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Amy Sherrill, Southwest Times Record

HARTFORD — A city man claims business the Hartford City Council and the fire chief discussed during a Jan. 11 executive session are not topics it can discuss according to the state’s Freedom of Information Act.

Jack White of Hartford has filed a complaint with the Sebastian County Prosecutor’s office alleging that the city council improperly went into executive session without explaining why and with the fire chief.

“I stood up and protested,” White said about asking why the council was going to meet in executive session. “I protested because I felt like we should have a right to know.”

Prosecutor Tom Gean said his office was reviewing the report prepared by the Sebastian County Sheriff’s office and would make a decision later on whether to file charges.

Council member Roger Sharp said the executive session was called to talk about problems with the fire department and that the session lasted about 15 minutes, according to a report completed by investigator Kevin Nickson of the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office.

Sharp said during the session the council discussed problems with the fire department and the collection of dues. The council also discussed a problem with the mayor’s (possessive is correct) charging gas for personal vehicles and council members had a short discussion about getting a new police car for the police department, the report states. He said he does not believe the session was illegal.

Executive sessions are for considering employment, appointment, promotion, demotion, disciplining or resignation of any public officer or employee, the FOIA states.

Council member Robert Fuller said the meeting was called to speak with the fire chief about rules and regulations and that was the only thing he could remember that was discussed, according to the report. Fuller said he didn’t believe the session illegal.

Fire Chief Gary Radley told authorities that he was asked by Mayor Aaron Files to attend the executive session. Once the council was behind closed doors, Files read a city ordinance about having one fire truck remain in the city whenever the fire department is responding to a call outside the city limits.

Radley told Nickson that Files announced that his office should collect the fire dues. He said that the last thing he remembers the council discussing was a matter of having different finance reports, a report states.