To answer your question this morning about Sarah Lake’s claim in today’s Daily Times story about the Open Meetings Compliance Board ruling, “Council President Terry Cohen declined to comment and City Attorney Mark Tilghman did not respond to requests for comment,” I did respond to Ms. Lake’s request for a comment. Here is what happened.
Ms. Lake sent an email marked 10:33 a.m. asking for “a comment from you or from Mr. Tilghman.” She sent another email at 11:21 a.m. containing remarks she attributed to Mr. Bright, the attorney who filed the complaint, “hoping it will assist you in providing me with a comment for my story.”
I was available to send an email to Ms. Lake at 1:18 p.m. that said, “’The Open Meetings Compliance Board ruled there was no violation.’” That simple comment emphasizes that the board’s ruling speaks for itself.
My comment was confined to the facts. The Wastewater Treatment Plant issue is in litigation and I don’t feel it is in the best interest of our citizens for me to address second-hand reports of opinions from an opposing attorney in the press.
In response to the comment I provided, Ms. Lake sent another email at 1:22 p.m. asking, “Can you elaborate?” By that time, I was engaged in other matters.
Also later in the day, I saw Ms. Lake sent me another email, marked 1:56 p.m. In that one, she said, “Terry, Because this is a statement of fact, not a comment, I'll mark you down as declining to comment. I also never heard from Mr. Tilghman.”
As noted above, I did send Ms. Lake a comment. Ms. Lake did not hear from Mr. Tilghman because he knew I was responding. Ms. Lake had asked for me OR Mr. Tilghman to respond, not both of us, and I complied with her request for a comment.
I hope this fully answers your question.
Terry E. Cohen, President
Salisbury City Council
410.845.0296
New Posts to fall below.
Sarah is a troll in more ways than I can count.
ReplyDeleteMs. Cohen, if not already, please familiarize yourself with your e-mail client's filters/rules. Why accept e-mail from anyone whose only intention is to tie up your day or night until they get a subjectively suitable reply? Just block 'em.
ReplyDeleteNo incoming = no reply.
How can anyone construe stating a fact as declining to comment?
ReplyDeleteThe calibre of so called journalists we have these days is a joke.
Seriously 11:54, Ms Cohen ought to just block Lake's emails since this isn't the first time Lake has either lied intentionally or misconstrued the intent of Ms Cohen's comments.
ReplyDeleteMs Cohen needs to nip it in the bud and refuse to deal with Lake who is dishonest. Now that the Maryland Coast Dispatch is covering Salisbury, Lake needs to be dismissed!
Because Cohen has integrity, she responds honestly even to slime who don't, and in my opinion Sarah Lake qualifies as one of those who don't.
ReplyDeleteFrom this description, Lake was not looking for comments but playing a game of "gotcha" to smear Cohen and Mark Tilghman.
Joe, do you still have your post about Mizz Lake's role in that confab at the Chamber of Commerce where she met with Dunn, Mitchell, Ireton etc. to plan their revenge on the the three member of council CHOSEN BY THE PEOPLE? I'd like to see it again!