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NOTE - Any called meeting can occur upon 24 hours notice. Agenda is posted on the lobby bulletin board, but not always on City web site

Council meeting agendas can change, so the Public needs to monitor all meetings despite the upcoming holidays and Spring break vacations.

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Norcross council calls special meeting, adjourns with no public involvement

Gwinnett Daily Post
(Reprinted by permission from the Gwinnett Daily Post)

By Carole Townsend
Staff Correspondent

NORCROSS - Little information has emerged regarding a recent executive session of the governing body of Norcross.

The mayor and council gave notice that a special called meeting would be held at 5 p.m. April 21. The agenda that was released noted that "an executive session has been properly advertised for personnel issues." The two items listed to be addressed were "employment/appointment of city clerk" and "appointment of chief of police."

A few minutes after 5 p.m., the mayor, council members, city attorney Peter Boyce and Douglas Duerr, the GIRMA attorney involved in the Sue Dennen dismissal matter, recessed into executive session. An hour and a half later, the meeting adjourned with no further action. The nearly 25 citizens who went to City Hall to participate left wondering what had happened.

The termination, or forced resignation, of former city clerk Sue Dennen is an issue that has been festering among Norcross' governing authority for months. Dennen's counsel, Cal Williamson and Vickie Wiggins, contend that she was fired for no good reason and that the decision to terminate her employment with the city was made in an illegal meeting in February at which the council members and city attorney were present, but not the mayor.

According to the transcript of the March 21 hearing on the matter, each of the five city council members refer to Dennen's substandard performance and dissatisfaction with her computer skills as their reasons for dismissing her after 18 years of service with the city. While no one could give specific examples of her poor performance, councilman Josh Bare said, "she serves at the pleasure of the mayor and council, and it is my pleasure that she no longer serve the mayor and council." When asked what reason Bare had for not wishing to continue Dennen's employment with the city, he answered, "I don't have to have a reason. She serves at our pleasure."

Mayor Lillian Webb was not present at the hearing, as she was undergoing knee replacement surgery March 21. Webb is scheduled to give her deposition on the matter on May 5.