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"Deeply troubling concerns with a lack of adherence to the rule of law concerning council decisions and observing Virginia statute governing personnel hiring practices."
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The candidate Charlottesville City Council offered the position of interim City Manager is revealing his reasoning for turning down the job. In a letter obtained by NBC29, Sidney “Cape” Zemp blames, in part, Mayor Nikuyah Walker's actions breaching the confidential hiring process, saying it exposes her "serious ethical shortcomings." Zemp points to "the controversy contrived by the mayor and her questionable motivations" as a reason for refusing the job offer. He goes on to write, "the mayor's actions following the council's decision revealed deeply troubling concerns with a lack of adherence to the rule of law concerning council decisions and observing Virginia statute governing personnel hiring practices".
NBC29
In a letter sent to Charlottesville City Council on Tuesday, Sidney C. Zemp told the City Council he does not want to be interim city manager because of “serious ethical shortcomings” on the council. In an email early Thursday morning, Mayor Nikuyah Walker did not respond directly to Zemp’s letter. She instead asked whether city officials had also released his cover letter and a video of the council's interview of Zemp. City officials did not release those materials. Walker said she wants the public to see what he said to the council in the interview and his cover letter. She said it appeared that he wanted to serve as the permanent city manager after serving in the interim period. “We have been asked by multiple constituents for reasoning why he withdrew,” Councilor Heather Hill said. “And it’s clear in his letter; so we were looking to provide that transparency to the public but also respect his right to privacy.”
The Daily Progress
Marc Edwards, the Virginia Tech professor who worked to expose the Flint, Michigan water crisis, is suing three former collaborators turned critics, accusing them of defamation. Edwards, who received international notoriety through his Flint work, is seeking $3 million from Yanna Lambrinidou, a former Virginia Tech adjunct faculty member based in Washington, D.C., Paul Schwartz a D.C.-based clean water activist, and Melissa Mays, a Flint resident. Edwards alleges in a suit filed in Montgomery County Circuit Court that the trio defamed him and conspired against him. The 22-page lawsuit alleges they “entered into an ongoing civil conspiracy to attack and damage Edwards’ professional reputation” through social media posts, critical statements in media articles and a scathing letter. Edwards alleges in the suit that a letter sent by Mays, Lambrinidou and Schwartz and signed by a group of Flint residents is defamatory. That letter accuses Edwards of stymieing citizen efforts to self-organize, defaming Flint citizens, obstructing Flint’s right for self-determination and abusing his scientific authority with no checks or balances.
The Roanoke Times
NOTE: Edwards was VCOG's 2017 FOI citizen award winner.
The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors met Thursday night in a special session at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research for the purpose of discussing county issues and the Department of Social Services. Four resolutions were passed Thursday night in regards to DSS. The supervisors have requested a full financial audit into the spending at Pittsylvania County‘s Department of Social Services.
Star-Tribune
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