Trina Baughn
Charlie Hensley
Note: This story was updated at 7:08 p.m.
On one hand is Oak Ridge City Council member Trina Baughn. She’s called for an investigation of the police chief.
On the other is City Council member Charlie Hensley. He wants the seven-member Council to reprimand Baughn.
It’s not clear which side, if either, will prevail during the Monday night meeting of the Oak Ridge City Council.
The two Council members, who have a strained relationship, have dueling resolutions that could be considered on Monday. Either one would require a second from another Council member to be discussed and four votes to be approved.
Both resolutions follow more than one week of accusations and allegations that have roiled and divided the community. They have focused, in particular, on the management of the Oak Ridge Police Department by Chief Jim Akagi and raised questions about the turnover rate and whether it is high. Some of the most blistering criticisms have come from former Oak Ridge Police Chief David Beams, who said he still visits the city.
Some city officials and business owners lament the effect that the negative publicity might have on economic development and the recruitment of residents. But others who support Baughn, who kick-started the public discussion, argue that there are legitimate concerns that need to be investigated.
Baughn’s resolution calls for a City Council investigation of certain alleged actions by the police chief as well as his relationship to the city manager. In particular, her resolution would have the Council:
- Investigate alleged policy violations by Akagi, including those made in a grievance filed January 14 by former ORPD Officer Christopher Bayless, letters sent to reporters by Beams and former Lieutenant Jack Mansfield, and emails sent to Council members by someone who appears to be using a pseudonym but writes under the name “Bobby Hill.” (See more about those stories here and here.)
- Investigate the relationship between City Manager Mark Watson and Akagi before they started working in Oak Ridge, and determine whether taxpayer money was unnecessarily paid to a recruiting firm that led the search for a new police chief and whether Akagi was previously employed by Watson’s father in Lawrence, Kansas, as a law enforcement officer. (In an interview last week, Watson acknowledged that the two men have some connections—they graduated from the same high school some seven or eight years apart, Akagi once worked for the Lawrence Police Department, and Watson’s father was once city manager there—but Watson said he and Akagi did not know each other before the police chief applied for the Oak Ridge job. “There’s nothing there,” Watson said. “It’s not an issue.”)
- Investigate whether Akagi violated an order of protection issued in Blount County Circuit Court and in effect from April 11, 2012, to June 19, 2013. The investigation could be used to determine whether Akagi violated a directive to not possess a firearm.
Hensley’s resolution, meanwhile, asks City Council to show its disapproval and officially rebuke Baughn. It wouldn’t have legal weight, but it would serve as a reprimand. It would ask Baughn to “cease premature release of biased and negatively spun information prior to verification and discussion by City Council as a whole.”
In an email to city officials, Hensley said Baughn has released negatively biased information and unverified accusations to the media without consideration, discussion, and deliberation by the Council.
“I feel that City Council should act as a body to address the ongoing issue of Councilwoman Baughn’s use of her Council position as a bully pulpit to publicly harass, demean, and discredit members of Oak Ridge city staff, our schools, and the Board of Education, and for the resulting overall negative impacts on the image, functionality, and desirability of our city,” Hensley said in the email.
In the resolution, he said Council members are supposed to have an equal role in determining the direction of the city government, but Baughn’s actions—including a premature release of “biased,” “one-sided information”—creates a bias among residents before the City Council has been able to officially act. The targeted victims don’t have a chance to respond in a timely manner, said Hensley, who also asked that Baughn be removed from all committee assignments.
The Oak Ridge City Charter allows the City Council to investigate certain activities of city departments, but four members would have to approve the investigation requested by Baughn. If approved, the investigation could include subpoenas, testimony, and the presentation of evidence.
It’s not clear if the City Council has ever initiated this type of investigation before. It’s allowed under Article II, Section 9, of the Oak Ridge City Charter.
On Tuesday, City Attorney Ken Krushenski said he doesn’t recall a investigation of this type since he started in Oak Ridge in 2001.
