Resident defends councilmember Freund, urges investigation of alleged conflicts of interest

During the Call to the Public, registered speaker Sharon Fried addressed the council in defense of Councilmember Ken Freund and criticized what she described as a coordinated recall campaign. Fried said she has known Freund "for several years" and described him as having "honesty and integrity." She called the recall "unfounded" and said it appeared to be "a coordinated attempt to discredit a council member who upholds the best interest of the townspeople."

Fried accused those behind the recall of spreading "lies, disinformation" and called for accountability and a public apology if the allegations are unfounded. She also urged further investigation into "the new planning and zoning commissioners and their conflicts of interest," asserting that recent council decisions favoring landowners, contractors and developers have undermined local priorities such as wildlife, open space and water security.

The comment was presented as a member of the public; the council acknowledged the speaker but no council response or follow-up action was recorded in the meeting minutes or on the audio transcript.