Rutland County Council Monitoring Officer Debbie Mogg Oakham Town Council as whole has not worked well Rutland Radio News
The monitoring officer writes:
I can also see the Town Council as a whole has not worked well and that there is much scope
for improvements on all sides.
I note that it is recognised by some of those interviewed in the investigation that on occasion
you raise legitimate and valid comments and concerns. It is unfortunate that in doing so you
have taken a negative approach that has alienated other leading to the conflict you have
experienced. I am also aware that at times you were responding to what you considered to
be inappropriate conduct towards yourself.
That is very true when you have Mayor and Deputy Cllr Lowe and Cllr Haley, Cllrs Stubbs and Lucas who do not want a Councillor to raise legitimate concerns, the external auditor
state this should be permitted.
When Cllr Haley was appointed deputy Mayor his effort to chair his first meeting was
a disgrace, only yesterday a Councillor reminded me of this and said they were concerned
by his conduct. Personally I felt it mirrored that of the ex Mayor Alf Dewis. He breached
our own standing orders by preventing me to speak about my agenda item.
Since that meeting he has become very confrontational even attempting to exclude me
from a public meeting of the Neighbourhood Plan he has since written a said he is sorry
for that mistake. And at this weeks meeting he became a twin of Cllr Stubbs sitting staring
at me objecting each time I spoke. The video of the meeting once uploaded should show this.
The monitoring officer writes she is recommending to the Town Council that it takes part
in a conciliation process with you.
I though I agreed this with the monitoring officer I did raise a concern that this probably
would not work. Stating the hatred from Cllr Lucas is beyond repair, Cllr Stan Stubbs
who swears at me and audible objects to my input at every meeting.
The Chairman Adam Lowe is so erratic he could fool anyone into thinking he has improved
and the next day he would return to sending intimidating emails. Only yesterday he emailed
members to say he has powers to exclude me from meetings. He has sent me intimidating emails
this week on the subject of this report and findings at the time I guess he was not aware that the plan he and Alf Dewis and Co had backfired the small group of Councillors (the old guard) had hoped to use the report and its findings to discredit me and it discredits the whole council.
Maybe those "outside influences" ex Cllrs described as "small minded" by Mayor Cllr Lowe in his emails to others. Maybe they will move on and leave me alone and I do the same.
At the last meeting Cllr Lowe can be seen in the video deliberately provoking me I actually think he enjoys what he is doing, not permitting me to explain my concerns about him undermining me by bringing a item to council I was still working on before he had even spoken to me claiming what I was trying to say was not relevant to the agenda item and then he sat and let Cllr Lucas waffle on for ages about a matter that was not on the agenda. Why did he not tell her to shut up? His skills as a chairman are appalling and very damaging to the functioning of the council.
I recognise my need for training and repeatedly asked for training and this has not been provided.
Mayor Cllr Adam Lowe is not interested in conciliation he told me he was concerned about the cost to the council.
Most of the other members of the council are a good lot perhaps worn down by this
historic matter.
Cllrs Lowe, Lucas, Haley and Stubbs should resign and let the new council introduce
change.
Both Cllr Lucas and Lowe have ruined the Queens Birthday event here in Oakham
because they are consumed in playing their silly game to shut me up they did not
organise anything for this Sunday's party in the park, they walked away a few weeks
ago leaving the organising to new members who found it was all to late, they have had
to cancel the stage.
It is highly likely the old guard will dismiss the monitoring officer comments
and even attempt to hide them as they have done with the Streets Accountants Review
and attempted to do with the external auditors report.
Very often the friction between myself and new members is caused by the old guard
from day one when they are told don't speak to Cllr Brookes and in the case
of Cllr Lowe he writes to them telling telling them to keep me at a distance saying I am
nuts, he even wrote to one stating I prostituted myself as a child to Hertofrdshire Police
and this caused him great concern now due to his apparent belief that I have some
sort of relationship currently with Leicestershire Police.
The monitoring officer writes:
I can also see the Town Council as a whole has not worked well and that there is much scope
for improvements on all sides.
I note that it is recognised by some of those interviewed in the investigation that on occasion
you raise legitimate and valid comments and concerns. It is unfortunate that in doing so you
have taken a negative approach that has alienated other leading to the conflict you have
experienced. I am also aware that at times you were responding to what you considered to
be inappropriate conduct towards yourself.
That is very true when you have Mayor and Deputy Cllr Lowe and Cllr Haley, Cllrs Stubbs and Lucas who do not want a Councillor to raise legitimate concerns, the external auditor
state this should be permitted.
When Cllr Haley was appointed deputy Mayor his effort to chair his first meeting was
a disgrace, only yesterday a Councillor reminded me of this and said they were concerned
by his conduct. Personally I felt it mirrored that of the ex Mayor Alf Dewis. He breached
our own standing orders by preventing me to speak about my agenda item.
Since that meeting he has become very confrontational even attempting to exclude me
from a public meeting of the Neighbourhood Plan he has since written a said he is sorry
for that mistake. And at this weeks meeting he became a twin of Cllr Stubbs sitting staring
at me objecting each time I spoke. The video of the meeting once uploaded should show this.
The monitoring officer writes she is recommending to the Town Council that it takes part
in a conciliation process with you.
I though I agreed this with the monitoring officer I did raise a concern that this probably
would not work. Stating the hatred from Cllr Lucas is beyond repair, Cllr Stan Stubbs
who swears at me and audible objects to my input at every meeting.
The Chairman Adam Lowe is so erratic he could fool anyone into thinking he has improved
and the next day he would return to sending intimidating emails. Only yesterday he emailed
members to say he has powers to exclude me from meetings. He has sent me intimidating emails
this week on the subject of this report and findings at the time I guess he was not aware that the plan he and Alf Dewis and Co had backfired the small group of Councillors (the old guard) had hoped to use the report and its findings to discredit me and it discredits the whole council.
Maybe those "outside influences" ex Cllrs described as "small minded" by Mayor Cllr Lowe in his emails to others. Maybe they will move on and leave me alone and I do the same.
At the last meeting Cllr Lowe can be seen in the video deliberately provoking me I actually think he enjoys what he is doing, not permitting me to explain my concerns about him undermining me by bringing a item to council I was still working on before he had even spoken to me claiming what I was trying to say was not relevant to the agenda item and then he sat and let Cllr Lucas waffle on for ages about a matter that was not on the agenda. Why did he not tell her to shut up? His skills as a chairman are appalling and very damaging to the functioning of the council.
I recognise my need for training and repeatedly asked for training and this has not been provided.
Mayor Cllr Adam Lowe is not interested in conciliation he told me he was concerned about the cost to the council.
Most of the other members of the council are a good lot perhaps worn down by this
historic matter.
Cllrs Lowe, Lucas, Haley and Stubbs should resign and let the new council introduce
change.
Both Cllr Lucas and Lowe have ruined the Queens Birthday event here in Oakham
because they are consumed in playing their silly game to shut me up they did not
organise anything for this Sunday's party in the park, they walked away a few weeks
ago leaving the organising to new members who found it was all to late, they have had
to cancel the stage.
It is highly likely the old guard will dismiss the monitoring officer comments
and even attempt to hide them as they have done with the Streets Accountants Review
and attempted to do with the external auditors report.
Very often the friction between myself and new members is caused by the old guard
from day one when they are told don't speak to Cllr Brookes and in the case
of Cllr Lowe he writes to them telling telling them to keep me at a distance saying I am
nuts, he even wrote to one stating I prostituted myself as a child to Hertofrdshire Police
and this caused him great concern now due to his apparent belief that I have some
sort of relationship currently with Leicestershire Police.
