Three Rivers city commissioners voted unanimously to censure At-Large Commissioner Lucas Allen at Tuesday’s meeting following Allen’s disruptive and threatening behavior on March 7. A resolution of censure posted on the city’s website states Allen’s conduct damaged the reputation of the City of Three Rivers, and diminished the goodwill between the commission and citizens. 

During the general comments portion of Tuesday’s meeting, community member Mandy Christophel took the floor to publicly admonish Allen, saying she felt a responsibility as a citizen to attend the meeting in order to speak about his actions. “I think the behavior was completely unacceptable, and the lack of personal responsibility for your actions, Mr. Allen, was deplorable,” Christophel said. “I actually had citizens reach out to me about speaking here without using their names or addresses because they were in fear of retaliation from you. I don’t appreciate having to come here and speak out against a bully.” Christophel ended by asking Allen for his resignation.

Silliman House Director Rebecca Shank was present at the March 7 meeting to witness Allen’s outbursts firsthand, and spoke to the commission Tuesday. She said she had a couple of phone conversations with Allen since the incident. “I would like to express that I feel compassion for Mr. Allen, and that he has a condition which, in certain circumstances, causes him to perhaps lose control. How we choose to respond to that is a matter of our own personal responsibility,” Shank said. “I just would like to express that we try to understand what our people have experienced and what they’re going through, and I just wanted to thank Lucas, also, for the fact that he was attempting to serve people here at the meeting, even though it wasn’t perhaps in an appointed way of doing so.” Shank ended by thanking commissioners for their service and saying, “We will try harder.”

Former City Commissioner Alison Haigh took the microphone next calling Allen’s behavior “very uncalled for.” “I’ve sat behind the commission desk for 10 years,” she said, “and never once did I ever think about raising my voice like that even though I was upset with some of these commissioners, the mayor, the city manager, the city staff. Never once did I ever think of having an outburst like that.” She went on to tell Allen he represents the City of Three Rivers and its citizens, saying he should never come to work intoxicated. Watershed Voice previously reported that prior to the March 7 meeting, Allen’s speech was slurred and he smelled of alcohol when confronting Watershed staff.Haigh ended by asking Allen for his resignation. 

With public comments coming to a close, Allen spoke and started by thanking Christophel and Haigh for their comments, and announced he had written a public letter of apology, which he read out loud. 

“To the mayor, city manager, and city commissioners of Three Rivers, I sincerely apologize for my actions, words, and negative behavior that resulted in the resolution of censure brought against me. I’m ashamed, appalled, regretful, and hold myself completely responsible and accountable for everything that went on during the last city commission meeting. I accept all admonishment, indifference, professional, and objective criticism against me to include this censure issued by the city and the city commission. I failed this commission, the city staff, the mayor, and especially the citizens of Three Rivers.” 

Allen continued, “With this being said, there are certain people specifically that I believe need a personal and professional apology. I’ll start with you, Mayor (Tom Lowry), of course, obviously most of my attacks were addressed toward you. For all the comments I said, I sincerely apologize. I will work on getting better and I believe we have something in store to make this happen.

Chief of Police Boling, sorry, sir. Superintendent Taylor, Director Bobbi Schoon, DDA Director Mains, and Commissioner Torrey Brown, as well. And, of course, Mr. Levy. Those people, I believe, if I remember correctly, I did personally attack, and for that I take full responsibility, and I hold myself accountable. 

“To the citizens of Three Rivers, I hope that we can move forward with positivity, forgiveness that will overcome the adversity and blight on the community that I solely created. I am truly sorry for projecting my own problems and issues on everyone else. And please forgive me if I missed anyone or any type of organization or position.”

Allen ended his apology by saying he had learned “many hard lessons,” and has taken certain steps to ensure his negative behavior would not happen again. “I hope that everyone will understand that I will continue to develop, implement, convey your messages, and in an a more effective, direct, polite, and politically correct manner. Again, I hold myself accountable, no one else did this but myself. There’s no excuses, there’s no sugar-coating. It was all me.”

Lowry thanked Allen for reading his statement and officially accepted the apology.  Lowry went on to say, “I still think it’s appropriate to pass this motion of censure so that it’s a matter of record that we do not condone that behavior at all in the future.” The resolution was adopted unanimously. 

Beca Welty is a staff writer and columnist for Watershed Voice.