Thurman, Lusk Feel Left Out Of Milton City Council

by Jason Wright /www.northfulton.com / Milton Herald

MILTON-- After receiving 6,000 pages of e-mail correspondence by her fellow Milton City Council members, Karen Thurman said it is clear to her she has been left out of the decision-making process.Filed in late February, Thurman's inquiry was largest open records request in Milton's short history.It asked for "all e-mail correspondence between the City Council members and/or mayor and city staff and/or city attorney for 2008," according to her request.The result of digging through the e-mails, according to Thurman?"It clearly confirmed my belief that there were discussions taking place on items that were on our agendas prior to them coming forward for the whole council discussion," she said. "There were back room discussions."

And she said those discussions were had without including her or Councilman Bill Lusk, who previously were part of a 4-3 voting block on important issues. The other two members, Rick Mohrig and Neal O'Brien, were not re-elected in November. Instead they were replaced by Councilmen Alan Tart and Burt Hewitt respectively.Thurman said when she received the correspondence on a CD -- for which she will be charged $181.43 to pay for staff hours on the project -- it became clear e-mail chains were not forwarded to her and Lusk.

She said council members would address an e-mail to Mayor Joe Lockwood or City Manager Chris Lagerbloom, then discuss the question with each other in forwarded e-mails. However, the e-mails were never sent to her or Lusk.Because the e-mails were only sent to the mayor and city manager in the first round, "Chris and Joe probably didn't know," she said."Sometimes I feel like I show up to council meetings and everybody else has information I don't," she said.

She would not say exactly who was excluding her and Lusk, and specifically mentioned only one zoning case where she felt discussions were had without the two of them.

Councilwoman Tina D'Aversa said she was surprised to hear of the request and Thurman's claims."I have not spoken with [Councilwoman Thurman] about this request nor has she asked me for any information or to justify any situation where she was left out of appropriate council communication," she said. "I would need specifics to believe there is an initiative to leave a council member out of appropriate council communications. As far as I am aware, the city staff has been good to copy all council members on appropriate communications."

Lusk, who had seen some of the e-mails, agreed that they showed "an intentional effort to exclude her and me."The councilman said he hasn't talked to the other council members about Thurman's research."They know what they are doing and they know I know," he said.

"Obviously these people don't want to discuss it."

Mayor Joe Lockwood said he didn't think there was merit to Thurman's claims."When it comes to city affairs, everyone gets the same information," he said.Lockwood, who has recently been in conflict with Thurman over the 5-2 decision to move council meetings to Mondays (a CPA, she comes late due to tax season), said he thinks the feeling of being left out is due to a shift in dynamics on council after November's election, one which saw his endorsed slate of candidates voted in."Now everything is openly discussed in meetings," he said. "There's a shift in influence she doesn't like."

Lockwood added that he knows what it is like to be part of a marginalized clique, referencing the 4-3 split on council that sometimes saw him, D'Aversa and Julie Zahner Bailey voted down."I want to make sure that doesn't happen again on council anymore," he said. "The public spoke loud and clear in November that they won't stand for any back door games or behind-the-scenes stuff."

The other four members of council echoed his sentiments about Thurman's claims."When I came in here I certainly though council people Lusk and Thurman had value to add," said Hewitt.Tart said he thought the divisiveness on council was left in November's elections."I'm ready for everyone to move forward," he said. "The sooner we get that done, the better for Milton."

Thurman said she not trying to create any conflict on council."I'm just there trying to do what I feel I was elected to do," she said.