by Tom Chillemi
A divide between some Urbanna citizens and the Urbanna Town Council, and dissension among some council members, may be narrowing.
The feud that has been simmering boiled over at the July 11 council meeting, when council member Barbara Hartley shared her concerns about the hiring of Net Interop to provide computer security service for the town office. (See July 18, 2019 e-edition of the Sentinel available online with subscription.)
Hartley has been openly critical of town attorney Andy Bury and the “process” used to hire Net Interop.
Bury has said he “recommended” Net Interop because he had had dealings with the firm and found it to be “competent.”
(Read Net Interop’s reaction on Page 1 of the August 1, 2019 Sentinel.)
At the August 22 meeting, council members Bill Goldsmith and Bill Smith and town attorney Andy Bury delivered responses to some of the criticisms leveled at council in Letters to the Editor that appeared in the Southside Sentinel. Barbara Hartley also replied.
Net Interop hired
When Hartley questioned “the process” of hiring Net Interop, Goldsmith volunteered, and was given permission by council, to seek security firms other than Net Interop to provide internet security.
After Goldsmith sought bids from six other firms, council decided in a unanimous vote to continue with Net Interop. Council took this action at the end of the August 22 meeting.
Goldsmith’s lengthy reply to recent emails he’s received and sent is available at SSentinel.com. “My whole purpose of this is to try to put this to bed and be done with it,” said Goldsmith.
“The Gordon Group”
The question remains who is Sarah Gordon, who wrote a Letter to the Editor critical of council. At the August 22 town council meeting council member Bill Smith said there is no such person when he read from his written reply. “Sarah Gordon does not exist. It’s a fictitious name made up to cover the identity of the author.
“Digging deeper into the letters it becomes apparent that this is not one person but a small group of people disgruntled that their candidate or candidates did not win the last election.” Smith referred to them as “the Gordon Group.”
Smith admonished the Southside Sentinel “for not doing their due diligence in verifying the source of any Letter to the Editor.”
Sentinel editor Tom Hardin said he has communicated with Gordon only by email.
Smith said Sarah Gordon attacked mayoral candidate Diane Gravatt in a Letter to the Editor on October 15, 2018, and was critical of Mayor Gravatt in a Letter to the Editor on July 18, 2019 that also attacked the town attorney, the town administrator and the entire town council “with the exception of Ms. Hartley.”
https://youtu.be/jnk4aBmBopk
Citizen Kristi Anzivino replied during the public comment period, “I don’t think there is a Miss Gordon Group.”
Anzivino continued, “When we perceive you are not doing it the right way, it is our right to question that. We need to do it in a very calm manner.”
Council member Hartley repeated that her point was “the process” of how Net Interop was hired. “The point is it wasn’t done properly and all I am saying is back up and do it the right way.” The rest of her comments are at SSentinel.com.
At previous meetings Hartley asked questions about how Net Interop was hired, and she said it took three weeks to get an answer.
Andy Bury, who has been town attorney for 10 years, replied to Hartley, saying he has been “slandered.”
Hartley has said that Bury is trying to run the town.
Bury said he made the introduction of Net Interop and then removed himself “from all consideration.”
