GARLAND - By Cari Doutre, Headliner Publisher, October 3, 2022
Garland City can now add three more resignations to its growing list of employees and city council members who have recently quit their positions with the city – and with little to no notice.
In the last nine months this small rural city with roughly 2,600 residents, has witnessed the resignations of nine employees.
That number includes two different City Department directors, two police officers, two librarians, two Public Works Department employees and one Parks and Recreation Department employee.
Read more in a previously posted article by BRVNEWS.com on the link below.
The city has also witnessed the resignations of two city council members within the last five months.
On September 21, during the Garland City Council’s work session, councilmember Steve Peacock turned in his resignation, effective immediately, stating that he will soon be moving out of the state due to health concerns.
At the time of his resignation, Peacock was the longest serving member on the council (excluding Garland City Mayor Linda Bourne’s time as a councilmember). He was appointed to that position in February of 2021, and was assigned to oversee the city’s fire department, police department and emergency management.
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In May, Chuck Bingham resigned from his position after serving five years on the council. Tena Allen was appointed by the council on June 1, to finish his remaining term.
Peacock’s departure now leaves a vacant seat on the council and the city is currently seeking qualified applicants interested in serving that position for remainder of that term ending in January 2024. The remaining four city councilmembers will vote to appoint an individual among those applicants.
More information, including an application link for individuals wanting to be considered to fill the City Council interim vacancy, can be found below.
After announcing his resignation from the council, Peacock urged Garland City residents to serve their community and work together.
“When you’re volunteering your time, your weekends and you’re dedicated to the community, that’s what we need. That’s what this community needs,” Peacock said.
“We need to not be fractured. We need to be a community. That’s what Garland is about,” he added.
Peacock’s resignation comes just one day after it was announced during the Tremonton City Council meeting on September 20, that the city has recently hired one of Garland City’s police officers.
Tremonton Garland Police Chief Dustin Cordova made the announcement, stating that an officer has resigned from Garland City after applying for an opening with Tremonton.
This is the second police officer this year to resign from Garland City and join Tremonton City’s payroll.
When Tremonton and Garland City merged police departments in 2019, both cities agreed to maintain their own public safety budgets and continue to fund their own separate police departments. Both cities agreed that they will keep officers even in pay and that any increase in pay is to be taken care of by the respective city.
At the time of the merge, Garland City gave up supervision of their officers and made Tremonton City the supervisor of the entire agency. The agreement does make it clear that Garland City will participate and have a say in final decisions into the hiring and firing the officers they are paying for.
As of October 3, Garland City has just two remaining police officers on their payroll.
Halfway through Garland City Parks and Recreation’s fall youth sports season, Shantry Mitchell resigned from her position as Park and Recreation Coordinator in mid-September. That position included organizing and managing all of Garland City’s youth sports programs, among other duties.
While Garland City still employs several seasonal part-time employees to help with football and soccer games, Mitchell’s vacated position overlooking the recreation department has yet to be filled.
According to Garland City’s website they list postings for a part-time sports coordinator and two full-time public works department positions.
Not all vacated slots in Garland City have gone unfilled.
It was announced during the September 9, council meeting that after seven months without a Public Works Director, the city had hired Kade Evans from Lehi City to fill that position. Evans will replace Director Matt Cutler, who resigned from his position on February 9, after 11 years with the city.
It was also announced that night that Linda King was hired as the city’s new Library Director. Tate Atkin resigned on July 15, after working for the Garland Public Library for eight years, five of which he served as the library’s director. The city has also hired part-time employees to fill those vacancies left behind after two librarians resigned in July shortly after Atkins’ departure from the city.
Garland City posted the following public notice on September 30, 2022
Applications for individuals wanting to be considered to fill the City Council interim vacancy can be found on the links below.