A special council meeting on Wednesday, March 18 devolved into yelling and accusations of lies, followed by a 40-minute recess during which council and staff tried to come to some kind of an accord. At issue: the procurement of a laptop, and one council member’s efforts to get that laptop more quickly, even though it violated policy.
In January, newly elected Leland Councilmember Frank Pendleton wanted a laptop. Council members are typically issued an iPad, so the town council took it to a vote on January 12 and agreed to get him a laptop matching the specs of those received by town staff.
According to a legal memo generated in the aftermath of these interactions, “On January 15, Staff and Councilperson Pendleton learned that the estimated time of delivery was 13+ plus weeks. Councilperson Pendleton understandably was frustrated.”…