The meeting on Monday, February 9, starts at 7 p.m. in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom. See the agenda here.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
Matt Bailey says
The sad part is that most every article about Trina contains the phrase “divided the community”. And she insures that there are a lot of articles about her.
Mark Caldwell says
Come on people. Let the tea partiers keep talking. That’s their best weapon against themselves.
Keep talking TPers. Keep talking.
David Allred says
I think every governed body, whether it is City Council or Education or even churches can benefit from the 10th man principal the Israeli’s employ. Basically, if nine people agree it is the job of the 10th to make a case against group think, no matter how improbable or unlikely. Personally, rather than go through with the described proceeding on either side, I’d like to see Council —
#1 Accept the need for voices like Ms. Baughn’s and find ways to integrate such voices into the total decision-making process in ways that are beneficial and healthy.
#2 Begin immediate mediation sessions with a unbiased mediator — and be trained formally in the mediation methods for settling disagreements.
#3 Find a more wholesome way to communicate grievances to the city than the newspaper.
David Allred says
Lesson’s From Israel’s Intelligence Reforms [1]:
The devil’s advocate office ensures that AMAN’s intelligence assessments are creative and do not fall prey to group think. The office regularly criticizes products coming from the analysis and production divisions, and writes opinion papers that counter these departments’ assessments. The staff in the devil’s advocate office is made up of extremely experienced and talented officers who are known to have a creative, “outside the box” way of thinking. Perhaps as important, they are highly regarded by the analysts. As such, strong consideration is given to their conclusions and their memos go directly to the office of the Director of Military Intelligence, as well as to all major decision makers. The devil’s advocate office also proactively combats group think and conventional wisdom by writing papers that examine the possibility of a radical and negative change occurring within the security environment. This is done even when the defense establishment does not think that such a development is likely, precisely to explore alternative assumptions and worst-case scenarios.
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2007/10/intelligence%20kuperwasser/10_intelligence_kuperwasser.pdf
Philip W Nipper says
Typically, effective leaders will seek out ways to determine root causes of problems and find permanent solutions via effective communication within their area of responsibility, within their working group and their chain of command. It has been my experience this does not include “airing your dirty laundry in public”. Finger pointing and accusatory styles of leadership usually earn little or no points with the people in your charge. In this case, the voting public. At a minimum, I hope a “lessons learned” data base is being formed by all parties involved with this case so mistakes won’t be repeated in the future.
Matt Bailey says
Evening, David. An interesting concept. I don’t think anyone rejects the notion that not everyone will agree at all times. Who would want that? And certainly we expect our elected officials to look out for us. But, it all boils down to “attitude and presentation”. I can’t remember the last time this particular councilperson has had anything positive to say about Oak Ridge. Her presentation perhaps leave more than a little to be desired. I think it’s easy to guess that Bob Fowler and WATE must be on speed dial.
Unfortunately, your second point proves my points. NO one knows yet if there’s a disagreement. Trina has attempted to set the ground rules thru the media before giving her fellow councilmen the courtesy and professionalism of discussing her concerns like mature adults. There might not even be a disagreement. Her behavior has completely clouded the issue of her concerns about the Chief.
By the way …. who’s going to pay for a mediator? How much does one cost? If she’d handled this – and so many other matters – like a mature adult, no one would even think of a mediator.
David Allred says
Media is a pretty powerful tool for sure. As a pastor, my experience with it is always in spreading a positive word. I suspect every other non-profit sees it that way too. For the most part, the school district, the Chamber, and every other seat of power sees it that way. Outside of letter writing (from some pretty familiar voices), or the occasional scandal, media doesn’t serve us very well as a means of public discourse. There’s not much room for airing “bad press” when it comes to questioning our institutions that hold power. Unless a DA gets drunk and gets caught on camera and a governor proceeds to overstep his authority and cease funding an agency (think Texas), there just isn’t much to report. There are a ton a good things though, and wouldn’t be surprised if a great many of our institutions also have the media on speed dial, ready to report every glimmer of good news.
