Immediately following an hour-long workshop, the Wednesday night Feb. 24, City Advertising and Promotion meeting included three executive sessions, two official complaints by the Chair about the staff, termination of the interim director, and the finance director being placed on 60-day probation. This hefty agenda was also the first meeting for the newest commissioner, Patrick Burnett.
Just a week ago, commissioners stripped Interim-Director Gina Rambo of her title with no public explanation. Commissioners terminated Rambo at this meeting. Before this decision was made, Chair Jeff Carter read two separate and public complaints. The first was a notice to the public that a police investigation is currently open on the operations of the CAPC.
Chair Jeff Carter announced, “On Monday, February 8, through the advice of private counsel, I met with Police Chief Brian Young of the Eureka Springs Police Department to discuss the possibility of misconduct within the CAPC. A police report was filed and an investigation is underway. Under the advice of private counsel I have no further comments at this time.”
The second complaint was read into the minutes by Carter as it was submitted to Mayor Butch Berry regarding Rambo’s detrimental and unprofessional behavior. “It has come to my attention that Gina Rambo attacked me personally through a series of phone calls, messages, around town to local merchants, tax collectors, and citizens in the days leading up to the January 27 meeting. It is my belief that these comments and messages sent out were in an effort to discredit me, my business, and the work of the commission. These accusations that were made were completely fabricated and false. As the weeks have progressed, I have continued to receive more confirmations that this negative campaign took place.” Commissioner Bobbie Foster responded, “It goes both ways.”
Commissioners then went into executive session and terminated Rambo. Foster was opposed.
In an FOIA response from city hall, a partial social media messenger exchange was recovered that revealed some of the threat felt by Carter leading up to the commission’s decision to terminate Rambo.
The following message was sent by Rambo to local business owner and tax collector Rodney Slane about the A&P commissioners. Rambo said, “…I would say that I didn’t like people like this representing your businesses that rely on tourism.”
Rambo wrote the following of another commissioner, “…James [DeVito] is anti-everything… as a business owner I wouldn’t want his negativity representing me.” She then discusses Carter, “…he seriously doesn’t like any strong woman—and that’s not something I throw out there often but he talks down to both of us… he does not understand the rules… he doesn’t think the laws apply… he also oversteps his bounds.”
Rambo further discussed Mayor Butch Berry and his assistant Kim Stryker writing, “…Yeah, we don’t know where to go… to get a ruling through the municipal league it has to go through the mayor too and he and Kim have been awful.”
After Rambo was terminated, commissioners went into a second and third executive session where Group Sales Director Karen Pryor and Finance Director Rick Bright were said to be discussed. Results of those sessions determined Pryor’s employment to be unchanged, but Bright was unanimously placed on 60-day probation. It was made clear that Bright was not suspended without pay but was to continue to work with pay during a probationary period.
Nothing was made public regarding this decision, however Bright had written the January 27 meeting minutes in which a mistake was made regarding the commission vote that was debated in February by city council regarding removal of commissioner Greg Moon. The incorrect minutes stated the vote was 3-2-1, but Carter amended the minutes to accurately reflect the legal vote of 4-2-1. Carter stated that the commission secretary will be responsible for writing the minutes from this point forward.
Carter stated that the public can expect new transparencies from the commission. He said those efficiencies will begin with publicly posted video recordings of all meetings and workshops. He also said the overhead monitor will be utilized to present working documents during the meetings.
Carter called for commissioners to liaise with specific stakeholders and Burnett was chosen to collaborate with the city’s advertising agency, Paradise Marketing.
Bright said there was a communication gap between tax collectors and the CAPC because of the vacancy in the director position. Commissioners Melissa Greene and Harry Meyer were chosen to work with city tax collectors.
“I do the tax collection,” Bright said, “I try to keep us all out of jail by making sure the audits come out well every year.”
Commissioners discussed performing financial audits to address inconsistencies and/or fraud.