The soap opera involving Essex Town Council continues.
Council voted Monday night to accept a motion by Councillor Randy Voakes, who wanted to address issues with council proceedings being disrupted by arguments and alleged physical contact.
Members of council have had internal tension for some time. Voakes, though, wants a policy outlining consequences for people who act up in chambers. He says people have a right to attend meetings in a council room that essentially belongs to the people of Essex.
"The chambers belong to us," Voakes told council. "When somebody comes in to these chambers, and as a result of any conflict, anybody sitting up in those green chairs, has absolutely no right to physically attack anybody."
Voakes referred to an alleged incident where a physical altercation occurred during a meeting. He also says there have been instances where verbal outbursts have taken place.
Essex Mayor Ron McDermott pointed out to Voakes that what happened was not confirmed because there was no police report.
"None of your people were in this room when this happened except for the lady and her husband," McDermott told Voakes. "All that hearsay with emails is all hearsay, so stick to the facts that you know."
Voakes responded that just because people don't often want to get the police involved, it doesn't mean nothing happened.
The councillor then posed a question relayed to him in one of the emails, asking "What are we going to do about it?" McDermott, despite objections from Voakes, spoke on behalf of council and said that the alleged incidents in chambers have nothing to do with the business of the town and Voakes has been made aware of that multiple times.
The town already has a code of conduct for council members.