Live Breaking News & Updates on City Attorney Heather Cannon
Stay updated with breaking news from City attorney heather cannon. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
After accepting the resignation of former Craig Police Department Chief Jerry DeLong on the afternoon of Tuesday, Feb. 9 around 3 p.m., City Manager Peter Brixius rescinded a separation agreement with the former chief two days later. Brixius cited disparaging remarks allegedly made by DeLong, according to emails provided to the Craig Press through a Colorado Open Records Act request. On Feb. 10, the city through Brixius approached DeLong with a separation agreement, stating that the city would pay the former chief two months’ aggregated salary beginning March 1, 2021, and would allow DeLong to continue health insurance coverage for himself and his family as currently exists during the two-month period during which he would receive severance pay. ....
In the last two years, Craig City Council has found itself behind closed doors from the public in executive session 14 times out of 58 total city council meetings. Of those 14 times, a majority of the executive sessions have dealt with council receiving legal advice on a civil suit from a local man against the police department for excessive use of force, while others have dealt with personnel matters, according to the last two years of council packets dating back to January 2019. It is unclear if the three most recent executive sessions from Feb. 9, 2021 may have had a hand in Craig Police Chief Jerry DeLong’s reported resignation. City Manager Peter Brixius said DeLong submitted his resignation on Feb. 8, but one of the executive sessions was “to discuss City Attorney recommendations regarding use of force and implementing policies and practices to reduce liability.” ....
File photo Nearly one week after the resignation of Craig Police Department Chief of Police Jerry DeLong, the City of Craig has named an interim chief for the department. According to a news release from the city Wednesday afternoon, City Manager Peter Brixius announced Michael Cochran as the city’s interim police chief with an estimated start date to occur in two weeks. “Cochran is familiar with Craig PD as he formerly worked for the department prior to taking his current position as Deputy Sheriff and Emergency Management Coordinator for the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office. He has led a distinguished law enforcement career which began in 1989 as a patrol deputy for the Paulding County Sheriff’s Department in Dallas, Georgia and has most recently served in an interim police chief position for the City of Powder Springs in 2017,” the city statement reads. ....
Craig city councilors publicly appointed David Bruce Cummings on Friday night in a special council meeting just three days after being informed they violated Colorado Open Meetings Law by holding a secret ballot vote at the Dec. 11 meeting. In Friday’s meeting, Councilman Steve Mazzuca made the motion to nominate Cummings to fill the vacant seat of Tony Bohrer. Councilor Bohrer seconded the motion. When voting on the motion of Cummings as the nominee, Councilor Chris Nichols voted “no,” while Councilors Andrea Camp, Mazzuca, Hess and Bohrer voted to approve the motion along with Mayor Jarrod Ogden. Council then voted on officially appointing Cummings. Votes stayed the same for the appointment. However, in a meeting with a member of the Craig Press on Wednesday, Mayor Ogden stated that the secret ballot vote to nominate was 4-2 in favor of Cummings. On Friday, the vote read 5-1. It’s unknown which councilor changed their vote from the Dec. 11 meeting, which is w ....