A week of speculation about whether Sheppard would continue to serve on the council ended with a public reprimand during an executive session Monday night by City Manager Andrea Gardner.
But amid the turmoil, it was also one of the strangest council meetings in quite a while, according to many in the audience.
The irregularities included a momentary shift in the council’s temporary leadership to Councilman Mark Peterson - with the absence of a mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem Robert Reeves - and Sheppard’s decision to have the executive session, when Councilman Ray Don Clayton attempted to have the item removed entirely from the agenda.
Meanwhile, the reprimand came as a result of an apparent tirade against a water service employee by Sheppard, the day after Copperas Cove Mayor Roger O’Dwyer was removed from office.
Sheppard was accused of berating an employee of the city’s water department after the department turned off the water at one of his rental properties while repairs were being done on the property.
Sheppard said he has a special account that enables him to use the water facilities and that he pays when the jobs on his properties are completed.
Sheppard said he and his wife attempted to contact the water department several times with little or no success.
“I was very irate because all work had come to a standstill,” Sheppard said.
Reading from an e-mail she sent to the entire council two weeks ago, Gardner called Sheppard’s behavior disrespectful.
“He cursed repeatedly and was verbally abusive,” Gardner read. “He went so far as to state that heads were going to roll, over the fact that he’d be required to follow city policy.”
Gardner said Sheppard’s behavior was unacceptable and that he’d used his position to threaten and intimidate the employee.
“This type of conduct is embarrassing to city staff and negatively impacts the city’s reputation,” Gardner said.
She added that during the same week, Sheppard’s behavior had apparently chased off a candidate for a position with the city.
Sheppard, who did not address the issue with the potential candidate, admitted he’d lost his temper with the water service employee, but only because he felt mistreated.
“I believe the customer service representative for this city needs to have some common courtesy too,” he said. “This still does not make my deal OK, but I assure you I was not threatening her.”
Gardner disagreed and reminded Sheppard that wielding his position was a violation of the city’s policy and would no longer be tolerated.
“There can be ramifications to this kind of action,” she said.
Councilman Fred Harris, who voted to hold the executive session earlier in the meeting, agreed that Sheppard had acted inappropriately.
“No council member, no mayor or no other elected official, is more important than the lowest paid employee in this city,” Harris said. “We’re expendable, but they are not.”
The 25-minute executive session ended in an adjournment and no action taken by the council.
