'Rumors' addressed, families defended

Arguments between the city and school board regarding activities of board and council members rage on with allegations followed by rebuttals claiming untruths from both sides.

Recently resigned school board member Joe Paul Stewart addressed the council directing his remarks to councilmember Kirk Donaldson.

Stewart said the mayor, Donaldson, councilmember Al Miller, along with Ross Cotter and a Citizen Committee member, met on Saturday, June 22, to discuss the school board appointment of Doug Vickers.

Stewart said Vickers was not on a list of 21 names provided by the school system, or from two individuals he recommended.

"I am perplexed as to why Mr. Cotter or a member of the citizens committee would be asked to be with you selecting the person to be appointed," Stewart said. "I am at a loss as to why you feel the need to control the school system and the way you can do that is by school board appointments."

Donaldson said the only people who met were himself, Miller, the mayor and city attorney Rainer Cotter.

Councilmember Tommy Johnson said Ross Cotter was at a meeting at the beach at the time that meeting took place.

"Whoever puts out that rumor is wrong," Donaldson said. "Al and I met with the mayor to discuss the school board ... he then called Mr. Cotter Jr. to come down and discuss it with us and see if everything would be in line."

Stewart thanked him for the clarification.

"I don't appreciate being made dishonest," Donaldson said.

Stewart said it was not his intention and that scenario is what he was told happened.

Had three or more board members been present at the meeting it would constitute a quorum and be in violation of the Open Meeting Act.

"If three of us meet, that violates Sunshine Laws and we do not violate Sunshine Laws," Johnson said. "I'm not going to jail for any of these men or any of y'all."

Rainer Cotter also requested to address the audience to come to the defense of his father Ross Cotter.

Ross Cotter has been at the center of many allegations of "improper behavior" as a school board member.

"I have had to sit through three meetings now where my family has been talked about," Rainer Cotter said. "I think it's important that you hear from me."

Cotter said there is a missing link to the story.

"But just because I don't stand up and try to harm other people or get others to stand up and harm other people, that doesn't mean that there's not another side," Rainer Cotter said. "I'm not going to stand up before you at any meeting, not today or ever and hurt some innocent family."

Rainer Cotter refuted allegations of an illegal meeting of the school board June 19, or illegal activity in the appointment of Ross Cotter as the board president.

"We can have an argument or debate whether tradition should have been followed," he said. "That's an argument we should have, but to suggest something illegal or immoral about that is absolutely false."

Rainer Cotter defended his father's actions of requesting to view financial statements, speaking with an employee's parent and wanting to see ongoing construction as not "mirco-managing, but attention to detail."

Rainer Cotter said these are all things he's supposed to do as a board member.

One of the school's financial issues Ross Cotter was concerned about was about millions in an account that wasn't earning interest.

According to former Enterprise City Schools Superintendent Aaron Milner, it was advised to him that the money remain liquid for construction payment purposes.

As someone who has been in the contracting business for three decades, Rainer Cotter said his dad carries expertise in construction and asked, "Wouldn't you want a school board member if there's a construction project to see what was going on and check on it?"

"Is that mircro-managing?" he asked.

Regarding a claim that Ross Cotter showed up with a notice of termination following the notice of resignation from Milner, Rainer Cotter said that is also untrue.

"After Dr. Milner announced on the Internet that he was leaving ... he sent a one line email that said I'm resigning, if you have any questions you can talk to my attorney J.P. Sawyer," Rainer Cotter said.

Sawyer is the school board's attorney, and Rainer Cotter added Sawyer has been a close friend of Milner's as well.

"So I knew right then that there was a conflict," he said.

Rainer Cotter suggested from a son to father to not argue the point that Milner did not have an exit clause in his contract and to amicably and professionally part ways sooner than July 18 as outlined in Milner's resignation letter.

Rainer Cotter wrote a mutual release document to form a "cooperative and professional way to deal with a possible breach of contract issue."

Rainer Cotter said the document was provided to the school board attorney for review before the meeting on June 19.

Rainer Cotter pleaded with the crowd to come to a resolution and get back to doing business that's both good for the city and school system.

"My dad is a good man, and he's a good Christian man, and for people to smear and not care about families is not right," Rainer Cotter said. "I would just ask that each one of you, please, please let's get back together. A house divided will fall."