RBS City Councilman Resigns

By Debbie Gregory

Red Boiling Springs City Councilman Lee Butram, turned in his resignation on Thursday morning, January 9, 2020.

 

At the regular meeting of the Red Boiling Springs City Council Thursday night, Mr. Butram’s name was on the agenda to discuss and take action on his absence from several meetings. Mayor Kenneth Hollis stated that Mr. Butram came in that morning and resigned, and they needed to advertise for someone to replace him to finish up his term.

RBS City Attorney Branden Bellar advised Mayor Hollis that because of the resignation, the charter requires that the council declare the seat vacant. “The way I read the charter, it is by an affirmative vote of the majority of the remaining council members,” stated Bellar. “The council members shall fill the vacancy of the council member by appointing a qualified person to fill the vacancy within 30 days from the date of which the vacancy is declared, for the remaining unexpired 4 year term or until the next regular city election, whichever shall occur first.”

“Do we declare the seat vacant and then advertise?” Mayor Hollis asked.

“You declare it vacant, and I would recommend that you advertise,” said Bellar, “but you have to fill the seat within 30 days of the declaration.”

A motion was made and passed to declare the seat of Councilman Lee Butram vacant.

Another motion was made and passed to advertise for someone to fill the position within 30 days for the remainder of Lee Butram’s term or until the next city election.

Butram’s resignation reads: 

To the City of Red Boiling Springs:

“Since I am occasionally required to attend work at the same time as meetings and used my better judgement to not attend two meetings after being called a pedophile by the mayor for allowing my 8 year old daughter to sit in my lap, I have decided I had rather not be on a council represented by a man that would even think those thoughts about a father letting his daughter sit with him. I am officially resigning from my position on the council effective January 9th at 8:00 a.m.” 

Signed, Lee Butram

In other business:

Ordinance No. 0-12-2019-1, an ordinance to amend certain parcels to the C-3 highway commercial zoning, passed on 1st reading. 

Mayor Hollis said this was the Gary Hudson property on the corner of 151 and the by pass.

The city council talked about what portion of the $83,000 accounts receivable (pass due bills) in the gas and water departments was current.

The mayor said people moved off or passed away and a lot of it was carried over and over.

Councilman McCrary said it shouldn’t be carried on the books as a current asset for more than 12 months – and they should write off what can’t be collected.

Mayor Hollis said they were going to have tighten up on people paying their bills.

The council voted to allow new employees $250 for uniforms, instead of $500.

Ordinance No. 0-01-2020-1, an ordinance to raise the price of grave lots at Whitley Cemetery to $300, passed on first reading.