Troy City Council Airs Frustration After Public Comment Session

A comment by a Troy City Council member two weeks ago drew criticism from the public at Monday night's Council meeting.

Several members of the public who criticized the city's governing body at its July 11 meeting returned Monday night to ask for an apology from Councilman Dane Slater.

Slater, who retired from the before being elected to City Council, made the comment at the previous City Council meeting while thanking fellow officers for accepting concessions to the labor contract with the city. Slater, in directing his comments to the officers in attendance, said they had all "heard about the crap" city leadership deals with, but probably hadn't witnessed it before attending a meeting.

About three people speaking during Monday's public comment session said they were offended by the comment.

"There's no need to call the concerns of the citizens 'crap,'" said Chris Kulesza, who requested Slater apologize for a remark he made at the July 11 meeting.

Slater said the remark was taken out of context and that he was willing to speak to anyone who took offense to the comment.

Troy resident Marvin Reinhardt, who regularly speaks at Council meetings, was particularly critical of Slater's remark and questioned the quality of the former police official's service on the department.

Reinhardt's comments drew a caution advisory from Troy Mayor Louise Schilling about the potential to slander an individual during a public comment session. Reinhardt then challenged the city to file a lawsuit against him as he stormed from the Council chambers.

The outburst led to at least two other shouts from audience members who also left after the public comment period.

"I feel that it is a shame that some individuals feel they have to slander council members," Schilling said. "That's not what public comment is for. Public comment should be done in a careful manner."

Councilman Martin Howrylak cut the Mayor's comments short, saying he felt her comments were out of order with the purpose of allowing council to respond to public comments.

"You're part of the problem, Mayor ... the point of this part of the meeting is simply to correct the record for mistatements," he said.

Howrylak then appeared to support the intent of Schilling's comments by recommending the public refrain from personal attacks.

"I would say that if you have a problem with what councilman Slater said, tell him you have a problem with what he said," Howrylak advised, "and don't attack him as an individual."