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2020-11-17 Item III.C - Comment CardOF OKEEcyO�m CITY OF OKEECHOBEE COUNCIL MEETING COMMENT CARD f i li 712a Mtn u-fc Padu4- PLEASE PRINT r f r onnit Name: DA -,e� .- Address: Organization you represent: NO CARD IS REQUIRED FOR AGENDA ITEMS Subject: V 014 r 5- Signat re Date 111t'112o Motak eackaf - FILE COPY I am Dale Barrett, Father of Brian Barrett who recently and tragically took He own life. His mother Karen sits in the audience. - People tell me they are SORRY for our loss. Karen and I did not lose Brian. He was taken from us by emotional stresses he did not have the strength to cope with. Then he made a fatal decision. would like to paraphrase two passages from the Bible. "Those among you who are without sin, cast the first stone" And "Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord" repeat these often as I must keep reminding myself of their validity and for my own sanity. Many who know me may expect some great speech about morality. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is clear after many years of following politics that the American citizenship overlooks this deviance no matter how extreme. I would like to pose some questions to you, the City Leaders: What reasonable expectations should the Okeechobee City voters have of their elected officials. Should the citizenry expect that a candidate have a firm grasp of what the difference is between and Do you know now or do you have a feeling that the voters expect that you have a fully and appropriately functioning amoral compa 7 Should an elected City Of Okeechobee official be expected to show that he or she knows the difference between k tSPEc and DISRESPECT? My personal belief is that these are tenants that must be within each elected official. If I am wrong, I would love to hear from the local citizens and voters. Or you could ask these same questions to one of 600+ individuals who knew my son and chose to attend his Celebration of Life. You are in a position to make a decision to fill a vacant seat on your Council. But this is really not your council, you GIVE COUNCIL on issues that affect the! citizens of Okeechobee City and all those who voted for you. If the wrong decision is made concerning the Council seat that could soon be held by an individual who only won because he ran unopposed, a day of reckoning may be at hand for this entire council during the next election cycle. You do have option, Florida Statute 100.361 MunPrin�l deals with the process by which an official representing the municipality may be removed from office. As you all know this is accomplished by a recall petition. I am currently in contact with the Governor's office concerning this procedure. Item 6 (d) under RECALL PETITION lists grounds for recall: • Malfeasance — Misconduct or wrong -doing by a public official • Misfeasance — The improper and unlawful execution of an act that in itself is lawful and proper. • Neglect of duty — self explanatory Drunkenness — again, self explanatory • Permanent inability to perform official duties • Conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude Moral Turpitude: Described as conduct that is considered contrary to community standards of justice, honesty and good morals. Item (7) EFFECT OF RESIGNATIONS. — If the member of the governing body being recalled resigns from office prior to the recall election, the remaining members shall fill the vacancy created according to the appropriate law for filling vacancies. I implore you to avoid, in every legal way possible, decisions made as a Council, to be by the personal views, actions and aberrant tendencies of one individual. I assure you that the Okeechobee City citizens, my son Brian, the! Governor of Florida and 600+ others will be watchingM The person who could speak the clearest about this issue is with Karen and 1 in a final text message. The shock and sorrow of it will remain with us as we grow old and Brian remains forever 49. "Vengeance is mine sayeth the LORD!" That I will leave to HIMM Thank you for your time.