City Council - Special Meeting

Welcome to tonight's special call on Muskogee City Council.

Ms. Cranford, would you be so kind to give us an invitation?

Heavenly Father, we come before you tonight thanking you for this day that you have made. We thank you for your wisdom and for your knowledge and for your understanding. We pray tonight that you would be with us, that you would be with each and every citizen, Father God, that you would be with those that are In this issue on tonight, Lord God, we pray for their families. We pray for their strength. We pray for this community as a whole. Father, we pray that you would continue to guide us, first of all. Continue to keep us in your care and in your unity and make wise decisions when we make decisions. Allow us to be transparent before these citizens. Allow us to do things decent and in order. Allow this conversation to be held decently and in order. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Mayor Ryan Lowe, Deputy Mayor Derek Reed, Tracy Hoose, Shirley Hilton Flannery, Melody Cranford, Dan Hall, Tom Martindale, Mike Brawley, and Jeremy Shuler. Hold a discussion to review the legal opinion of interim city attorney Carrie Spencer regarding the continuation of the management agreement between Neighbors Building Neighborhoods and the Martin Luther King Community Center Trust Authority, the perceived conflict of interest involving a seated council member and a physician at the MLK Community Center, and take other necessary action.

When I called this meeting tonight, I knew there would be emotion involved, and for good reason. We're talking about a very good man. But we also have some housekeeping, so to speak, that we need to look at, and we're going to do that tonight. Having said that, I sat down and can't hear? How's that? Just a second. Any better? Okay, I'll try to speak loud. Is that better? Good evening, everyone, and thank you for being here and staying engaged in our community. Thank you for showing up and joining the full council in support of our deputy mayor. I want to be clear from the beginning, this is not to judge Mr. Reid's performance or his extensive career in serving the community. Deputy Mayor Reed is a huge part, if not the biggest part, of what makes the MLK Center so special and so successful. Much can be said about his service to our community and to the children who depend on and enjoy the King Center so much. He has been a steadfast champion of our city council and his efforts to provide quality services to the citizens we serve. He has my full faith and support in fulfilling his role in any community-involved role. Unfortunately, tonight we are here to discuss the potential legal pitfalls of how we have been providing those great services to our citizens. When serious issues arise that are perceived to violate or may violate the law, it is our duty to act in order to protect ourselves, the city, and the citizens we serve. How did we get here? Questions and concerns have been raised over the years regarding this very issue, and no real resolution has been found. During the budgeting and audit process, the matter surfaced again, and additional questions were raised. A council member who also sits on the board of the MLK Center approached the interim city attorney and requested a legal opinion. Based on her research, consultation with others, and applicable case law, she provided an opinion. She provided an opinion to them based on that research. I want to thank her for being transparent with the council in offering her opinion based on the legal merits alone. I feel that we are in great hands with our current city attorney. She has proven that her legal opinions begin with protecting the city from lawsuits and improprieties. It is the council's responsibility to act on that opinion. She was only fulfilling her role as city attorney at the request of council. Whether we agree with that opinion or not, it does not change the law. The law applies to everyone, not just a select few, and we must hold it in the highest regard. Once I was made aware of the situation by members of the public, I asked the city attorney if the rumors were true. She said they were and informed me of the significance of ignoring it. I called this special meeting for those reasons and those reasons alone. Transparency exists when everyone is held to the same standard every time. We're here tonight to discuss it and make a decision on how we move forward. It is my desire to find a remedy that serves the council, Mr. Reid, the MLK Center, and the citizens we serve. The only agenda is to protect everyone involved from breaking the law. The greatest tragedy in all of this is that Mr. Reed has fallen victim to a system that has plagued our city for decades, a system driven by complacency, fear, and outside influences, a system that has held our community back for as long as I can remember. Like most things that have come before this council in recent years and the foreseeable future, we are addressing things that should have been addressed long before we took office. We are elected to make difficult decisions. We are derelict in our duties if we ignore a known issue and leave it for someone else to fix. If we're going to move forward, we must hold ourselves and one another accountable. Since I have taken office, I have made it clear that we must clean up our own backyard before we judge someone else's. It is my sincerest hope that we continue to work together as one community and focus on delivering results for those who matter most, the citizens of Muskogee, Oklahoma. In a few moments, we will be opening up for public comment. I encourage each of you to speak from your heart on Mr. Reed and how he's impacted your life throughout his career. I look forward to hearing about this great man and all the positive impacts he has made through his life. I would be shocked if anyone signed up to speak tonight has anything negative to say about Mr. Reed. I hope during the public comment period we get a sense of the citizens' desire to follow the law in all cases, regardless of the reasons being discussed. Thank you. And I've asked Ms. Spencer to make a statement and give us her legal opinion. Ms. Spencer.