But I don’t think anyone believes that there aren’t back room conversations in this town. Heck, it’s politics. Everyone keeps one eyebrow raised. As part of mediation, I’d be interested to know our leaders’ position on full transparency and what mechanisms other than the press might be in place for citizens to step into that level of authenticity.
(I actually loved what the city did on communicating about Clark Park and what the schools are doing with technology town halls. I think we need more of that & less of what we have now.)
As to going to the media first on this issue, I know I did the council prayer back in October – maybe earlier – and I stuck around for an issue that had me curious. What I didn’t expect to hear were comments about the police retention rates in that meeting. I have no idea what became of it, but I would assert with confidence that the press wasn’t where Mrs. Baughn went first, as that meeting was about three months or even longer ago.
Personally, I loathe politics for these very reasons. I know both Mr. Hensley and Ms. Baughn pretty well and enjoy their company equally. I don’t agree on everything they vote for or against, but don’t much think that jeopardizes our relationship. Of course, as a pastor, I am most interested in relationships, which is why I think mediation is a good solution to our town woes in this regard.
As to what it costs, there was a group that does mediation professionally out of Clinton. I bet they’d volunteer their time in that regard. I also know a panel of pastors who are equally concerned with relationships that would be free of charge too.
Anne Garcia Garland says
First: “Open government” interpretations by officials in Nashville and echoed by MTAS Knoxville pretty much preclude council people from discussing anything outside of a public meeting that may foreseeably come to a vote, This councilwoman has diligently worked to stay within the confines of the law. Don’t know what experience the commenters here have with trying to get a serious discussion of any topic the city manager doesn’t wish to pursue. It isn’t easy (read, next to impossible.) Councilwoman Baughn is not the only council member to request of the city manager that the management of the police department be given scrutiny. The last time we had an Executive Meeting on the subject those of us inquiring were met with ridicule and shaming. The council has changed and perhaps this new group will respond to the concerns of their fellow council member and those of the officers and citizens who have pled for help with the disfunction in the department. Second: All communications among city council and city staff are subject to open gov’t rules and available to the press. No foul in simplifying their search. Third: When people feel it necessary to close down any serious discussion of difficult issues that is a symptom of much deeper ills. I look at this as an opportunity to practice open government, include the citizens who pay for the government, and pursue a resolution with dignified evaluation. It may be uncomfortable to discuss some challenges the city encounters but failing to do so honestly, earnestly and openly will lead to much more complicated and noxious ones.
Matt Bailey says
Anne, I respect your comments and appreciate you insight. Yes, I’d like to think that a dignified evaluation could occur….unfortunately, I believe that Trina has created such a horrible environment that the word “dignified” cannot now exist in anything she touches. Perhaps that’s why Charlie and others think it best she be disciplined and perhaps excluded from various committees. She’s orchestrated yet another horrible experience. Her effectiveness and truthfulness are now questionable. Has her Heitman obsession clouded her judgement? Those people who are obviously close to her keep returning to that case. Yet the FBI and TBI seem to have no interest in this case.
I say again….Trina sure had a strong affection for the Chief when he was working with her on the schools issues. Yet, from what I hear, when he refused her requests on the Heitman case, she punted him to the side of the road, like she did with Andrew Howe. We deserve a more professional behavior from our council person.
Joseph Lee says
Ms. Baughn should resign from City Council effective immediately. It’s time to pull the plug on the dark light she has been casting, put the brakes on her drama train and get back to work.
Had she the backbone to launch her first assalt on our city government prior to her election as opposed to insulting this community just before her first official meeting, she would never have been elected to start with.
The good news is we are in the last half of her last term as an elected official in Oak Ridge.
Peggy Tiner says
Oak Ridge city council and manager do not want the people of the city to hear anything except good news. If they manage to get Ms. Baughn out we will continue to be treated like mushrooms: kept in the dark and fed manure.