TROY – A typically routine workshop meeting became so contentious last week, the Troy Board of Aldermen couldn’t even agree to end it.

The derailed discussion on the proposed Whiskey Creek Subdivision (see related story) featured in the final few minutes yelling, “asinine” comments, suggestions to lock the public out and the threatened removal of an alderman’s husband before a 3-2 vote to end it.

City Administrator James Knowles and local developer Monte Cannon discussed in detail the proposed 101-home subdivision located on the west side of Troy with the board of aldermen for about 50 minutes.

But when aldermen requested and were denied to hear from some of the 20 residents attending the workshop, emotions ran amok.

“Does it say somewhere in our ordinances or policies that the public cannot speak to us at a workshop? Because it seems absolutely ridiculous our public that is here cannot speak to us before we’re going to vote on this on Monday,” Alderman Rachel Dunard said. “They’re going to come to us five minutes before a meeting and then we’re supposed to vote on it. That makes little to zero sense when we can’t educate ourselves.”

City Administrator James Knowles explained Alderman Dennis Detert requested the workshop to share the particulars of the development and that no public comment was ever discussed.

“It was requested by board members for a conversation with board members about issues on here which they felt were technical in nature that were not explained or were clarified previous to the last (aldermen) meeting,” Knowles said. “And that’s what we did. I also took the affirmative opportunity to reach out to numerous members of the public who came and spoke at the last meeting. So my point is, there’s nothing that says the resident can’t speak to you any time. I sat on the Board of Aldermen for 16 years. I didn’t have to wait until I sat on the dais to be heard by my residents.”

Knowles’ explanation didn’t satisfy Dunard.

“Would it be better for them to be able to address five of us at once than one to one to one to one to one to one,” she asked. “And they come to you. Well, you don’t vote. We do. So even if your door’s open that’s wonderful. I love that. (But) this is a public workshop. It’s absolutely asinine now that they can’t speak to us.”

Knowles tried to explain if Detert had requested public comment, it could have been included, further angering Dunard.

“Perhaps you should have asked us if that’s what we wanted instead of assuming that we did not,” she yelled back.

Detert, for his part, offered an unusual solution that would violate open meetings law, if he were serious.

“I think probably the best solution to this is whenever we have one of these workshops is … just lock the public out,” he said. “It makes no sense … if they can’t speak, there’s no need for them to be here.”

Mayor Ron Sconce indicated citizen comment is welcome at regular monthly meetings, but not at workshops which are designed to inform the board.

“We put this out as a workshop. It was a workshop to educate the board members on a project that was before them that they had to make a decision on,” he said. “If you want to have a public forum, a town hall meeting, then you can set up a town hall meeting and invite the public to speak. But you cannot just open the floor up.”

That comment solicited a remark from Darrell Huffman, whose wife Terri serves on the board.

“That is not true according to state law,” Huffman shouted from the gallery. “You cannot stop a person, a taxpayer, from speaking at a workshop. That is a state statute, and if you could read, you’d look it up.”

Sconce threatened Huffman repeatedly if he didn’t keep quiet, he would be escorted out of the building.

Following that outburst, the board then appropriately split 3-2 on whether or not to adjourn the meeting with Dunard and Detert voting no.

The board’s regular September meeting is scheduled for Monday at 6:30 p.m. and will include time for citizen comment.