NUNN — Professional mediator Craig Conrad has settled angry disputes within households, between neighbors and even among the people of Rwanda and Uganda.
But Conrad has yet to see anything like what’s going on in the tiny Weld County town of Nunn.
“There is a lot of hurt and a lot of anger in this town,” Conrad said. “They can’t get anything done because everybody is just so angry with each other.”
That animosity will be put on display later this fall when the town of about 500 residents will vote in a recall election of six of the seven members of the town board. Tonight the board will set a date for the vote.
The first trio targeted by recall petitions circulated this summer were Mayor Jeff Pigue, Mayor pro tem Christy Alexander and board member Jack Smith. In retaliation, recall petitions were later circulated for board members Joyce Taylor, Jenny Johnson and Karen Burd.
Town Clerk Tori McMechan approved the petitions last month, noting each petition contained at least 28 valid signatures. She also admits she signed recall petitions against Taylor, Johnson and Burd. Still, that hasn’t stopped her from doing her clerk duties as impartially as possible.
“Maybe I like one person more than I do another,” McMechan said, “but I’ve been able to set aside my feelings, and I think I’ve done my job very well.”
Besides recall petitions, town bitterness has led to claims and counter- claims of theft among town officials and hints of deadly violence.
One board member claims her husband was deliberately forced off a local road. McMechan says her house was shot at. “It’s a miracle we get anything done here,” McMechan said.
When Conrad — who operates a community mediation program — offered to help the town solve its conflicts, he was shouted down at a town meeting and told to leave Nunn.
“I not only offered mediation and free training for the entire town, I was told not only no, but hell no,” Conrad said.
There is plenty of speculation over what is behind the town’s animosity.
Conrad says it could be that personal differences between McMechan and another board member have grown so wide it has fractured the entire town.
Eaton attorney Keith McIntyre represents the second set of board members facing recall. He said McMechan’s signature on the recall petitions seems a conflict of interest.
“However, I really don’t know what started all of this,” McIntyre said. “I just hope that once the recall is over maybe we can patch up this rift in the town.”
