Frustrated council members demanded answers at Monday night's meeting.
"Did Mr. Hannan get it to Mr. Swope," asked Carol Wood about a 2015 contract with former Lansing City Attorney Janene McIntyre.
"It is my belief that it was not brought to my office," explained Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope.
Wood, along with many other council members wanted to know why the city didn't have an original copy of the 2015 contract extension with McIntyre.
"We have not been able to locate the original copy," said Randy Hannan, the mayor's executive assistant."We continue to look for that. We do have a final draft."
But the questions didn't stop there. Next the council wanted to know why McIntyre was paid out around 33,000 dollars for accrued vacation and sick time, why the city spent more than nine thousand dollars in legal fees to handle the settlement, and what led to the separation agreement.
"We're not able to disclose or discuss attorney client privileged information," said Hannan.
Which means the council can't discuss those details at a public meeting.
But according to Deputy City Attorney F. Joe Abood, the council can't discuss that in closed session either.
"If you want to go into closed session," said Abood, "It has to be fully valid, legal with a legal basis for that."
McIntyre has to give consent and request a closed session.
"The council did have the opportunity at that time to seek her consent to go into session," said Hannan.
An answer many council members found insulting.
"This smells really bad," said Jody Washington. "I can only imagine what everybody's imagination is going with this.
Creating more questions than answers.