Thank you, Mayor. Council, the City Attorney's Office was asked to give a legal opinion on a specific set of circumstances, not a specific person. The question raised was whether a sitting council member has a conflict of interest by acting as the director of an entity that's funded by public city funds. This time, this question, the entity happens to be the Martin Luther King Trust and the Martin Luther King Center, and the sitting council member happens to be Deputy Mayor Derek Reed. The legal analysis and final legal opinion would be the same, no matter who the sitting council member is, no matter who the entity is. The Oklahoma Constitution, counsel who provided consultation on this matter to neighbors building neighborhoods, the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, and opinions of the Oklahoma Attorney General have all reached the same conclusions as the Office of the City Attorney. Where the conflict arises is engaging in the duties of director of the MLK Center that includes day-to-day operations and decision-making and giving direction to staff. Those activities create an interest in the city for the deputy mayor as operational decisions affect the general welfare and prosperity of the center itself. The center is funded by the Martin Luther King Community Trust Authority via public funds from the city of Muscogee, more than $1 million since 2018. Specifically, those funds were earmarked for the general operations of the Martin Luther King Center. While Deputy Mayor Reed's role as director of the center is not paid by those funds, the interest created by that role is an indirect conflict of interest. That indirect conflict of interest is in violation of Article 10, Section 11 of the Oklahoma Constitution, which attaches criminal liability for violations. And it is a violation of the city's charter and ordinances, specifically Section 3-8, which requires council members to comply with laws that include, that are not limited to, laws pertaining to conflicts of interest. and Section 3.9, which prohibits council members from being in positions of organizational responsibility, which may give the appearance of a conflict of interest. And the Oklahoma Ethics Commission has indicated that serving in an authoritative role, such as being the director of an entity that is funded by city funds, is an intangible benefit that could trigger conflict of interest or misuse of office provisions of the law. Further, the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office has issued opinions number 2021-32 and 2024-8 explaining indirect conflict of interest and how such violations are or are not cured. These opinions were the result of questions posed by state legislators who asked specifically if city council members have a conflict of interest if working, uncompensated by city funds for an entity that receives city funds. Those AG opinions both stated the constitutional prohibition is plain and unconditional. No city official may receive directly or indirectly any interest, profit, or perquisite that arises from the use of public funds. A conflict of interest exists when a city official has any interest that arises from the use of city funds by a private entity, even if the city official does not have a proprietary interest in the private entity, and even if the city official's compensation is not paid out of any funds received by the private entity. The opinion goes on to say that the official has an interest in the city funds received by the private entity, even if not paid by them, if that entity would not survive without city funds. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year alone, the Martin Luther King Trust had income of $203,872.29 and expenses of $214,563.18. The city provided public funds in the amount of $145,000 to cover the cost of operating expenses. Indeed, without the public funds from the city, the trust in the center would not have had enough income. Mr. Reid's interest in the general welfare and prosperity of the trust and the Martin Luther King Center, along with the dire need of the funding the city provides, creates that indirect conflict of interest for Mr. Reid that's prohibited by the Constitution. And on that same note, Mr. Reid acts in the capacity of the MLK Center Director, a building that is owned by the trust, but which, as the beneficiary, the city chooses to provide the maintenance for. That maintenance is performed by City of Muskogee staff. When on campus, it is conceivable that as the center director, Mr. Reid would give direction to that city staff regarding the completion of those duties. Pursuant to Section 205 of the city charter, council members are prohibited from giving orders to any employees who are subject to the direction and supervision of the city manager. The possibility of directing staff on maintenance projects would put Mr. Reed squarely in violation of another city charter provision. It is not the opinion of the Office of the City Attorney that Deputy Mayor Reid has intentionally engaged in any behaviors that created this conflict of interest. Rather, the duties that he's assumed over the years by him on behalf of the trust have created a conflict of interest requiring the council to consider solutions to ensure that Deputy Mayor Reid the city are all protected from being in violation of the law while still allowing Mr. Reed to continue to serve our community as he has for many years. I know that the council is going to ask what some possible solutions are, and I'm happy to address those, but I think we have a number of citizens who are anxious to speak, and so we can come back to that as we further the conversation, Mayor.

Real quick, I would like the attorney for the trust to come on up and just give their opinion on this real quick. Oh, wait, we don't have one yet. This meeting's next week. We haven't had a chance. So, sorry, guys. Maybe next week the trust will come up with that.

So, before the citizens come up to speak, I do have something I would like to say before they speak. Thank you. I didn't know we weren't going to have an opportunity to do what we wanted to do. I know that there is some copy of some information that was given to citizens. However, the document that was given to us. I take great issue with the subjective information in it, all the capitalizations, and I want to go on the record for saying that. I also would like to know how Judge Tucker, speaking of conflicts of interest, was the Honorable Judge Tucker, who was the author of the trust indenture document, was spoken to on behalf of this document as the judge. Speaking of conflicts of interest, I would also like to know when you spoke to the Attorney General, because in the documentation that we received, it is perceived and sounds as if you did that on our behalf and not the two case opinions that you listed in here. I would also like to know during what budgeting any council member and who that council member was, because it should be documented on record, asked for this. I would like to know that. And I would like to know also what these attorneys said to you. And I would like, if this is going to be public record, I would also like Mr. Reed's alleged wages redacted from this or deleted. Because no person in this audience or on this council would want anyone to know their wages. If this is going to be a discussion, his amount of pay should not be in this. And I just, again, getting this yesterday at 4.35. After citizens are calling, our mayor has just said that citizens had called him and spoken to him. I take great offense, and I wanted to be heard in my tone tonight that I received this documentation on a decision that you wanted us to make or take other necessary action on tonight at 4.30 yesterday. I will have other questions, but as for now.

Councilor Cranford, I did not speak to the Attorney General. What I'm referring to is their published opinions.

I know, but I wanted the citizens to know that because the way this documentation is worded, it words as if you spoke to some people on our behalf and you did not. And I do want the citizens to know that you did not do that on behalf of the city of Muskogee. You read something and you are citing something that you read. Okay.

And then you also asked about speaking to Judge Tucker. Was that the question?

That is one of them.

Will you clarify the question, please?

I would like to know, based on conflict of interest, how you spoke to Judge Tucker. Was he spoken to as the judge? Because as the judge, he should not have been. I am... Because it just says Judge Tucker, so I need clarification.

I spoke with Judge Tucker to get the background, as he was the author of the original trust indenture in 2016, to get the background to make sure that I wasn't missing something that... eliminated the conflict of interest. And with regard to that, I know there's been some question as to why are we having this conversation now. In 2016, everything was fine. And I do understand that in 2016, what may have been legal or may have been not a conflict of interest, has since been looked at by the Attorney General, who has fleshed out and published opinions, further interpretation and application of the law. And again, the trust was formed in 2016. The opinions that I was reading and applying to the circumstances are from 2021. in 2024. And those opinions indicate that what may have been acceptable in 2016 may now indeed not.

I understand that. My point was not that you read them. My point was to let the citizens know that you read them. I understand what they say. I read them myself. But I wanted them to know that I read them like you read them and you did not speak to anyone. I also want to know during what budget meeting what budget meeting I mean, I just want to know because I was in all of those meetings, and I guess I missed somebody asking me to do this.

I think a budget meeting may have been an improper choice of words. Okay. As I understood the way the questions came to be is it was we were at a time where it was time for, the management agreement that the trust has between the trust and neighbors building neighborhoods to be looked at and renewed, and that there was some question there as NBN's board was determining what their management agreement was going to be, what their role was going to be, and the question arose so that...

Arose from whom?

Arose from NBN, from the information I had.

So from NBN, not from a council member, because you just said that you were asked during a budget meeting and then a council member asked you. So it was not a council member.

I did not say that I was asked during a budget meeting. I said I was asked by a council member, is there a conflict? Can you look at that?

During an NBN meeting.

I was not at an NBN meeting. I was not at an NBN meeting.

