Palmer council takes unplanned break

July 20, 2007

By Hannah Guillaume/Frontiersman

PALMER - The note on the door Tuesday proclaimed that evening's Palmer City Council meeting had been cancelled.

With only three of the council's seven members expected to attend, the group didn't have the four or more required to have an official meeting.

&#8220I'm sorry the meeting didn't happen,” Palmer Mayor John Combs said. &#8220If we were voting to paint the town all blue, it would be something different.”

The agenda shows Palmer's seven council members, including Combs, were to discuss the city's goals and objectives. Combs has the goals folder and will bring everyone on the council up to speed on timelines for improving the city.

&#8220I was going to attend, and so was Mr. [Ken] Erbey and Mr. Jim] Wood,” he said, adding that other council members were recovering from surgery, on scheduled family vacations or coaching an all-star youth baseball team.

&#8220When it's tournament time [Brad Hanson] gets an excused absence,” Combs said.

Although this week's meeting didn't happen, Combs said the council is working ahead of schedule. It will discuss the city's budget, usually an October agenda item, in August.

&#8220Its been moved up so we have plenty of time to do things and not have to rush through it in six weeks,” he said.