Weldon added, “We have had from the July meeting until now to have an executive session to discuss the chief.”
After all of this discussion, Wright asked for a motion to amend the agenda to add an executive session to discuss a personnel matter. A motion was made and seconded.
“We will have an executive session following the other matters,” he stated.
Shouting could be heard from voices of several different registers, low and high, from the executive session chambers once council moved to there, and council met a little less than an hour in the session.
Upon return to open session, no motions or decisions were announced, and no further discussion was held.
Robinson said during an earlier public part of the meeting that Grimes plans to work for the next four years as chief of police.
Grimes was not present at the council meeting, and, earlier in the public session, Weldon asked why Robinson was reading the police department report in Grimes’ absence. Robinson stated Grimes had been in retirement during the time the report was written by his officers, so he, Robinson, was reading it for this reason and as Grimes was absent anyway. Eighteen new cases were mentioned in the report, and, unlike in previous months, no shootings were listed. The Denmark Police Department, according to the report, has hired three new officers, Robert Merkle, Christopher Coleman and Curtis Johnson III. Also announced in the report was criminal domestic violence court to be held on Sept. 16 at 2 p.m. at the Bamberg County Courthouse and that Municipal Judge James A. Spellman held municipal court on Aug. 17.
