.
COUNCILMEMBER SUMNER ARRIVED AT 4:34 P.M.
MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER MCDOUGAL, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER TART
TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS A PERSONNEL MATTER AT 4:35 P.M.
MOTION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.
CLOSED SESSION
NO ACTION WAS TAKEN DURING THE CLOSED SESSION. BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT,
THE CLOSED SESSION ADJOURNED AT 6:24 P.M.
MAYOR OUDEH RECONVENED THE COUNCIL MEETING AT 6:25 P.M.
MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER BASS, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER ROBINSON TO
APPOINT PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR RONNIE AUTRY AS INTERIM CITY MANAGER AND
HIRE BOB NICHOLL TO HELP MR. AUTRY WITH THE BUDGET AND ANYTHING HE NEEDS
a ✓ HELP WITH IN ORDER TO CONTINUE HIS WORK AS PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.
MOTION CARRIED 5 -1.
AYES: BASS
ROBINSON
TART
SUMNER
MCDOUGAL
NOES: WOMBLE
MAYOR PRO -TEM WOMBLE STATED THAT THIS HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT DECISION AND
ALTHOUGH HE HAS KNOWN MR. AUTRY FOR A LONG TIME, HE FEELS THAT THIS IS A
UNIQUE SITUATION AND HE FEELS THAT COUNCIL SHOULD LOOK AT A PROFESSIONAL
TO SERVE AS INTERIM CITY MANAGER AS WELL AS THE REGULAR CITY MANAGER
POSITION. HE ADDED THAT HE FEELS THAT MR. AUTRY IS AN EXCELLENT EMPLOYEE
AND DOES A GOOD JOB WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, BUT DUE TO THE
TIMING OF BUDGET PREPARATION, A PROFESSIONAL MANAGER IS NEEDED TO FILL THE
INTERIM POSITION.
CITY ATTORNEY GODWIN ASKED FOR A CLARIFICATION OF THE MOTION WHICH WAS
PROVIDED BY COUNCILMEMBER BASS.
MAYOR PRO -TEM WOMBLE ASKED IF HIRING MR. NICHOLL AS A CONSULTANT WAS
OPEN - ENDED, AS FAR AS SPENDING, ALLOWING MR. AUTRY TO SPEND AS MUCH MONEY
AS NECESSARY FOR OUTSIDE HELP WITHOUT CONSULTING COUNCIL PRIOR TO ASKING
MR. NICHOLL FOR ASSISTANCE.
COUNCILMEMBER BASS ASKED WHO WAS WORRIED ABOUT MONEY.
COUNCILEMEMBER TART RESPONDED THAT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT MONEY AND
TOLD PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AUTRY THAT HE THOUGHT HE WOULD DO A GOOD JOB,
BUT WAS BETTER SUITED AS A PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR THAN AS AN INTERIM
MANAGER. HE ADDED THAT HE DID NOT FEEL IT WAS BEST FOR HIM TO BE PUT IN THE
INTERIM MANAGER POSITION AND AFTERWARD, GO BACK TO PUBLIC WORKS.
COUNCILMEMBER SUMNER STATED THAT ALL OF THE CANDIDATES INTERVIEWED WERE
CAPABLE AND GOOD MEN. HE ADDED THAT MR. AUTRY WAS A PEOPLE PERSON AND HE
FELT THAT I-IE WOULD DO A GOOD JOB.
WITH NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO DISCUSS, MAYOR OUDEH ADJOURNED THE MEETING AT
6:30 P.M.
�OUDEH
MAYOR
ATTEST:
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