Residents rally behind Chief Golden and urge honoring Bishop Masters as council faces criticism on personnel and pensions

Public comment consumed a substantial portion of the council meeting on Dec. 3, with many residents raising concerns about code enforcement, pensions and recent personnel matters.

Citizens complained about what they characterized as "selective enforcement" by code officers and described fines that accumulate into liens that can burden low‑income or elderly homeowners. Several speakers demanded more discretion and outreach from code enforcement staff.

A second major thread involved pension and personnel issues. Retirees and union representatives urged the city to leave police pension funds intact and criticized any proposals to reallocate pension dollars. Multiple speakers strongly defended Assistant Chief/Chief Golden, saying earlier investigations had recommended training rather than termination and that the chief had an otherwise strong record. NAACP and community leaders framed recent personnel moves as part of broader patterns they view as discriminatory and asked the council to consider the totality of historical context.

Separately, a wide range of residents urged the council to name Avenue I or another street after Bishop Thomas Masters; multiple speakers recounted his decades of community service. The council recorded support for moving forward with the naming celebration and scheduled a December 20 event with the family.

The public comment session included emotional testimony, specific allegations, and calls for council action on lien‑waiver authority, pension protections and staff treatment. Council members acknowledged the comments and said some issues require closed‑session or administrative follow up, while others (like the street‑naming and the sewage spill update) were scheduled for public action.