The two camps involved in the Hyack showdown are both calling for the removal of one another, but one side says Hyack president Gavin Palmer might not be able to pull the trigger.
Hyack board director Ron Unger, who’s one of six people on Palmer’s hit list, says the besieged association president didn’t give enough notice for his motion to be discussed at the board’s meeting on Oct. 22 – the same meeting, where a motion to vote on Palmer’s (along with treasurer Gloria Munro and vice-president Alan Wardle’s) future with the organization is also on the agenda.
“The board hasn’t agreed to allow him to present his motion,” Unger told The Record.
But Palmer disagrees, saying according to his legal advice he gave sufficient notice.
“We are going to have a meeting on the 22nd, and we have given notice out. It has been properly issued. A few people got it late, but having it late does not constitute misdirection,” Palmer said. “The legal advice I have is that we can go ahead with the meeting.”
Unger said Palmer’s legal advice isn’t coming from the association’s lawyer.
“The lawyer that the board has talked to is, the opinion is pretty clear, the 15 days or not,” he said.
The issue first erupted last week, when countering notices were issued to members. One sent from the Hyack Festival Association board and one from Palmer. The first one from the board calls for the removal of executives who fired former executive director Douglas Smith. Palmer’s notice calls for the removal of several Hyack board directors, a list which along with Unger includes board directors Bill Radbourne, Patti Goss, Stephen Loyd, Michail Boncea and Mariane Kazemir.
The Hyack brouhaha began when Smith was fired on July 31 and later reinstated.
The meeting is being held at The Columbia, 530 Columbia St., at 6:30 p.m.
