MOUNT VERNON — Commissioner Drenda Keesee returned to a Knox County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday for the first time since allegations came to light of a law enforcement investigation into alleged sex crimes involving Faith Life Church.
The church and its more than 3,000 members are led by co-pastors Gary Keesee, and his wife, Drenda Keesee, who recently took office as Knox County commissioner. No one has been charged in the investigation.
Keesee did not attend the Feb. 4 session, citing her desire to avoid disrupting the meeting in light of recent posts about her family on social media. She also did not attend the Feb. 6 session.
About 30 people filled the lobby of the Knox County Service Center on Tuesday morning, waiting for the commissioners’ session to begin.
Some came to pray. One said Keesee should resign in light of the allegations surrounding Faith Life Church.
Others were concerned citizens wanting to observe proceedings. Another said she was a concerned parent.
Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputies were on the scene. One woman grabbed a Knox Pages reporter’s phone to avoid pictures. Others pointed out the lobby was a public place.
The group was quiet and controlled.
Once the commissioners’ session began, five citizens observed proceedings from inside the conference room. The remaining gathered in the commissioners’ reception area.
Public participation
During public participation, Commissioner Bill Pursel invited anyone who wanted to speak on county business to do so.
County business, Pursel said, involves things the county commissioners cover.
“This is not going to be a public comment time to talk about things that are outside of what the commissioners control,” he said. “If it’s not anything that we have oversight over, then you need to take that someplace else.”
According to the Board of Commissioners public comment procedure, speakers are limited to three minutes. They are also asked to sign up in advance of the meeting.
The commissioners waived that requirement Tuesday morning.
Kelly Montgomery questioned whether there were times when the commissioners needed to recuse themselves from voting when there is a conflict of interest.
“Can that person be removed from a certain committee at those conflict of interests?” she asked.
Pursel responded, “If we think there are any conflicts, then we talk to the (county) prosecutor about it because he’s our legal guardian, in essence.
“Anything that might raise an issue of a conflict of interest we would channel through County Prosecutor Chip McConville.”
Commissioner Barry Lester said, “We can all recuse ourselves from something as far as a vote goes if we think there’s a personal conflict.”
Granville resident Sabrina Warner asked whether transparency was still occurring. Pursel responded yes.
Warner also asked whether Keesee has kept up with her commissioner duties and meetings.
Pursel responded that is not something commissioners would deal with in regular session.
However, he added his understanding is that under the Ohio Revised Code, elected officials are required to be in the office at least one day out of 90.
No other citizen requested to speak.
Required attendance by elected officials
McConville cited ORC 305.03 as the authority for required attendance by elected officials. ORC 305.03 states, “whenever any county officer, except the county auditor or county treasurer, fails to perform the duties of office for 90 consecutive days, except in case of sickness or injury as provided in divisions (B) and (C) of this section, the office shall be deemed vacant.”
“Performing the duties of office at a minimum, that is probably attending some meetings,” McConville said.
“But if you can show you have been going to a commissioner board that you have been appointed to as a statutory requirement, that is performing the duties of office.”
Judging a spelling bee would not be considered performing the duties of office. However, attending a DKMM (Delaware-Knox-Marion-Morrow) waste district meeting would be.
Additionally, McConville said restrictions such as vacation, sick, or personal time off do not apply to elected officials. They are expected to put in the time to get things accomplished.
At a previous meeting, a couple of attendees called on Commissioners Pursell and Barry Lester and the Knox County Republican Central Committee to ask Keesee to resign.
They have also called for a recall vote.
However, McConville said there is no statutory provision for recall of county or township elected officials. There is a recall provision for municipalities.
There is also no statutory provision for a central committee to remove an elected official.
ORC 3.07 does provide for removing an elected official due to gross neglect or misconduct related to official duties, including malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance.