No, it wasn't an NBN meeting. I know my name has been thrown around there a few times. The council member that has been alluded to that I came out and sought this opinion. I went and asked for this. That's not really 100% true. I got a text message on the 21st of May asking if I could meet to discuss the MLK and the trust from city management and city attorney. And in that meeting was whenever it was brought to my attention that this is a conflict, that it's a conflict and a serious conflict and probably against the law and every other research that we've done. And so that's what led to this opinion. So if there's a conflict, you know, you have to tell us the city attorney. So that's how this came about. It didn't come about that any single council member went asking for this. I was sought out and drug into this on this meeting, okay? So someone brought me in and said that they feel that this is a conflict. Now, with that being said... And my comment earlier about a trust, like where's our trust attorney and all that, is because it's also been said that there was luncheons this week, okay? All right, there was supposed to be some luncheons this week. I did reach out to Kendall and Carrie this weekend and say, listen, the trust has had a chance to meet. We met with one attorney. However, we've been referred to another attorney. We came to meet with that attorney until next week. And not only that, we actually have a private benefactor that might actually put in some possible solutions about putting the MLK Center on its own foundation. I mean, it's a true possibility. Okay? So I said, to have a meeting right now is a bit premature. I might need one or two weeks. But I was told that someone up here called, basically the exact words was, I call them BS, and now we're at this special call meeting. You're expected to take action tonight. All this is is a deal to kind of bring this up. We don't even have all the information to be able to give proper solutions yet. But we're here. It's been called. So you're going to hear us. We're all going to say what we've got to say.

Thank you. I want to add just for referencing Judge Roy Tucker. Prior to Judge Roy Tucker being the judge, he was the city attorney. He was the city attorney for the city of Muskogee in 2012 when I first decided to run for city council. He was the city attorney in 2016 when I ran for re-election. He was the city attorney when I ran in 2020. There was another city attorney in 2024. You fill out an application, you pay $1 to run, and if there are things that prohibit you from being a candidate, why weren't they identified then?

Just for a second. I would also like to, to that point, know if we keep having this discrepancy between the deputy mayor's roles at the Martin Luther King Center. During all of this vetting, was his original application ever looked at to determine what job he applied for or what job he was given?

I'm sorry, his original application for council member?

For NBN, does it state that he applied for a youth program director or does it state that he applied for a director, if neither of the two, who decided to make him what? Because I have two conflict and business cards. I would like to know that. Again, I think this special call meeting is so premature because we did negate the meetings where we were going to discuss this so that I could ask those questions before I got these questions. And I'm disappointed in the fact that we are here tonight without that happening. And we continue to look incompetent because people jump the gun to do things because they are pushed by other people and not the nine of us.

To answer your question, I have not seen Mr. Reed's original application.

Then how did you make these determinations and give us a legal opinion without doing those things? And have that legal opinion spread abroad without doing those things? You did a disservice to Counselor Reed, whether he is right or wrong. Without vetting all of that information, you have us here on a witch hunt for no reason. For absolutely no reason, when we have a council meeting on Monday, what is the special about this meeting tonight that couldn't wait until Monday?

Council Cranford, I spoke with the director of Neighbors Building Neighborhoods who explained that Mr. Reed's position and job title has always been youth programs director. Did you see it? I have not seen his application.

As our city attorney giving us this opinion, did you see it? The application? I did not see his original application. I would like for you to see it before you issue a public opinion. I would like for you to see those documents.

Yes, ma'am.

I would also like to know how his third-party payment went from third-party to... City funds. Because if, in fact, that happened, this is not on him. It is on NBN and negligence. Thank you. We all have employers. I have an employer where many funds are used and designated for different things. I don't check my payment every month that I get paid my direct deposit to see where my job is getting those funds. I'm depending on them to do due diligence to make sure that they are getting the funds where they are supposed to get them. Right. That is not my responsibility, nor is it his responsibility, to make sure that NBN gets his money from the pool that they're supposed to. And I would like to know, through NBN documentation, when they decided to break the law. And I would like to know that before we issue any opinion, I would like to know when NBN decided to break the law and go away from, as you stated in this eight-page document that you sent to us telling us all and every and in all caps as if to scare us in bold print and underline, I would like for you to do the same thing to them and figure out when they decided to start breaking the law.

To be clear, I did not set this meeting. I did not request it. What meeting? Tonight's meeting. I do understand that. When the mayor came and asked about this, I specifically said, we already have council meetings set for Monday. Can we not add this agenda item to Monday night's meeting on June the 22nd?

So the mayor said no. He did. And we're here tonight prematurely with no information, expected to make a decision on something that I'm not willing to make a decision on. And I know people are signed up to speak, and I want to hear them because they're here. But I will suggest that after they speak, we table this because this is ludicrous.

I did call this meeting, and I called this meeting after legal counsel advised that if we know about wrongdoing or the impropriety or the appearance of and we don't act, then we are in violation. This meeting is not to attack anybody. When you say we're attacking Mr. Reed, I'm sure that's how the city attorney feels right now.

Well, that's fine. I'm asking her questions because it's my job to ask her questions on behalf of citizens, and she is my employee, and I can do that.

I was respectful and let you speak. I'd like to speak.

Don't tell me that I'm bashing somebody.

Do you agree or disagree that we should follow the law?

First of all, I'm not here to answer your questions. Okay. And following the law today, following the law Monday, we're going to follow the law. I'm here. I'm saying to you, this is premature, whether we follow the law or not. We don't have enough information to even know whether we're following the law or not.

That's why we hired a city attorney.

That's why you should have given them an opportunity to do what they're supposed to do. Tonight, they don't even have the information that we need to make the decision.

You guys, as a council... have been basing decisions on lack of information.

No, I haven't.

I'm new to this council just like you. We just started all together. Let me speak.

And historically, it has led to lawsuit after lawsuit after lawsuit in this city.

Not this council.

Can I speak? And at the end of the day, the taxpayer is on the hook. We are here to discuss and find a solution. Nobody is attacking Mr. Reid. I nominated him as my deputy mayor. Please don't do that. Please don't do that.

After 400 people turned you down, if you want to go on the record. You nominated him after 400 people turned you down. I didn't come to play games tonight, so please do not.

I'm not playing the game.

Do not. Do not.

As long as I sit up here, I'm going to follow the law, and I'm going to accept the opinion of the city attorney. Which is not, dang it.

I'm going to accept her opinion as well when we have the information that we need.

So I read the paper as well. I read the paper as well, and it said that I could be charged for a misdemeanor, and they could be charged for a felony, and they could be charged for a misdemeanor. So I could be a felon for going to work for the last 16 years. And the only thing I direct is can we please empty the trash? Can we please put some chairs over here? Can we please put some tables over here? That's the law I have broken, a felony. Okay.

So we have these opinions that's based off the Oklahoma Ethics Commission and even the attorneys general, but these... These are just identifying things. It's not saying that this is 100% illegal. It's saying this is not... I don't get where... It's an opinion. We haven't had a chance to have it vetted through the trust, have it vetted to look at to see exactly like... Have someone else looking at this opinion? So I have to agree, this is premature. We shouldn't be doing this tonight. And when I try to cancel the luncheon, my honest belief is that this meeting was called because I canceled the luncheon and people didn't like it.

They didn't like it. And that's why I think happened. And you can say that we can't up here and say this.

Okay, I can't say that, but we can say what we want about you, I guess. There's nothing I want to say about other people.

