DeGroot Admonishes Kelly Gallaher

Mt Pleasant, Prepare yourself.

Opinion of Rees Roberts

For the last 4+ years I have recorded the Mt. Pleasant Village Board and shared them online. Nothing prepared me nor anyone else attending tonight’s meeting due to what occurred at this meeting.

The meeting started normally but when the Public Comment agenda item came up one aspect took center stage. Typically, a person is called upon to come to the microphone to give their public comment. But in one instance tonight, President David DeGroot called citizen Kelly Gallaher up to the microphone but instead of giving her the opportunity to read her prepared remarks, he instead admonished her for breaking the rules at a previous meeting. But the way he did was abusive.

At one point, Jon Hansen tries to interrupt by saying “point of order” which is the proper way to stop anything during a meeting to explain a problem. Jon Hansen even shouted, “that’s enough”. David DeGroot ignores the multiple attempts of this. He even said he would be prepared to throw out Trustee Jon Hansen from the meeting. He continued with his requirement of obtaining an apology from her before EVER being allowed to give her comments now or in the future. Kelly asked to respond but did not get any permission to do so. She did say that she did not understand what he was talking about. She was not aware of anything requiring an apology. David DeGroot then ordered her to return to her seat in the audience.

President DeGroot believes it is “His” meeting to run any way he wants. However, factually, that is incorrect. The meeting is run under rules provided by “Roberts Rules of Order”. He merely is there to preside over the meeting and conduct the meeting under those Roberts Rules of Order. President DeGroot can not make up rules on the way. He cannot treat citizens abusively. In my opinion, he did treat Ms. Gallaher abusively by requiring an apology over what was allegedly over heard by a third party. He even admits he heard nothing himself. But he denied citizen Kelly Gallaher her constitutional right of free speech during the Public Comment agenda item this evening. He even stated he would prevent her from speaking unless he was satisfied with an apology given both verbally as well as in writing, 5 business days in advance prior to any request she speak before the Village board. I also do not believe that Roberts Rules provides David DeGroot the legal option of throwing Trustee Jon Hansen out of the meeting. That is ridiculous on its face.

In the years of recording these meetings, I have never witnessed such an outright disregard and disrespect toward people as I did tonight. I hope you will listen, for yourself, to this short recording below of the interaction I described above. Ask yourself, is this behavior that of a leader? Does it create a higher degree of trust amongst fellow Trustees? How are people supposed to feel when coming in front of this Village Board? Would you feel comfortable doing so?

In my opinion, David DeGroot went way overboard in a number of ways. How can anyone, like this, hope to lead Mount Pleasant with FoxConn potentially in our future. God help us.