Still No Police Chief — Maybe Monday?

UPDATE: Just before noon today (Friday), the Wave was notified by Town Hall that Sgt. Pruitt informed Town Manager Heather Arcos late yesterday afternoon that he would accept the position of police chief. The effective date is Tuesday, January 7.

CAPE CHARLES WAVE

January 3, 2014

Cape Charles Chief of Police Charles “Sambo” Brown retired December 31. Two weeks earlier, on December 16, Cape Charles Town Council appointed Sgt. Jim Pruitt to replace him — “with caveats.”

The appointment was made in open session, as required by state law, but the “caveats” were not disclosed. Nor, apparently, had they been discussed with Pruitt, who almost two weeks later has still not accepted the appointment.

When asked yesterday if the Town had appointed a police chief, Town Clerk Libby Hume said “not yet — he [Pruitt] needs to sign the papers but he’s on vacation.” She said she expects that Pruitt will come in on Monday to sign the papers.

Asked if anyone was serving as interim chief in the meantime, Hume said, “not so far as I know.”

CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE

The Wave obtained a recording of Town Council’s appointment of Pruitt, transcribed below. It reveals that Council first appointed Pruitt, then added caveats, then added that they were to be discussed with him on Wednesday, December 18, and that a public announcement would be made at the Thursday, December 19, Town Council meeting.

The procedure reversed the normal practice of first obtaining a candidate’s agreement and then appointing him to serve.

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPTION OF DECEMBER 16, 2013 TOWN COUNCIL MEETING

(The entire audio file may be heard by clicking here.)

MAYOR SULLIVAN – Um.

MIKE SULLIVAN – Chief of Police appointment.

CHRIS BANNON – No, we, we’ve, we’ve skipped something. Better do this over again.

MAYOR SULLIVAN – No I haven’t.

CHRIS BANNON – We’ve all – we, did we all say everything was, that that —

STEVE BENNETT – Yes, the spreadsheets –

CHRIS BANNON – We did that. We voted that. Now we vote for that.

STEVE BENNETT – That was a yes.

MIKE SULLIVAN — And that was a yes.

STEVE BENNETT — We don’t vote for that. Now we’ve got to –

CHRIS BANNON — Now we vote for him.

STEVE BENNETT — Right.

MIKE SULLIVAN — Yeah, now we have a chief of police appointment. I move that we, uh, appoint, uh, Jim Pruitt.

FRANK WENDELL — I second.

STEVE BENNETT — With caveats.

MIKE SULLIVAN — Yeah, with caveats.

HEATHER ARCOS — As discussed.

MIKE SULLIVAN — As discussed in closed session.

MAYOR SULLIVAN — Following the meeting tomorrow.

MIKE SULLIVAN — Right.

MAYOR SULLIVAN – Uh, Wednesday . . . with a follow-up meeting.

HEATHER ARCOS – Right, right, right. And you’re going to make —

MAYOR SULLIVAN – To be announced publicly at the, uh, upcoming Council meeting on Thursday. All right, so we have a motion.

FRANK WENDELL — And a second.

MIKE SULLIVAN — (simultaneously) Second.

MAYOR SULLIVAN — Any objections?

JOAN NATALI – Who seconded?

FRANK WENDELL — I second.

STEVE BENNETT – Frank seconded.

JOAN NATALI — Thank you.

MAYOR SULLIVAN – Oh, let’s do a roll-call vote on that appointment.

MIKE SULLIVAN – Sullivan yes.

CHRIS BANNON – Bannon yes.

TOM GODWIN – Godwin yes.

FRANK WENDELL – Wendell yes.

STEVE BENNETT – Bennett yes.

JOAN NATALI – Natali no.

(Talking in background)

MIKE SULLIVAN – I make a motion we adjourn.

STEVE BENNETT — Second.

MAYOR SULLIVAN – Hearing no objections, adjourned.