OAK GROVE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – After a swirl of allegations concerning their code enforcement officer and a business in Oak Grove, the City Council held a special called meeting on the matter Thursday night.

Several council members reported hearing that a local business had filed a harassment complaint against the city’s code enforcement officer, claiming the officer submitted false reports resulting in $15,000 in fines. There were also false rumors that the officer had been arrested.

“There are too many allegations and as a council we need to figure out what allegations are right and what is wrong,” said council member John Campbell.

Addressing rumors

Mayor Jackie Oliver addressed the rumors, telling some council members, “You took gossip as gospel and it simply did not happen.” She explained that the business in question had initially attempted to bypass city regulations instead of following proper ordinances.

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Oliver presented the council with a detailed timeline of citations issued to the business, showing the dates and nature of each violation. Several of the violations included failing to obtain a building permit for renovations, operating without a liquor license, and not having a certificate of occupancy, among others.

She emphasized that the city made numerous efforts to work with the business owner, but the owner repeatedly failed to comply with regulations and ignored the rules, leading to the accumulation of multiple fines.

Police Chief Dennis Cunningham confirmed to the council that the police department had looked into the situation. “After our investigation, everything the officer did and the city did was 100% correct,” he said, adding that no arrests were made.

Next steps by council

Given how the situation was exaggerated through phone calls and social media, the council called for getting statements from all individuals involved. Councilwoman Janet Edwards also suggested the city consider creating a step-by-step template for new business owners, outlining the necessary procedures to ensure compliance with all city regulations before opening their doors.

Oliver said the business is now following all the correct procedures, calling it a long-awaited development. She also clarified that although the code enforcement officer resigned, it was due to accepting a higher-paying job, not because of the allegations or investigation.

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