CASSOPOLIS — The two people best able to shed light on an Oct. 4 “incident” weren’t talking at a special village council meeting Monday night.
One of them is Village Manager Meg Cluckey.
The other is Police Chief Frank Williams, who declined comment on the advice of his attorney, Roosevelt Thomas. The investigating officer and Village President Clare Mallo also declined comment.
Thomas recommended the matter be referred to an “independent agency, such as the Michigan State Police, and return that investigation to the council for its consideration.”
Williams, chief since Sept. 27, 1974, is in his 37th year.
Williams supporters addressed the council, which was criticized for letting political turmoil linger into 2012 by handing the issue off to its personnel committee and for keeping from the public what transpired.
“Supporters of Frank Williams came tonight because we wanted to get this settled,” Mary McFarland said. “Frank deserves more respect. You put everything off and have been doing that for a long time. If you don’t want to do your job, get off the council and leave; $55,000 a year for a village manager. What have you accomplished? What do you expect to accomplish? Now you want to lay off the street and bridge department and some of the police officers. No, we’re not going to stand for that. This putting off is pitiful.”
Another woman praised Williams crossing children across the street no matter how inclement the weather.
“He helps adults, he helps the needy, he helps the indigent,” she said. “He’s very professional. He helps everyone and gives the very best he has every single day. He has a family, he has integrity, he has belief in God — everything we look for in a person to represent us and to take care of business.
“I don’t even know what the incident is, but I do know that day in and day out, he gives his very best. If you table it for not having enough information to make an informed decision or you don’t accept his lawyer’s advice or you haven’t had time to go over the material, all of those things cast Frank in a bad light. He has no chance to defend himself. The public doesn’t have facts, so they came here to find out. Now you’re looking at January. Confidence and trust are (shaken). Who should we trust? It makes me sad because people’s reputations are being hung out to dry. It’s awkward and not a healthy position for the community, Frank or the manager.”
“Since when does the personnel committee decide above the council?” asked former village president Julia Bell. “The council is the boss of the manager and Frank Williams. She works for you.”
The personnel committee consists of President Mallo and Trustees Geraldine Sims and Brittany Beauchamp. It is also in the midst of the routine evaluation of Cluckey’s six-month performance per her contract.
“I feel bad for all parties that this is being dragged on,” Trustee Dianna McGrew said.
Trustee Cynthia Ash struck a conciliatory tone in the wake of a successful inaugural village-wide Christmas celebration on Saturday.
“We haven’t had a chance as a council to discuss the issue,” Ash said.
“To say the least, there’s some tension and emotion. You’re going to have some conflict in any organization and you have to work through it. You don’t want to have a train wreck and just come head-on at each other while the village is being hit by this recession.
“Frankie’s been around a long time and done a wonderful job. I’m very impressed with Meg. I like them both. I don’t want to be rushed to a decision ….When people work together, things work out. I want to work through this, not pick sides.”