Marv Sandbeck named Braman Mayor after tumultuous meeting

It was 7:13 p.m., and the Braman Board of Trustees had already voted to appoint 3rd Ward Trustee James Lunn to be the town's mayor.

But by the end of the meeting, the mayor would be Marv Sandbek, the newly-elected 1st Ward Trustee.

On Tuesday, April 16, the board of trustees voted three different times for two different people to become the town's mayor. This was the first meeting of the board following the April 2 municipal election, when U.S. Air Force Veteran Sandbek narrowly ousted longtime trustee and mayor Mike Barton.

The meeting was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., but it began before the posted meeting time. By the end of the meeting, roughly 43 people were present.

The first item on the agenda for the meeting was to reorganize the board – or, in other words, appoint a new mayor. Both Lunn and Sandbek were vying to become the mayor, who doubles as one of the city's three trustees.

Residents at the meeting spoke to the board, saying that the new mayor would need to work to keep Braman alive.

“I just want to let you know that we are kind of at a crossroads in this town. If things are not done right, you guys need to take a good look [at the towns of] Kildare and Nardin. Because that's where we are headed,” said community member Rusty Partee.

Donna Campbell, who was a candidate for the 1st Ward seat on the board in the April election, asked Lunn and Sandbek to detail their qualifications for the mayor's position.

“I would just like to know from each of you what leadership skills you will bring,” Campbell said. Before she could finish her question, she was cut off by Lunn, who said that the matter of appointing a mayor “isn't a debate.”

But both candidates did answer her question.

“My leadership skills are, I'm a working man, I live in this community, I've volunteered for years in this community, I've given money and sweat to this community, [and] I love this community. I would like to be your mayor,” said Lunn.

Sandbek went next. He spoke of his service in the United States Air Force, where he oversaw budgets worth millions of dollars and set flight records that have yet to be broken.

“Going back over the years … I've had an opportunity to be involved in leadership and management worldwide with the military, and also in civilian enterprises. … When I supervised 200 people and took care of 27 jets in Germany, for example … imagine 100 young troops going in all directions, and you have to keep them organized, trained, equipped, and motivated to do the job. You also have to take care of the aircraft. We did that, and we did that very well,” Sandbek said.

“Whoever gets [the mayor's seat] is going to need the whole town's support,” Lunn said.

After hearing from the audience, the trustees made a motion – two, rather.

“I make a motion to nominate myself for mayor,” said Lunn.

“I make a motion to nominate myself for mayor of this great community,” said Sandbek.

All eyes then turned to 2nd Ward Trustee Darlene Johns, the only one of the three trustees not running for mayor.

“Well, that kind of leaves me in a hole,” she said.

Johns said she felt that both Lunn and Sandbek were qualified to serve as mayor. Ultimately, she sided with Lunn, saying that “people like him” because “they know him.”

“I'll second mine for James,” she said as the audience began to “Boo” her.

“You've got to be kidding me,” one audience member said.

Lunn then called for a vote. The town clerk, Sandra Barrows, gave the role call. Lunn and Johns said “Yes,” and Sandbek said “No.”

“Motion passed,” said Barrows.

But the motion, in fact, was not passed.

Lunn attempted to move to the second item on the agenda, but he was stopped by a member of the audience: Ponca City Mayor Homer Nicholson.

Nicholson, who was sitting in the back of the room, informed Lunn that the board had failed to follow Robert's Rules of Order, the guidelines that public entities use to conduct meetings and enact laws.

“Robert's Rules of Order should be prevailing, and if I heard correctly, there were two motions made, and both died for lack of a second. So you did not conduct any business,” Nicholson said.

Audience members began to applaud Nicholson, but Johns replied that she had “seconded.”

“Well then, we'll make the motion again,” said Lunn. “I'll make the motion that I'll be mayor.”

Nicholson then added that the meeting had never officially been called to order. After hearing additional “objections from the audience,” Lunn called the meeting to order.

Once the flag salute was over, the board went back to the first item on the agenda, which was the reorganization of the board of trustees. Lunn again made a motion for himself to be mayor.

“I make the motion that I become the mayor,” he said.

“And I'll second again. Do you hear me back there?” Johns yelled to Nicholson.

An audience member then asked Lunn: “I'm sorry, are you moving? Is that what I'm hearing in accordance with Robert's Rules?”

“I make the motion that I become the mayor,” replied Lunn.

The audience member said that Lunn must say “I move that” instead of “I make a motion.”

“Well, I move that I become mayor,” Lunn responded. “And please, don't outburst any more unless you're asked to, OK?”

The vote to appoint a mayor was taken again. Lunn and Johns voted “Yes,” but this time, Sandbek abstained.

Barrows again declared the motion passed, and Lunn moved onto the second item on the agenda before being stopped by another member of the audience. The audience member informed Lunn that he could not legally nominate himself to serve as mayor.

So Johns said that she would nominate Lunn.

“I move, or, yeah, I second, and I move that James Lunn be mayor. Or I second,” said Johns.

“You move,” said Lunn.

The audience began to laugh.

“Whatever,” Johns replied.

Lunn then seconded Johns' motion, but audience members questioned whether Lunn could second the nomination for his own appointment.

“Well, how are you going to do it on a three person board without it being that way? Does it have to be unanimous?” Lunn asked

Sandbek replied that it did not have to be a unanimous vote.

“It should have been settled in executive session, but that was removed from the [agenda],” Sandbek said.

Sandbek suggested tabling the meeting, but audience members said: “No, don't do it, Marv. Braman needs you.”

Audience members debated whether one trustee could serve as mayor and another could serve as the city manager. One community member asked if the trustees could pick an independent resident of the community to serve as mayor, which is not allowed under city law, according to the trustees.

After more discussion, Lunn made a motion for Sandbek to serve as mayor.

“To be the bigger man and to have this community come back together, I will vote for Marv to be mayor,” said Lunn.

The audience applauded. But Johns wouldn't second it.

“I have never seen as many backstabbers as I've seen in this election. I'm not going to vote for either one of you,” she said, adding that Sandbek “won't work.”

Sandbek took the floor to defend himself from Johns' accusations, saying he hated the “division” within the community. He said he had “never had a cross word” with the city clerk or either of the trustees.

Barrows then stood up from the table and left the meeting, leaving Lunn to take the minutes. Shortly thereafter, a member of the audience began taking the minutes for him.

Then, for the second and final time, Lunn made the motion that Sandbek be named the city's mayor.

Johns seconded the motion, and it was passed unanimously. Once the vote was taken, she left the meeting.

After the meeting, Lunn simply said that the meeting “was fun.”

Sandbek called his appointment to the position of mayor a “referendum vote.”

“We've struggled through this campaign, and I believe we've come together tonight. I want to say what a great gentleman James Lunn is, and I look forward to working with him for many years to come. I am looking forward to working with Mrs. Johns as well. I believe we can move this community forward.”

Nicholson said he attended the meeting because he cares about Kay County as a whole.

“Anybody in a governing body needs to read, learn, and understand the Robert's Rules of Order. There are a lot of state laws that can get you fined or imprisoned for violations, such as the Open Meetings Act. Each trustee … needs to get a copy of Robert's Rules of Order, read it, and learn it.

“I have an interest in the benefit of Kay County. … Each town has lessons learned, and we like to share those lessons with other towns that way none of us have to reinvent the wheel. If I can be of help, I would be happy to be of help.”

A special meeting of the board board of trustees will be held at the Braman Town Hall tonight at 7:00 p.m. The building is located at 302 Broadway Avenue. Full coverage of the event will be in next week's edition of the Journal-Tribune.