I would also like to state that, again, to our point of this not being, because I don't want citizens to think that we just came and we're just attacking or we're just saying, there is a bulleted one, two, three, four, five, six bullets on page seven of the document that was shared to me at 430 yesterday. And it says, to meet with Councilor Reed, first of all, to discuss. I don't know if that even took place.

Never received a phone call.

Ascertain whether Councilor Reed wishes to. I don't know if that was done. Never received it. Meet with Council. I know that was not done. Meet with the MLK. I don't know if that was done. And then, in the end, I don't know if that was done as to the results of the meetings with the first meeting that I don't think was done. Should Counselor Reed determine, too, that was never done. Should Counselor Reed determine, too, the last bullet point was never done. So how are we here if all of the recommendations in this legal opinion are not even done starting at number one? We are here prematurely. And this is nothing against you, Mayor Lowe. We are here prematurely. We are here prematurely.

Okay, we will now recognize citizens that wish to speak. Mr. Andre Jones, if you'll come up to the mic. You have five minutes. State your name, please, sir.

Andre Jones, 101 South Country Club. Can you hear me? You can lift it. You can lift it if you need to. Oh, you can? Okay. All right, there we go.

Now you can hear me. Andre Jones. Let me say...

First of all, to the mayor and to the council, it's customary that the Christian ministry usually come down to congratulate the new mayor and the new councilors. I did not get to do that, so I want to do that tonight. We are congratulating you guys for your new position. And the reason I do that is because it's important that this council works alone with the citizens of this community. I happen to be the president of 44 black African American churches which represent lots of taxpayers. So when I come down here, it's not to say blah blah, to complain. I will come down here to speak our concerns as citizens and we will stand with you guys when y'all need things to move through our community to be passed for the betterment of our community. It's not no black community, white community. We are all one community working together. Now, I said that now brings to my point. I have a problem tonight. The problem I have, I keep hearing the word opinion, and I dare not say what my mama said about opinion, but y'all know it. And then the second thing I have a problem with is I keep hearing the city manager name who's now sitting as a judge, and this problem goes back under the leadership of many city attorneys, many council members, many former NBA members, many former mayors. So why is it now all of a sudden we've got an interim attorney who is so knowledgeable More so than any other attorney who have handled this. I don't understand that. And then I listened to about how we got here. Y'all don't even know the history. Derrick Reed started receiving his pay from me. I hired him, not knowing NBA or nothing. And because we was in the old King Center that nobody wanted to come in. As soon as improvements came and as soon as money came, that's when everybody had a problem. I'm trying to stay calm because this is a problem. My recommendation from this body that's behind me is this need to be tabled. Let the trust get their attorney, sit down with our city attorney, discuss these things. Because we're talking opinions. Let me say this in my Baptist closing. The law in the Bible is similarity. It's so close until the Bible is called the law. It depends on what preacher is reading it to what it says. A preacher can read it and condone racism. A preacher can read it and say it's all right to hang Negroes. A preacher can read it and say it's all right for one race to be superior over another race. And it's the same way with the law. Depend on who reads it. One law you can call it self-defense. depends on who the shooter is and who the victim is. So tonight we need a joint effort to look at this situation so it will not destroy our city. Thank you for allowing us to speak tonight.

Can you sign up to speak?

No, it's for Delvey Walker.

He's speaking on behalf of Ms. Walker, who is not in attendance.

Yeah, I'll read this. So I'm speaking on behalf of Delvey Walker. She is the chair of the Martin Luther King Trust. So she sent me a statement today, so I'm going to read it on her behalf. And then I have a copy of this, too, for you, Tammy, to put into public record. A statement of Delby Walker, Chairman, Martin Luther King Community Center Trust Authority. My name is Delby E. Walker, and I serve as the duly elected chairman of the Martin Luther King Community Center Trust Authority. Unfortunately, I am unable to attend tonight's meeting as I am currently out of the state with my family on a previously scheduled vacation. However, I felt it is important that this statement be read into the public record on behalf of the Trust Authority. I'm deeply concerned that this matter has advanced to a special call meeting and proposed action for the trust authority itself has even had an opportunity to formally meet. Review the allegations and concerns being raised, seek independent legal counsel, or discuss what corrective actions, if any, may be appropriate. As chairman, I believe this process is premature. The governing body responsible for the oversight of the Martin Luther King Community Center has not been afforded the opportunity to conduct its own review of the facts or receive legal guidance regarding the issues being discussed. Before actions are taken that could impact the trust, its operations, its partners, or the reputation... of individuals involved, the trust authority should be allowed to fulfill its governance responsibilities. The MLKCCTA takes its legal, ethical, and fiduciary obligations seriously. We support transparency, accountability, and compliance with all applicable laws and agreements. If concerns exist regarding governance, management agreements, or personnel matters involving neighbors building neighborhoods, those concerns should first be presented to the trust authority so they may be evaluated and addressed through the proper process. The trust authority is not merely an interested party. It is the governing body entrusted with stewardship of the Martin Luther King Community Center. Yet to date, the trust has not been given the opportunity to meet, review the matter, attain legal counsel, or determine an appropriate course of action before this public process was initiated. I would also be remiss if I did not acknowledge the tremendous contributions of Derek Reed to the Martin Luther King Community Center and the broader Muskogee community. Go ahead. You guys can clap for that. Regardless of the issues currently being discussed, history should accurately reflect the center would not be where it is today without his years of dedication, leadership, advocacy, and service. For well over a decade. Derek Reed has been one of the most visible champions of the center. He's helped secure partnerships, promote programming support, community initiatives, and advocate for the center's mission. The growth, visibility, and impact of the Martin Luther King Community Center over the years cannot be discussed honestly without acknowledging the significant role he played in that success. Recognizing those contributions does not prevent legitimate questions from being examined. However, fairness requires that a person's years of service and compliments should also be recognized as part of the conversation. Tonight, I respectfully ask the council to proceed cautiously and thoughtfully. The reputations of individuals, organizations, and community institutions are at stake. The Martin Luther King Community Center has served this community for decades and remains an important asset to the citizens of Muskogee. The MLKCCTA stands ready to cooperate fully with the City Legal Council and all stakeholders to address any legitimate concerns. We simply request that the trust authority be given the opportunity to meet, obtain legal review, evaluate the facts, and participate in the process before any actions are taken that could have lasting consequences. Our goal remains simple, to protect the integrity of Martin Luther King Community Center, preserve public trust, honor those who have contributed to its success, and ensure that decisions are made through a fair, informed, and transparent process. Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully submitted, Delva E. Walker, MBA, Chairman, Martin Luther King Community Center of Trust Authority.

Mr. Lisa Dedman. Ma'am, if you would, just come up to the mic, state your name, and you'll have five minutes.

