The mosaic along Locust Street in downtown Lockney.
LOCKNEY – Lockney residents turned out in force to Tuesday morning’s city council meeting. Some came to throw their name into the hat for an appointed council seat, some to voice frustration at actions taken by the Lockney Police Department, but all because they said they want the best for their community.
Citizen comments are generally formalities as residents rarely attend public hearings, but on Tuesday morning a large number of people spoke. Three, Rosio Reyes, Rickey Basaldua and Milton Schaefer told the council they would like to be considered for the seat being vacated by Aaron Wilson. Another three, Daniel Saldana, Fred Cervantes and Amanda Thompson brought complaints against the Lockney Police Department.
Saldana’s complaint states he felt he was racially profiled for an undisclosed incident “I felt very stereotyped,” he told the council, stating he had spoke with City Manager Buster Poling last month about the incident but had not heard back. “We’re trying to engage with a third party so it will be independent,” Poling told the council. When asked for specifics Poling said he was “not at liberty to say” at the moment and would discuss it in executive session with the council. When pushed on the matter, Poling told residents the city wanted to make sure they had someone “totally objective and isolated from the situation” before adding they would like someone with law enforcement experience.
Cervantes came to speak regarding an April traffic stop, and read from an official complaint he filed with Poling last week. In it he quoted from the Texas Transportation Code and used specific examples of how Chief Casey Fitzwater failed to signal on two separate occasions on April 15. Cervantes claims Fitzwater was guilty of the same violation he has cited multiple people for. The second part of Cervantes’ complaint was from an April 29 stop where he was pulled over for not signaling, then being told the only reason he was receiving the ticket was for arguing with Fitzwater. “My rights as a citizen enable me to ask questions of public servants and to not be retaliated against with a citation” Cervantes said, adding that Fitzwater threatened to arrest him for wanting to read the citation and “not take his word for it.”
Cervantes asked the council to reprimand Fitzwater and expunge the ticket from his record. He also requested training for the department to de-escalate situations. He added that he wanted to get on the full council agenda to show his surveillance video from April 15 and lapel video he paid for of the April 29 incident, but was told that was not an option.
Thompson’s complaint was not for a claim of police overreach, but from supposed inaction. Thompson called 9-1-1 on May 15 after her neighbor attempted to break into her home. She asked for an officer to be sent to her home, but states that never happened; as instead the officer on duty contacted the neighbor’s caretaker to handle the situation. “I called the Floyd County Sheriff’s Dispatch to get in touch with our city police because (the neighbor) drunken, disorderly, slowly going out of his mind demented, what would have happened if he would have made it into my home?” Thompson then asked “Why do we have a city police here if they are not going to protect and serve?”
While there were no other formal comments from the public at that time, Poling did add that one other person had shown interest in the open seat “If it is to be filled.” Poling mentioned Jan Weir with Wilson Pharmacy had expressed an interest in the seat. “I don’t see her here,” Mayor Michael DeLeon said.
Reyes asked when the council would be filling the vacancy. “That will be determined by the council,” City Attorney Lanny Voss told her. “We have not had an opportunity to do any of that because the election just occurred.” Voss did add that it was up to the council to decide if they would even fill the seat, or let citizens decide it at the next regularly-scheduled election.
DeLeon, still in his position as mayor at this point in the meeting, addressed the council again saying Weir should be disqualified from consideration as she works for Aaron Wilson’s son at the pharmacy. “I feel that everything here is kind of rigged,” adding that the majority of the council had been appointed rather than voted in by the public.
Lockney EDC Director Brent Barker, as a member of the public, asked Voss a question of clarification. “Will the council appoint this position, or will there be an election?” “Again, the council has not had an opportunity to discuss the option since the election,” Voss said. “That will happen today in executive session. There will be discussion of the options and in the future there will be a decision.”
“Thank y’all for y’alls interest in the city and speaking up and addressing the council,” DeLeon told the crowd. “I know it takes a lot of time and effort and a lot of time out of y’alls work schedule and we want to thank everyone for coming out and doing it.”
Public comment ended at 7:30, and following a few procedural items DeLeon then gave his final mayor’s report before Wilson took the oath of office. In it he asked for greater transparency from the council and Poling. “I hope that you’ll be more attentive to our citizens and listen to their complaints.” DeLeon told the council residents have told him they feel discouraged and intimidated in bringing issues to Poling and feel “tossed around” and that they are not being heard. “I feel this is an issue that needs to be corrected, citizens deserve better.”
DeLeon also addressed his concerns with the police department, stating the need for more officers. “I believe we’ve done a disservice to the citizens,” he said in commenting on lack of police protection compared to previous staffing levels under the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office. DeLeon ended his comments addressing pay scale of city employees, and how they do not match across all departments. He added that despite not feeling like he could speak, he would put his name into consideration for Wilson’s seat if needed, but not before the other three in attendance. “Every citizen has a right to be heard.”
Before moving into closed session Councilman Donnie McLaughlin thanked the public for coming to the meeting. “Y’all have expressed y’alls comments, and that’s what needs to happen instead of going on Facebook.” He pointed out that with the swearing-in of Councilmen Dart Carthel and Steve Wright that everyone on the council excepted for himself was now duly elected. “These vacancies come up and nobody runs,” he said before adding he hopes that more residents will take an active role. “We’ve got a community and county we can be proud of.”
The council did not come back into open session. Poling said a motion to adjourn was made at the end of executive session. No action was taken on the items the public had raised, and no discussion took place on the now open At-Large seat. Poling told the Record it would be an agenda item to be discussed at the June 21 meeting.
In post-meeting statements, newly sworn-in Mayor Aaron Wilson said anyone is welcome to come to a regular council meeting, and that “Council is trying the best they can do to make Lockney the best place to raise a family.” Fitzwater also addressed the public, saying there are always complains about law enforcement. “It’s part of the job,” he said before adding “We are a very transparent agency.”
Poling also thanked the public for attending, “We appreciate the input from everyone.”
