A Crossville City Council Member has called for a closed Executive Session with the city attorney to discuss the city’s liability concerning past events that placed certain city officials and city employees in a bad light. Thursday, Pete Souza requested City Attorney William Ridley put together such a meeting as soon as the request is seconded by another member of the city council. At the time this report was published the request had not been seconded as yet. The request was also emailed to the City Clerk, the Chief of Police, County Sheriff and the District Attorney General. The contents of the email entitled “Black September” by Mr. Souza, is published in its’ entirety here on our news website. The email is presented in its’ original, unedited form:

 

 Background, facts on the morning of Sept 30, 2016 in chronological order

(1) Councilman Kerley, Interim City Manager Hill, Jerry Kerley Water Treatment Manager 

(Department head), and City Fixed Base Operator ( Crossville Aero, Sole Proprietorship ), and

Airport Manager Chris Bennett are having breakfast together at Edgewood Restaurant

approximately between 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM on this date. (Source multiple

witnesses) Now is the time to dispute this if any one cares to or if I am in error.

(2) At about 8:45 AM Jerry Kerley and Chris Bennett enter the Airport. Mr Bennett

gos to the vicinity of the Storage area Hanger and returns with a airport employee

William Harwell wherein Jerry Kerley and he leaves together going East on hwy 70

towards town and  the site of reported stolen property.Source airport security video.

(3) Jerry Kerley and a unidentified person is caught on video with a eye witness 

scaling the roof of a building about fifteen minutes later. Source citizen video.

(4) Jerry Kerley and person identified as William Harwell airport employee return

and go through the secondary security gate that is left open to the vicinity of our

new Million dollar hanger ( that is cost of construction and engineering ), and then

leaves.  Source airport security camera.

(5) On 30 September Jerry Kerleys time card signed by Joe Kerley reflects he 

was on city time (source time card).  While I am sure Jerry Kerley puts a lot 

of time in for the city and does a admiral job in the treatment facilities that 

has no bearing that he was on city time at the time of the thefts.

(6) The stolen property was recovered at the city airport by the District  Attorneys 

Office the following Monday.

 

   Now Mr Ridley I am going to haul this right out in the open and by open I 

mean transparent open.  I come to think of the events of Septmber 30 th

as BLACK SEPTEMBER for the city of Crossville.  The events of this date

culminates in a long list of events that can be argued the city of Crossvile through

the entities of its municipal functions have participated through city officials

to cause harm to a citizen of our community.

 

  Where am I going with this ? I am going to ask you for a closed executive 

section for your recommendations to council. Why ? Because there is no

doubt the events since Mr Rutherfords dismissal has spiraled out of control.

The black train is coming down the path and all the rhetoric in the world

and denials is not going to get the city out of the mess it is in. When the

new council comes aboard they are going to want answers.  I believe when

the EEOC investigation on the city and members of the officials takes place

there will be a appreciation for accountability.  I also believe there is going

to be a series of law suits against the city and officials of the city.

 

  Some of the events that have taken place would be funny if they were not

so serious. It’s as though people have set around and decided what is the

most stupid thing we can do today, or let’s get on a video and audition 

for the nations dumbest criminal.  But what has really transpired is persons

involved have discredited the city, left the city liable, and has brought in

local law enforcement and judicial entities to deal with stupid.  A local

attorney Earl Patton best said what we have here on a sign, “You can not

fix stupid but you can document it ” or words to that effect. Unfortunately

what we have here is the city officials doing or as the case might be allowing

this to go on for far to long (Complicent).

 

   On June   1st I sent a letter to council outlining Councilman Kerley being

out of control, and targeting people. On June 2nd the assault took place and no

that issue is not over. Since then we have had councilman Kerley order people

arrested, he has established a pattern.  This pattern has transpired with 

arguably the knowledge of the council. Lies, shear fabrication, conspiracy 

theory, really, tell that to a civil jury because boys and girls it’s coming and

the cost to the tax payers is going to be the subject for years.

 

  Let’s talk about the pattern;  (1) Councilman Kerleys Complaint about the flyers

he is acting on stems allegedly from complaints of businessmen (never established). He 

Pushed a misdemeanor complaint to the limit, using a zealous personal motive that

transpired a series of events that are still being impacted on the city.  No

one had ever been cited but he pursued this going directly to the chief and

some of his officers.  To this day like violations are going on with no enforcement.

Constitutionally where is that equitable under the law (does the council not

remember that part of their oath required them to uphold the constitution ).

Councilman Kerley used the  law enforcement entity of the city for his own agenda.

