Mineral Town Council calls special meeting

The meeting was gaveled to order by Mayor Pam Harlowe at 7pm with a citizen comment period during which one attendee read a prepared statement strongly criticizing the council for unprofessional behavior during the September meeting.  Another attendee, Chris Gear, quoted US Supreme Court opinions in support of citizens’ right to criticize their government.  

As the meeting moved on, a major hurdle to conducting business arose in the form of a 30 day continuance of major business items from the September meeting.  Unfortunately, town attorney Andrea Erad confirmed that because the current meeting was only 29 days into the continuance, the council could not take these items up in the current meeting.  

They were continued until the next meeting in November or at a special meeting later called for October 24th.  Among the continued items were consideration of gas pumps at food markets, Miller’s in particular, and a Planned Unit Development (PUD) of multifamily dwellings in the town.  Councilman Ed Kube remarked that addressing this many issues in a single meeting seemed “super-rushed.”

Discussions ensued over holiday issues including the Make Mineral Glow tree decoration and lighting effort for which the Mineral Historical Foundation’s Ron chapman offered to accept responsibility,

A major item related to zoning changes was discussed with the council being advised that the notice issued in advance had not reached a number of residents and landowners affected.  The town attorney confirmed that notices of zoning action must be issued between five and twenty days of address by the council.  Accordingly, the council agreed to reissue the notice and take up the matter at a special meeting on October 24th.

Near the end of the session, available items resolved or continued, council member Blair Nipper raised the issue of the Mayor’s submitting travel between her home and the town hall as reimbursable mileage.   Mayor Harlowe responded that she traveled to the town hall most days, some days twice.  The issue was tabled for discussion at a later meeting.