DAPHNE, Ala.—Six incumbent council members and one new electee were sworn into their positions Monday.

Councilman John Lake was elected council president in a 6-1 vote, with former president Greg Burnam casting the lone ‘nay’ vote.

Burnam confirmed with city clerk David Cohen that Lake was elected to serve for one year.

Cohen added that the council can unseat and re-elect a new president at any time they see fit, provided the proposed vote has been added to the agenda.

Councilman August Palumbo was elected president pro-tem in a 6-0 vote with Palumbo abstaining.

City Clerk David Cohen was ultimately reappointed for another year, but not without some debate.

A critical review of the city clerk’s job performance—within a letter written by Mayor Fred Small—was brought to the public’s attention. The letter—delivered to council members shortly before the meeting began—highlighted Cohen’s perceived demerits.

A Bulletin reporter, questioning whether he could gain access to the letter, couldn’t reach Small’s assistant by press deadline, but he did reach Cohen, who said his copy was not public record, and that he questioned Small’s motive.

“It was a political tactic—an unwise one—in my opinion, on Small’s part,” Cohen said. “He waited until the last minute to release this information.

“He never met with me to go over my job performance.”

“Sending a letter five minutes before the meeting started is an ambush,” Willie Robison, a concerned resident said during public participation.

“But I have no ax to grind (about Cohen).”

An amendment to reappoint Cohen as city clerk under a 90-day probationary period had failed to carry in a 4-3 vote that required unanimous agreement.

Councilman Bailey Yelding, Councilwoman Cathy Barnette, Palumbo and Lake voted against reappointing Cohen with a probationary period. Burnam, Councilman Ron Scott and Councilman Derek Boulware voted in favor of conditional reappointment.

Palumbo said that a 90-day probationary period was illogical because Cohen had already been city clerk for four years, so no trial period was necessary.

Though the Bulletin, and the public, aren’t privy to Small’s specific claims, some council members defended Cohen’s abilities.

“The previous council failed the city clerk,” Barnette said.

Yelding agreed.

“We’ve let the position down,” he said.

Scott disagreed.

“We have a government that’s not functioning the way it’s supposed to be functioning; the city is not being well served right now,” he said.

In other business:

The plan is an inter-jurisdictional agreement with Spanish Fort and Fairhope that helps maintain storm water runoff in the area.