Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
The Marlinton Town Council meeting Monday evening was filled with contention as some town residents shared complaints about the actions and inaction of code enforcement officer and councilmember Scott Gibb.
First to speak was Crystal Dean, who shared several incidents that occurred with Gibb.
Dean shared a printout of at least a dozen pages of photos she took inside town limits of homes with garbage in the yards and asked why Gibb had not had these homes cleaned up.
At the last council meeting, Dean and her partner, Danny Akers, were discussed due to an issue with Akers transporting belongings of a former tenant to the parking lot of Diane Apartments.
Dean asked why the town swiftly removed that refuse and has not cleaned up any of the other residences that have garbage outside.
In addition to the concern about residences with garbage around them, Dean said she had recordings of Gibb she wanted to share with council. The first was regarding it taking eight months to get water to one of her properties in town.
Dean said Gibb told her there would be a two-inch line to get the house on town water and he stated at the meeting that he did not say this. Dean played the recording in which Gibb mentioned the two-inch line.
The second recording was made at the town office during one of Dean’s visits to Gibb’s office to ask about a permit. During the conversation, Gibb can be heard making derogatory comments about gender identity.
After Dean finished sharing her complaints, Akers spoke about his interactions with Gibb which included a verbal altercation outside the town building the day after last month’s meeting.
Akers said Gibb had his truck parked in such a manner that part of his vehicle was in the driving lane of Second Avenue and Akers was unable to get around him. When he motioned for Gibb to move the vehicle, Akers admitted he was still very upset after the meeting and was ready for a fight.
He and Gibb had a verbal altercation and after Akers left, the police were called to the town office. Gibb and other witnesses made statements, and the police reviewed the surveillance video.
Akers said he then returned to the office and told Gibb to join him outside for a fight, which did not occur.
Next, Zed Weatherholt said he was appalled that Gibb, an elected official and town employee, said such derogatory things and said council needed to do something to discipline him.
Mayor Sam Felton replied that a letter will be put in Gibb’s employee file regarding the complaint.
In response to Dean’s complaint, Felton said that until the issue could be resolved, that it would be best if she would approach him directly with her permit requests and any other requests that she would need to make with Gibb.
Dean said that was a stupid resolution and it didn’t fix the core issue.
As tempers flared and the back and forth continued to rise in crescendo, Felton stated “This meeting is over.” The audience got up to leave, although there were still items on the agenda to discuss.
When asked if the council approved for the meeting to be over, Felton said there were still items to discuss. When he was told that he just stated it was over, he said that he meant that particular discussion was over.
The issue regarding the complaint was not resolved and council went into executive session without Gibb to further discuss the matter. Council- members Olivia Dean and Tom Miller were absent from the meeting.
In business, council approved:
• the third and final reading of an ordinance to establish minimum setback requirements.
• the second reading of corrections to the ordinance to amend the refuse and garbage ordinance and increase in collection rates.
• the first reading of changes to general penalty ordinance.