Expelled Waldport Mayor Cited For Disorderly Conduct

On April 4, the Waldport City Council met to discuss employee complaints against elected Mayor Heide Lambert. After meeting in executive session, the council cited City Charter rule 21(g), which prevents the direction of city staff by an elected official to expel Lambert from her position as Mayor. During the regularly scheduled Waldport city council meeting on April 10th Mrs. Lambert went to the dias and made a statement "I was not provided with procedural due process. The charter provisions provided against me are unconstitutional. It is my position that I am lawfully elected Mayor by the people of Waldport and have a right to be here in the position of Mayor. The people of Waldport elected me. I object to any discussion or consideration of appointing someone to fill my seat as Mayor, as the seat is not vacated."

While Lambert was giving her statement, she was provided a letter from City Manager Dann Cutter stating that effective immediately, she was excluded from city hall in any other role other than a general citizen. Through a motion the council removed her as the elected Mayor of Waldport. The notice said the exclusion would remain in effect until there is a legal change in Lambert's status. When Lambert took a seat next to the city council she was approached by Sheriff Shanks. He read Lambert her Miranda rights and escorted her outside. On her way out, she told the audience, "I'm being arrested yall". Outside, she was arrested and cited for Disorderly Conduct 2 and was released to join the meeting as a citizen. Click here to see a video of Lambert's removal

During this time, the citizens attending the Waldport city council meeting very loudly expressed their objection to the council of their elected official being escorted out. There was yelling of "Recall" "Boo" and "Shame". The council, in anticipation of issues, announced that they were not taking public comments during the meeting. In addition to the Sheriff, who was at the meeting to discuss the renewal of their contract with the city, there were at least 3 Sheriff's deputies also in attendance. Council President Greg Dunn tried to start the regular meeting but was interrupted by the audience demanding answers. The council adjourned the meeting for 5 minutes. Click here to see the statement from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office

Afterward, there were continued shouts for answers from the citizens in attendance who could not speak as part of public comment. Sheriff Shanks spoke to the crowd. He acknowledged Lambert was in the audience as a citizen and asked those in the audience to please keep from shouting out so the council could return to conducting their regular business. "We have to maintain peace in this meeting," Sheriff Shanks told the audience. "They have a right to hold their meeting in a peaceful manner". Councilor Jerry Townsend told the audience that he, along with Councilor Woodruff, wrote a detailed letter of explanation regarding why they decided to remove Lambert as Mayor.

The Council decided during the meeting how they were going to treat the vacant Mayor's position. City manager Dann Cutter acknowledged this was going to be contentious and that there would be a legal challenge. He recommended the council consider filling the vacancy by election. "The citizens should be the ones determining who is sitting in that seat." The council approved to put the Mayor position on the ballot at the special election in November. In the meantime, Council President Dunn is acting as Mayor pro tem.