  The judicial entity comes into play when a fine of $1,500 dollars is levied for

one violation.   That will be determined by Judge Jonathan Young.  If the

appeal falls in favor Randy Blankenship or the appeal of the issues with the

restraining order  are not in the favor of the city judge the city may have issues. Does

any one on council,think that a noted constitutional lawyer came up out

of Nashville because he didn’t have something to do.  Article VIII of the

constitution “excessive fines imposed”, germane.

 

Then we have councilman Kerley getting involved with Chief Shoap over Judge

Ivy Gardners restraining order.   That was none of Councilman Kerleys business.

Protection was the chiefs responsibility, extenuating legal business is the city attorneys.

Then  Councilman Kerley verbally assaults Chief Shoaps on his duties in

reference to the restraining order on June 3rd in front of a city employee and

the city manager who allows this to happen.  Now you have the judicial

and chief city administrator involved, yet another city entity. The legislative

side, the law enforcement side, the judicial side, and the city administrator

all involved in one misdemeanor.

 

We don’t want to stop there lets let Councilman Kerley continue with his reckless

disreguard and continue to pursue his avenging personal agenda taking with him

collateral damage to the city and other city employees. Councilman Kerley then

interferes with a investigation on Mr Blankenships mother a elderly woman on

oxygen and wants her arrested for “filing a false police report you all has seen

the correspondence.  Why to get to Mr Blankenship.

 

Midnight raids on their house occurs. ?????

 

Councilman Kerley with wittnesses tells the Chief to arrest Mr Blankenship at a council

meeting because he has insurance and registration violations. Then he changes that to

Tell Shoap to have sheriff deputies arrest Mr Blankenship when he leaves city hall.  Really like 

the chief has operational control over sheriff deputies. Why not tell the sheriff what to

do, he tells the city police what to do or tries.  (Any one want to guess why the chief left )

All this time Councilman Kerleys buddy the city manager Steve Hill is allowing this.

Prove it, I will let the Federal Investigator prove it and the Mr Blankenships attorney.

If my memory is correct Rod Shoap turned into the DAs office a statement earlier on all

of this.  By the way the vehicle was properly registered and insured.

 

Now we come to BLACK SEPTEMBER. Question how is it Jerry Kerley drives right into

the airport and picks up Mr Harwell escorted by Chris Bennett ? Maybe it was

just a coincidence.  Was the Breakfast just another of the friends and family plan?

When did the realization of the raid on Mr Blankenship occurre? Or did we now

move to the part where the city airport and contract employees were used to

facilitate a theft on councilman Kerley political and personal enemy. Now we

have involved the entity of the city airport. Well criminal acts have to be proven

beyond a reasonable doubt, civil just needs a preponderance of evidence.  What

is BLACK SEPTEMBER going to cost the tax payers?

 

Allegations of theft of Mr Kerleys signs, really. He got the city police, the sheriffs

office, the DAs office all running around for what turned out to be not even his signs.

Well he named all of his political enemies including me, Jim Young, Rod Shoap

as suspects detective Jessie Luke Kerley also named Blankenship. Councilman

Kerley is out of control because once again his wild reckless disreguard continued 

To target Mr Blankenship expanding his attempt to use law enforcement and the

DAs office to cause harm.

 

Now we go,to Mr Hill who is enabling his friend Jessie Kerley and Jerry Kerley

to fall under the protection of the city managers office.  Jerry Kerley

claims he is under a hostile environment.  Would that be because the city

employees see that city conduct standards,are enforcement differently

for Mr Hills buddy? Really he participates in stalking and a assault. Jerry

Kerley tells the Mayor he’s going to whip,Souza over Blankenships signs.

Jerry Kerley is charged with stealing during working hours and takes stolen

property to city property. Any employee but a Kirley would have been

suspended?  The number one question I get asked by employees is how

come Jerry Kerley can get away with this and he wonders why other workers are 

resentful.  Double standards will do that.  Truth is Mr  Hill is Jessie Kerleys agent

that was proven when he brought the Kereys down to the IT department

on 3 June and interfered with a police investigation and allowed Jessie Kerley

to bully Rod Shoap !  The city manager had no business interfering with a

police investigation period. At that point the city manager should have

been suspended.  Now the question is the city manager protected as well.

I think I’ll let the federal investigator determine that.

 

So now I am asking for Executive Session to determine Crossvilles Potential

liability for Councilman Kerleys actions.  Also I want you to please

advise the council on the roles and responsibility of the city manager and

what actions is the city manager supposed to do relative and specifically

On these theft charges  and the threat on me that was told to the mayor.

Also I would like you to,advise the council about the non cpmliance

to the open records act I will the city clerk discuss that with you.

Thank you, Pete

Sally please give a copy to each council member, the chief of police,

the Sheriff, and the DA