Okay. My name is Lisa Dedman. I was going to say some things, but Councilmember Melody Cranford did well. Pastor Andre Jones did well, but it left me with a lot of questions. And the questions that I have, well, first of all, let me say a little bit about Derek. That's what I'm really here for. Derek started doing this thing when he was about 17 years old. He was in the 11th grade when he started working with Ms. Johnson at the old Martin Luther King Center. He's been around for a while. Y'all surprised. Derek is loved by this community. You can see that. We're not going to lay back and just let y'all do anything to him. So I need y'all to know that first of all. He was about 17 years old when he started that. And he was in the NAACP, like he said, with Pastor Jones right here. And it was Mr. Robert Perkins that got them entry into that new Martin Luther King Center because the lady that was over it did not want to come in on Saturdays. So Andre had to leave. He took over. That's how that came about. And he's been there ever since. So y'all talking all this legal jumbo about him getting in a position. He was really forced into that position. So y'all need to go back, like she said, and look at that application and see what he applied for. That's the first thing. But what I'm bothered by the most is how y'all making him escape go. There is no way in the world he should be the only one facing any type of charges. I'm bothered by that. So to me, I don't know. Politics is a dirty game to me. And we know some money's coming down the pipe on this CIP. Now, my question is, who do y'all want over that button? Because this is usually the problem. You know, when money's involved, people get greedy. This African-American community don't ask y'all for much. That little Martin Luther King Center is just a third of the pie that y'all get. but y'all want, not even a third who ever said that, but y'all want to cause a problem over something that's been there for years. That land that y'all had to buy to get that building, if it wasn't for him, people wouldn't have sold their land for y'all to have that building. There's no way. So I've been going to that Martin Luther King Center before. It was the Martin Luther King Center. And Derek's face was always present. But I'm just curious as to... If y'all kind of forcing him off of this job, he got two choices. He can resign from this council, and my question is, why y'all want him off the council? Or he can leave his job, which ain't nobody talking about, without pay for a year. So y'all going to force this man either resign from this council, and then with no guarantees he'll get his job back. Where does that come from? What kind of sense does that make? Now some of y'all may be making that kind of money where you can go without a year with your paycheck. Everybody does not live that way. So why are y'all making him that choice? Why are y'all forcing him to make that choice? Derek is a good man. He does a good job down there. The community respects him. We trust him. We believe in him. And I need y'all to see that same thing in him that we see. Like he said, I'm taking out the trash. I'm answering the phone. He was given those jobs. Where's those four sitting attorneys that let him do this all these years? And where the charge is at on them? If he go down, everybody needs to go down. But y'all only signaling now, and I'm going to say what nobody else want to say, the one black man. And I'm going to leave it right there.

Mr. Patrick Cale. If you would, state your name, sir, and you have five minutes.

My name is Patrick Cale. Good evening. It's good to see everyone out tonight. Councillor Cranford.

Yes, sir.

I couldn't agree with you more. That opinion... was not a non-biased opinion and it was more, it read more like an inquisition document. He was guilty no matter what. It should be obvious from this crowd that the citizens of Muskogee care deeply about their community. That they truly value the MLK Center. and that they have a genuine appreciation for the man who has led our Martin Luther King Center for the past 11 or 12 years, Mr. Derek Reed. Many of us remember the old MLK Center, the small cinder block building that was cold in the winter, hot in the summer, and leaking in when it rained. I bet you didn't know I was ever in that building. Today, we have a new MLK Center that is the envy of communities across Oklahoma. No other city in this state has an MLK Center that compares to what Muskogee offers. Derek Reed has been a major reason that center is what it is today. I am very thankful and very proud of what he has accomplished and of the leadership he has shown as a positive example for others. Thank you. Derek has also volunteered his time to serve on the city council and has served this city well. I have served with almost every council member here tonight. And I can say with confidence that as a team, you all have served Muskogee very, very well. I will never forget the hard work you have put in to bring the fortunes of this city to new heights. And thank you guys for that. Now, I know that every council member I have served with supports Derek Reed and is grateful for his contributions both to the city council and to the MLK Center. Among the issues that have been raised, there appears to be a concern over his title as director at the MLK Center. Apparently, NBN located 10-year-old documents that referred to his position as youth programs or youth director. However, NBN itself issued him business cards calling him center director 12 years ago. Then, three or four years ago, NBN provided updated cards that once again identified him as, wouldn't you know it, center director. Is there anyone here who doesn't understand the meaning of precedent?

Everybody understand what a precedent is?

Okay. We all know that he is the director, and frankly, as long as he is allowed to continue the work he's been doing, I doubt he cares whether you call him director or King Poobah. Based on the documents I've reviewed and what I understand of the situation, I'm 99% certain, and I mean this, 99.9% certain that the MLK Trust, NBN, City Hall, and this Council can and will reach a fair and just resolution. Thank you to the City Council. Thank you Mr. City Manager for your time and hearing me tonight. It is great to see you all. And finally, Thank you to the people of Muskogee. Your presence here tonight speaks volumes that I am confident this council has heard you loud and clear. And the last thing I'm going to say is Dr. Hoos on the board of Martin Luther King Trust. That man, he'll help find a resolution. There's no doubt about it.

Mr. Marlon Coleman? He's not going to make it tonight.

Not him?

No. Ms. Nina Brown?

Good evening, council. I'm Nina Brown, 2614 Boston Street. Learned to do that, Ryan. Aren't you proud of me? I'm here to talk to everybody in this room, not just council. First of all, my council member does not serve her constituents. I am one. I've been flooding. Derek's aware of it since 23. So my council members haven't looked at the west side of town. I just want to make that clear. But I want to make something verbatim clear. Corruption, collusion, and conflict of interest have plagued Muskogee. Racism is no excuse. If you're godly people, we're all children of the same creator. All of us. This isn't an attack on that man. He's not just handsome, he's credible. That man went to a woman who looked out for us, the people of Muskogee, because there could possibly be collusion, conflict of interest. which has plagued Miss Dougie. Look around. Your city is falling apart. This man stepped up to run. This man got accidentally hired, and he's a brain. This man can bring you solutions. If you all, you can laugh, you can sing, you can dance. But if you don't think I'm telling you the truth, I served neighbors helping neighborhoods with an Oklahoma FOIA. They failed to respond. All I got to do is go to the DA in Okie City and shut them down. They're a 501c3. They're responsible to you. They're responsible to me. A lot of money flows around in these nonprofits.

A lot of it.

Okay, I'm just saying I don't want them to attack people and turn this into racism. Okay. I appreciate that the council made a special session for this because there's a lot of it in this city. And it's not just with Neighbors Helping Neighborhoods. It's with our other nonprofits. I've seen it. I am auditing this city. You can laugh all you want.

