Dear Editor,
This letter is to inform the town of Riverside that, as of July 30, 2021, I will no longer serve on the town council as a council member. My resignation is due to several things that have been done that I did not agree with and, unfortunately, I anticipate procedures concerning legal obligations will not change. As a write-in, I agreed to serve the people of Riverside. The following statements highlight some of the things that steered my resignation.
I feel that the way some of the town council members read and/or interpret the ordinances for the town are not always in line with how they are written. Some of the ordinances are interpreted to fit individual personal opinions rather than following legalities.
There are several ordinances that are not written for this town. They were based on other towns with different needs. When I suggested the ordinances be reviewed and clarified to make them relevant to our town, there was a substantial lack of interest.
The content and language used in letters to citizens with ordinance violations are not always approved by the town council. The mayor writes what he feels is appropriate, and without the review/approval of the town council.
The town council agrees to obtain legal advice regarding specific questions. The mayor has changed the questions without approval and the town council is unaware of the changes until the following month.
A request for street lighting, to be paid for by the town, was voted down in one meeting only to be brought back to the able and approved in the next meeting. The fact that the request had been voted down before was not considered.
When I was sworn in to serve on the town council, I was asked to assists on the street’s maintenance. Fred L. (Lorenz) and I made some decisions on ditch work on 4th street and who the contractor would be. Fred L. and the mayor made other arrangements as what to do and who would do it without a word to me.
In the short time I have served on the town council, I have felt the mayor has done as he wishes, and the town council members have no control over these decisions. The mayor readily admits he knows he cannot make decisions without town council approval.
I will no longer serve and regret letting the people of Riverside down as they also wanted to see change.
Sincerely,
Dean W. Webb
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