GRANTSVILLE BUSINESSMAN CHARGED WITH DISRUPTING COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING

(08/24/2016)

A criminal complaint has been issued to Grantsville businessman Tom Ullum for disrupting a meeting of the Calhoun County Commission. The complaint was issued last week by the Calhoun Sheriffs Department for wilful disruption of a government process. Ullum has been granted public meeting time before the commission since last year, with commissioners saying the businessman has continued with a pattern of later interrupting the process by making out-of-order statements or asking questions, not only directed toward commissioners, but to individuals attending the meeting. The disruption of the August meeting came while Calhoun 911/OES Director Kathy Wood was reading a complaint Ullum filed against her with the WV Ethics Commission, which the ethics commission denied. Commission president Bob Weaver called Ullum out of order and had him removed from the meeting by a deputy sheriff at which time the commissioners filed the complaint. Commissioners said official meetings are conducted by Roberts Rules of Order, which does allow citizens time to make statements, indicating Ullum has consistently been unable to follow such rules. During a July meeting, Ullum was called out of order numerous times, and the commission had him removed from the meeting by a deputy sheriff. At one time, Ullum approaching Wood during the meeting, said "I will take you down (addressing Wood), just like I took him (defeated commissioner Weaver) down." Calhoun magistrates and prosecutor Shannon Johnson have recused themselves from hearing the misdemeanor case, related to previous conflicts. The complaint says with a first offense, if found guilty, a person can be fined not more than $100, or confined to jail not more than six months, or both fined and confined.

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