I'm just saying.

There's a lot to see. There's a lot to expose. There's a lot to understand. And we need to be united to fix the problems we have in Muskogee. This is not an attack on Derek Reed. This is a reality check. Is there corruption? Is there collusion? And how much conflict of interest? And who are the beneficiaries? Because there's been some that have made out very well off of our taxes. And if you follow the money, it never lies. But a lot of you don't even read well. You're separated by your churches. You're separated by your religions. You don't get along. I campaigned. I talked to a lot of people. They don't get along with each other. No, I'm not lost, sir. I'm telling you the truth. And I'll tell you why I'm telling the truth, because you won't tell the truth. You will keep painting this picture of glory where God knows all. And a couple weeks ago, or maybe a month ago, I came in and I said to this council, this will not be business as usual anymore here. And God answered my prayer, because he brought something to the surface that's bigger than just what's going on with neighbors, Helping neighborhoods. It's bigger than that in Muskogee. There is corruption. Everybody walks around and talks about it. There is collusion. Everybody knows that's why they don't show up and they don't vote. Nobody votes in this town. It's a very low turnout. If you all care, you should all be voting. It's a low turnout. Look at your numbers versus your population. Numbers don't lie. People do. I'll keep reminding you of that. This council has worked hard, but it's done some things that did not benefit the city, and I'll make one example. The Muskogee Hotel, historic. There was no reason to take that down. I guess it's off the track. I'll get right back to where I'm going. I want to say thank you very much to our city attorney for looking out. Whether she's interim, I hope she comes full time. I want to thank Mayor Ryan Lowe because he wants to make it better. I want to thank our city manager because he came into a mess. I love Deputy Mayor Derek Reed. I love that guy. With a passion, I love him. But the law is the law is the law. And we've got to accept that, and nobody is the side of the law. So once this gets gone through, we need to make a move that's legal, not what benefits the black or the white or the green or the yellow. It has to be legal. And people need to think about legal and what's best for the entire community. So I'll end it there. People can laugh or get mad. I don't care. But I answered a lot of you via your posts, and I told you the same thing. It's not an attack, and all you want to do is defend Mr. Reid. You don't need to defend a man of that kind of honor and integrity. He stands straight, tall, and honest.

Thank you. Mr. Doyle Rowland. Mr. Rowland, if you would, state your name. You have five minutes, please, sir.

Yes, sir. My name is Doyle Rowland, president of Alpha Phi Fraternity here in Muskogee, a retired educator for more than 30 years right here in this city. First class, graduating class, integrated class in Muskogee in 1971. So I'm just here on behalf of Mr. Reed. I've had the opportunity to work with him over the past seven years. And he's been a stellar. This gentleman has done everything that has been materially possible to help our community of all citizens, not just African Americans, not just Caucasians, everybody. So I'm here to speak on his behalf, along with Dr. Jules Daniels. Over the past seven years, I know He and I have given out more than 30 scholarships to high school students. Let's get down to where the grassroots are. And that's with our kids. And this gentleman, as of right now, is still working to help our kids to move forward in life on many different aspects. So I'm also, as far as feeding homeless and and feeding families in need. We have, along with his help, we couldn't have done this without him, we have fed more than 10,000 people over the last seven years. So I don't know how anybody could have anything that could say that wouldn't decorate this man. And I want to thank Ms. Cranford for opening this up to put this thing in perspective. But I also want to say to Brother Reed and to the rest of the council, for the most part, I think the council does a fairly good job. But I'm just beginning to wonder with the neighbor's organization needs to do a little bit of cleanup, I do believe. Because I think they're the ones that's pushing this issue, or partly pushing this issue. I think they're barking up the wrong tree. So I just want to say on behalf of the members of Alpha by Alpha that we thank Derrick Reed for what he's done for this community and hope he continues to do it for the next as long as he likes. Thank you for your time. Thank you.

Mr. Stephen Wiley. Sir, if you would, just step up here and state your name, and you have five minutes.

My name is Stephen Wiley, and I'm a pastor of Praise Center Family Church, a member of the Ministerial Alliance, and also Alpha Phi Fraternity. I was driving around the city today, and I saw constantly all the murals, proud to be an Okie from Muskogee. And I'm a graduate of Muskogee High School and was a proud member of the faculty, serving as Assistant Vice President and Dean of the School of Ministry at Bay Cone College until this untimely close two years ago. And, you know, that's the theme as I support my brother, Deputy Mayor Derry Reed. And I just thank God that I've always been proud of Muskogee. you know, working at Bay Cone and graduating from Muskogee High School. And this year we celebrate 250 years for, you know, United States of America. Well, 50 years ago at the bicentennial, I was part of the international jazz tours from Muskogee, a group of musicians. We went to Europe and toured Europe representing the city of Muskogee at the bicentennial tour. We had the big seal on our jackets. And it was amazing. We'd go to Paris, France, or to Heidelberg, Germany, and they'd see our Muskogee, Oklahoma, and they'd come out singing, I'm proud to be in French, in German. I'm proud to be. And I was always proud of my hometown, Muskogee, Oklahoma. And if you were to Google my name, It will tell you that if you go to Washington, D.C., I'm in the Smithsonian Institute for African American Music. And if you read my bio, it says hometown Muskogee, Oklahoma. I've always been proud of Muskogee, Oklahoma until I came tonight. And I'm hearing the foolishness that's coming forth. You know, the perceived conflict of interest. Well, whose perception is it? You know? And, well, we need to make some changes, yada, yada, yada. Well, if nothing's broken, why do you need to fix it? And if it's been, you know, in that position for so many years, why is it now a challenge? Well, we know when big money is involved, other things start happening. We call it like it is. You know, Derrick has been a pillar... doing major work, the mayor has said that, major work, an influencer and leader in the city of Muskogee. He's proud to be an Okie from Muskogee. And we're here, all those gathered standing behind me and sitting, we're at the same place. It's interesting that we are entertaining solutions, negative solutions to the matter. Negative solutions. Why not entertain solutions to keep him in his position? That's what we ought to be doing. As a minister, I always go to the Word of God. What's the Word of God? And it came up, you know, when Jesus was healing the sick and raising the dead and opening blind eyes and just ministering in his city. Then the law of the day said, oh, you can't do that on the Sabbath day. That's against the law. We don't want to crucify our brother. We may need to change the law. If he's helping and serving and being a blessing, that's what we need to focus on. I want to entertain you to entertain that perspective. Don't look at a negative solution. Let's entertain some positive solutions to keep a good man in a position where he is proud to be an Okie from Muskogee, proud to serve the city of Muskogee. Thank you.

Mr. Max Boydston. If you would, state your name, sir, and you'll have five minutes.

