CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Ajax Turner Senior Center will close its doors on June 15 to prepare for a move-out, as the City of Clarksville will take over the building and resume operations on July 1.
At Thursday’s Senior Board meeting, board member Lois Greider said that Millan Enterprises will provide warehouse space for the nonprofit’s furniture and equipment. The center will close so that staff can prepare and pack. Millan will handle the move and will hold everything temporarily until a new home can be found for the nonprofit-operated senior center. When the city takes over the building two week later, it will be empty.
Also Thursday, the board, and some members of the packed audience, hotly debated whether a 2024 change in the bylaws was properly ratified. Among the bylaw changes: A requirement that the board adhere to the Tennessee Open Meetings Law.
Why that matters played out in real time with a secret meeting the board held on Friday, June 5, and it could affect the validity of a vote in an earlier closed meeting in which Executive Director Rita Allsop was fired.
Closed-door meeting with actions taken
On Friday, June 5, after receiving reports of a police presence at Ajax Turner Senior Center, along with an unscheduled board meeting coming that same day, Clarksville Now visited the senior center to learn more.
Police were no longer at the scene; however, Clarksville Now asked the front desk if there was a Senior Citizen Board meeting planned at 3 p.m. The front desk directed the question to Senior Citizen Board Chairwoman Beverly Guynn, who told Clarksville Now that there would be no meeting.
Clarksville Now later received several follow-up reports from community members saying a meeting was still set to take place, and with no public notice. Upon returning to the center around 3 p.m., the Senior Citizen Board of Directors was in the middle of holding a closed-door meeting.
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People on both sides of the issue were in the hallway, including some questioning whether the Sunshine Law had been violated. After the meeting concluded, Clarksville Now asked John Crow, the attorney representing the Ajax Turner Senior Center, if he had any concerns with possible Sunshine Law violations.
“This was a special-called meeting. Under the circumstances, we didn’t have time to publicize it due to the concerns of the center not having an executive director,” Crow said. “So, what the board is going to do is they are going to publicize and hire an interim executive director. They’re going to publicize that for a short period of time asking for applicants who want to apply and are able to apply.”
The Senior Citizen Board voted to fire former executive director Rita Allsop just weeks ago.
Crow said there were confidential discussions taking place during the meeting as well and cited attorney-client privilege.
Under Tennessee state law, the only exception to the Sunshine Law (TCA 8-440101-201) is for a briefing on “present and pending litigation” or litigation that is likely to be filed, in which the body has been or will be named. The body’s attorney can provide the briefing, and members can ask informative questions. No deliberation is allowed and no voting is allowed. The body must reconvene to deliberate on its actions or to vote. Violations could nullify any actions taken by the board resulting from that meeting.
Board allegedly votes down injunction against city
After the closed meeting, board member Greider said the board voted not to file an injunction against the City of Clarksville for terminating their lease. Greider said she and Dr. Gregory Fryer voted in favor of the injunction; Guynn, Maureen Potter, Otis Sanders and Rose Bennett voted against it.
Greider questioned why the meeting was closed and said their agenda items could have been discussed publicly.
Clarksville Now asked Guynn for comment, and she declined.
Board chairwoman attempts to fire two senior center employees
Earlier this week, Clarksville Now obtained video footage of Board Chair Guynn attempting to fire multiple staff members for attending a recent City Hall protest against the city takeover.
In the video, Guynn can be seen talking to two workers, telling them, “It’s time for her to go, and it’s time for you to go, too.” She then told each worker they had been fired.
Greider is also seen in the video telling Guynn she does not have the authority to fire employees. When Clarksville Now asked Crow if Guynn had the authority to fire senior center employees, he said he couldn’t comment.
Members call for board chair to resign
At the end of Thursday’s meeting, Gilbert Pulley, a member of the Senior Center for 13 years, presented the board with a formal grievance demanding Guynn’s resignation, both as chair and from the board. The document, signed by 42 members, called for her removal, in part, “for having a closed meeting (where the board fired Allsop) without having our Executive Director Rita Allsop there to defend herself.”
“Our members do not support these actions of the chairman of the board in continuing to sabotage the very people she is to represent,” Pulley said in the grievance cover page.
Missing mail, including check from city
Also during the meeting, questions were raised about missing mail. Staff member Sabine Sanders said she had not received any daily mail since the firing of Allsop on May 27. This is particularly concerning since a monthly funding check that was due from the City of Clarksville has not surfaced.
Sanders had earlier put a lock on the mailbox for security purposes, but the lock has been broken. Mail theft is a federal offense.
The board agreed to ask the Post Office to hold all mail, to be picked up at the Post Office until the situation is resolved. They also asked board attorney Crow to find out from the city whether the check had been sent.
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