Max Boydston, and it won't take but about 30 seconds because it's been said. Council said it. Thank you, Melody. Thank you, Tracy Hughes. You were a little premature, but you did do one thing tonight. You showed how this community can come together.

Thank you. Mr. Michael Gregg.

State your name, please, sir, and you'll have five minutes.

Michael Gregg. I think you know me. Here in Muskogee. Been interesting tonight, to say the least. I've known Derek's mom for many, many, many moons. He knows that. And I know that his mother, of course, she would twist his ear off if he was going to do anything bad. I know that very well. I think listening to this, and I've been here before to speak towards the same problem that exists as we stuck or we see sitting here today, the same thing. We don't have transparency. We don't have the proper leadership most of the time. You guys are really good people. But there's elements as well as you know as I know behind everything in this city. And the sooner we get people in business that want to do what is legally right and correct, the sooner we're going to make headways. I think this is nothing an indictment of Derek at all. It's an indictment of the city. And not you per se, but individuals that's not elected. And so I may just point time after time after time, there's no such thing as transparency in this city. And we must get to that. Honesty, I have no problem with Derek at all. I know his mama would take his ears off. So I think what we're looking at here is an indictment of what's wrong with the city. And I will, the gentleman just spoke. Yes, Muscogee's got some of the best people in the world. There's no doubt about it. We also got some of the most corrupt in this town. That's a fact. History shows that. Go to the books. Well, you know them in the past and the present. But what we need to do is not, we need to back off, take some time. This may be partially legally correct. It may not be totally correct. The point is here, there's something involved with NBN or something along the line somewhere that's causing this problem. A business card does not make a man. The man makes the business card. And so that doesn't have anything to do with it. I don't know what the documentation is in NBN, but there's got to be documentation to verify his name as a director, if he's going to be a director. So I'm thinking that it may be premature or early, but I think it's a good way to get the fire lit. We need to have this discussion with the citizens of Muscogee. I'm glad to see that, because most of them are sitting home doing nothing. So I encourage citizens to come forward and speak, but gently. And I'm glad that they're emotional about it, because they should be. I still say it is not an attack of Derek. It is a... Indication of what's wrong with the city. And I can make examples of where we've had problems. It's documented all over the public. If he's paid, that's public knowledge. I don't want to know, don't care. All I want to know is who's paid. That's what I want to know. And so we'll get to that next time. We lack a lot of information, a lot of data that we need to look at, scrutinize well before we make any decisions. Again, this is not an indictment. Derek, I see what can be possible things wrong, but I got news for you. He won't be the only one. So please, let's back up in... Get information. I do think the legal system needs to be involved on multiple sides further. I'm sure it would be lost just looking at this. But, again, I encourage you, and I know you will do it. I have no doubt about it. But rest assured, I don't think a council, they think they're indicting, they're not. They're indicting the cause of the problem. And you can go back in history, and most recently, very closely, We've had some things that's obviously rotten to the core. Thank you for your time.

Ms. Donna Woods? Ms. Woods, if you could come to the mic and state your name, you have five minutes.

Donna Woods. As a retired and student educator, I have worked with people in the community for many years. One of my favorite assignments was at BFSA as school counselor for seven years. I spent years at Ruffalo Alternative Academy. That's where I retired from. That's where my heart was. I'm here because Mr. Derek Reed has done an outstanding job running the Martin Luther King Center. You will not find a better representative of Muscogee, Oklahoma than Derrick Reed. Derrick shows up at every city event. If we have a city event of any kind, our vice mayor is there. Nobody else might be there, but Derrick would be there. Derrick represents us across the state. He represents us on the radio. He represents us at Martin Luther King Center. He opens the doors to the Martin Luther King Center to everybody. Everybody. Martin Luther King Center isn't a black or a white thing. The Martin Luther King Center is a community thing. And if you want to be part of the community, you are welcomed with open arms. You can sit here and say all day long that this is not a personal attack. But I'm telling you, whether it's intended that way or not, it feels that way to us. And now we find out we don't even have our ducks in a row to have the meeting, which makes it feel even more like a personal attack. So I hope that you all will go home and do your homework and talk to the people that need to be talked to to answer the questions and get your facts straight and know what Neighbors Helping Neighborhoods is doing and know what the Martin Luther King Center is doing and know what the city law says and know what the state law says and talk to the people that can advise you on that and then come forth. Because it doesn't sound to me like anyone had the authority to do what we're doing here tonight. Thank you.

Before we have further council discussion, I would like to speak. I appreciate everyone coming tonight. and giving your opinions and speaking on behalf of Mr. Reed. Mr. Gregg, you're right. That's why I ran for mayor in the city of Muskogee for year after year after year after year. I saw the lack of transparency and I saw our community divided and I saw our community involved in lawsuit after lawsuit after lawsuit and I saw our community not growing. And I decided to do something about it. I'm a grown man. If I made a mistake here tonight, I will own it. I hear every one of you. I represent every one of you. And if I made a mistake and I acted prematurely, I was acting in good faith. I don't want anyone in here to take it out on the city attorney. She is doing her job. She gave the opinion that she believes she is a lawyer. That is her job. Protects us all. I believe I'm doing what I feel I need to do to protect us all. I don't want Derek Reed to leave the MLK Center. And I listen to all of you. And you folks can be mad at me all you want, and you don't have to believe me. And if you don't think I do a good job, then vote me out to you. I want to do the best I can for the city of Muskogee, and that's why I ran. We do have corruption in this city. We don't have a lot of transparency in this city. Until we get real and have real discussions like we're doing tonight, we're not going to fix it. That's why I'm here. I'm not here to cause any trouble. I love this community. I'm going to spend the rest of my life here in this community. I love spending time. I'm going to the Martin Luther King Center when I leave here. I don't have anything against anybody. I want to protect everyone here on this council, and I want to protect our city, and I don't want us in another lawsuit. I want us to resolve these lawsuits and I want us to move forward as one community. And again, if my strong belief in trying to do that led me to rush to call this meeting tonight and I made a mistake, I'll own it. That's what I'm saying now. But we're going to have discussions. But I want you to know, in no uncertain terms, Whatever anybody else up here wants to do, I am going to follow the law. Period. Period. I want to do everything I can to figure out how to keep Mr. Reed in that Senate. He is the MLK Senator. And you can choose to believe me or not, but that is my honest feelings. Most people in here that know me or people that don't know me know that if you want to know something from me, you come talk to me and I'll tell you. And I'll tell you the truth, good, bad, or indifferent. I care about everyone in this room, and I care about this city. And I know there's a lot of emotion here tonight, and I understand why. But I am welcome to whatever the council decides if it follows the law. And I'm going to follow legal opinion. And I hope that together all of us can come up with something that works for all of us and we can move forward as a community. And I'll listen to any other discussion.

Well, I'm going to find a solution that keeps Derek at the MLK Center. He's sitting right here to the left of me. That's what we're going to work on. Because we're talking about what it is. We're being portrayed. This is not on the city. This is on you, Derek. This is coming at you, man. I mean, this is what it is. It's saying that you have some either perceived unethical or there's some kind of conflict of interest. So direct financial benefit. Your salary does not come from taxpayers' dollars. This salary comes from grant-based money. Started from the Ruby Foundation. Been there since 2010. Whenever he started, was hired by the NAACP and the Christian Ministers Union. And then when the trust formed after that, what people got to realize, Derek didn't get this position, didn't sit on the council until this position got formed. None of that stuff happened. He has not done anything illegal to do this. Indirect, intangible benefits, so increased authority or influence, prestige, advancing an organization, so... Your head might be big tonight. You've got a lot of support tonight. But I don't see any of this stuff here. I don't see anything. So we're coming in and we're saying that there's this huge conflict. Derek has not done any of these things. The purpose... The purpose of him serving this community is because he loves this community. He's not doing anything to benefit himself. This takes a lot of time and a lot of heart. It gives you a lot of heartburn and insomnia. So trust me, he's not getting any benefit from doing this. He's serving. So for us to say that he's doing something unethical is just asinine and stupid.

I know we've all been here quite a long time, so I would first of all like to thank the mayor for his acknowledgement of us being here prematurely. I would also like to not move with this in acquiescence to these practices with a wink or a nod. So I'm going to suggest that we, and I'm going to make a motion that we table this for the next three months to give opportunity for us to do all of the things that will make right right and wrong wrong. We must all follow the law. Therefore, the recommendation of this office is as follows, and I would like for us to have three months to continue to do and meet all of the bullet points without a wink or a nod.

I second that.

We're going to need a date certain. If you'll give me just a moment. You want to do 90 days? Yes, ma'am. Okay. Do you want to do that at a regular council meeting? Yes, please. Okay. Give me just a moment. Okay.

I'm actually going to recommend that we vote no and that we take no action and then get it set to table whenever we have our regular council meeting on Monday. And the reason is, is because I would like to speak to members of the trust and see if because you guys know legal opinions, all this stuff. They have their own time. All right. They have their own hours. I don't want to sit here and go 90 days. So honestly, I would like to. To turn that down and then we come back Monday just as a simple agenda item that we're going to come in and table and set a date. And that way we'll have an idea, better idea. Talking to the trust. Sure. And talking to that.

I rescind my motion.

Okay. So if you will state your motion clearly one more time, please. You want to bring it back Monday night. Is that what you said?

No. I think we take no action tonight.

Take no action. Thank you.

And then Monday night. The agenda is already posted.

Yes, yes, the agenda is already posted. Oh, it is already posted?

Yes. Shut that one out of the water, didn't we?

Okay, so then we're back to my original motion. All right, we're back to my original motion.

Okay, so 90 days, we have a holiday in September, which makes our council meeting a week sooner. That would be the 21st of September. Sure, that's better than tonight.

And I would like documentation of all of these bullet points, and I would like to be kept up to date as these things happen.

Hold on.

I've got to take this opportunity while they're getting that together to thank everybody who came out. Not so much so on my behalf, but on the behalf of our community, on behalf of people like me. If we don't stand for anything, if we don't stand for anything, and I appreciate you guys standing with me on tonight. For 16 years of the best days of the rest of the life that I have, I have given it to the Martin Luther King Center, and I don't regret one moment of it. If I had an opportunity to live it all over again, I'd spend every hour that I spent at the Martin Luther King Center. As long as God gives me strength to do that, I want to be able to do that. I apologize that on this Juneteenth Eve... We are here tonight fighting such a cause. But once again, I just appreciate the people who are in the overflow room and the many people who are even watching on YouTube and Facebook. There are a lot of people who couldn't come out today, so they're watching us. And I assure you on behalf of the Martin Luther King Center Trust, we have a retreat. We are working on a plan of where do we go from here. Neighbors building neighborhoods, just for the record, is stepping aside from the management piece of the Dr. Martin Luther King Center. They're going to do back office work. But the Martin Luther King Center Trust is working on a plan and has been working on a plan of where do we go from here. I want to thank my board members, Dr. Hughes, who's present, Ms. Tish Dawkins, who's present, any other board members, David Ragsdale, who's present. CB Abel, who wasn't able to be here, and Delby Walker, who's out of town, is our chair lady. We're going to work to make sure that Dr. Martin Luther King Center continues to do the things that it has been doing to our community, even bigger, even better. And so I don't want anybody to feel like that, you know, the agenda item talked about the NBN contract and the Martin Luther King contract, which we didn't talk about. Those things are going to be addressed in the coming days. The NBN board is going to meet in the next couple of days, the MLK Trust. will meet at the end of the month. And so we are working on that. We are working on that. And once again, if I've done anything wrong in the last 16 years, I promise my heart was getting up every morning, going to work to do the best on my job. And I never intended to do anything that was a conflict of interest in my position here the city council as well. So on that note, I apologize that we even had to be here on tonight, but I assure you that things will be fixed and your coming out tonight was not in vain. Thank you.

Councillor Cranford, in regards to your motion, do you want to direct staff to do anything as part of that motion?

I would like to direct staff to, first of all, since this legal opinion is what we're basing all of this on tonight, start with those bullet points. Again, give us information. We do need to have the information. luncheon so that we can discuss this. Again, I keep and I can't reiterate enough how disheartening it is to continue to come in here. and look incompetent because we moved too soon. We have these things set in place for a reason and I think we need to utilize them before we come in and bring citizens in and do all of these things. We need to have those lunches and all of those things before we make a definitive decision. So I would like to direct staff to first of all go through this opinion that we have before us, the bulleted points, therefore the recommendation of this office is as follows. Start there and see where we go.

And to correct the motion, it will be actually September the 28th. So I have a motion, but I do not have a second yet. Thank you.

Motion and a second. Any further discussion? Do you have any direction based on the opinion going forward? I see your opinion. If we do pass it to September, are we doing our self-advocacy?

No, we can table this and pass it to September and have those conversations. We need to have meetings, have conversations, develop those solutions. Okay.

I have a motion and a second. Roll call, please.

Mike Brawley.

Yes.

Tom Martindale. Yes. Dan Hall.

Yes.

Melody Cranford. Absolutely. Shirley Hilton Flannery. Yes. Tracy Hoos.

Yes.

Deputy Mayor Derek Reed.

Abstain.

Mayor Ryan Lowe.

Yes. Motion passes. We are adjourned.