KCEC Responds with “Kangaroo Court” Investigation
Call Taos Friction “The Intercept” : The editor managed to “intercept” the email below that includes “Anglo Bob” Bresnahan’s note to CEO Luis Reyes and also includes a note from fellow Trustee Chris Duran who portrays himself as the victim of another Trustee, Virgil Martinez.
(We have named “Anglo Bob” after “English Bob” in Clint Eastwood’s famed film about frontier justice i.e. the Unforgiven. Apparently, the Trustees at KCEC are circling the wagons like the Cowboys in the Eastwood movie and presenting a united front against the only Trustee who voted against the rate increase.)
Here are three questions for this high tech promoter of Broadband!
Where are the video cameras at Kit Carson Electric Cooperative?
Given the practice of video meetings and online classes, why must the “Traveling Trustees” travel to take classes?
What was the conversation really about in Executive Session, eh?
Here’s “Anglo Bob” courtesy of “Little Bill” (another character in the Unforgiven).
“———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Bob Bresnahan <bresnahan.bob@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Dec 1, 2016 at 11:31 AM
Subject: Re: November 29th meeting
To: “Luis A. Reyes” <lreyes@kitcarson.com>, bobby@kitcarson.net
An altercation took place during an executive session of the Kit Carson Board Nov. 29 when two members of the Board exchanged angry remarks, rose from their chairs, and went into the hall outside the Board Room.
Virgil Martinez was heard to say “I will kill him” as he rose from his chair. Chris Duran may have been the first to rise, but he left the Board Room after Virgil whose seat is next to the door.
(Question for Anglo Bob? Do you speak Spanish? Do you always write about yourself in the third person?)
A physical altercation ensued which no one other than the participants witnessed. All the other Board Members were in shock, but Bobby Ortega, the Board President, quickly went into the hall and separated Virgil and Chris. Bob Bresnahan, who sits next to Virgil in the Board Room, followed Bobby and found Virgil on his back, apparently dazed, and bleeding from his nose and lip.
Bresnahan tried to calm him, put him in a comfortable position, and then ran to the bathroom for paper towels. When he returned a few seconds later Virgil was still on the floor. Bresnahan applied towels to Virgil’s nose and tried to get him to lay back to stem the flow of blood from his nose.
Bobby had instructed others to bring a first aid kit, but Virgil resisted efforts to assist him. We did succeed in partially staunching the flow of blood and cleaning his face. While examining the area surrounding the fight, Bresnahan found a religious scapula. Another person trying to help found a second. Bresnahan incorrectly assumed that the scapula belonged to Virgil, and gave it to him. Another scapula was found and both had been torn from Chris Duran’s neck.
Virgil became angrier and resisted Bresnahan’s and others efforts to help him. He left the building bleeding from his nose and in a flurry of words about revenge.
After Virgil left the building Bobby in his role as Board President decided to call the police.
The Board has a procedure for dealing with violence which is clearly forbidden in its code of conduct. We intend to enforce that procedure. The Code of Conduct also has provisions to ensure civil behavior and objective decision making. Unfounded personal attacks to the general public undermine the ability of the Board to carry out its responsibilities in a business-like fashion. Remedies for violations of the Code of Conduct range from Censure to dismissal.
This incident requires a full and fair hearing which we will conduct as soon as possible. Our Board Members are publicly elected by Cooperative members. We feel a strong obligation to support them as well as a duty to our members to ensure that the Board operates in a civil and business-like manner. In fact, that is our normal practice, so an incident like this deserves very careful consideration.
On Thu, Dec 1, 2016 at 10:54 AM, Chris Duran <elkhunt@kitcarson.net> wrote:
November 30, 2016
Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, Inc.
118 Cruz Alta Road
Taos, NM 87571
Re: Incident w/Virgil Martinez on Nov. 29, 2016
Fellow colleagues,
At the November 29th KCEC Board Meeting, while acting in my official capacity as a board member, I was physically and verbally assaulted by fellow board member Virgil Martinez. His insults were personal in nature, and involved both my family and past military service. These insults escalated to the point where he made several threats against my life, and eventually attacked me physically. His attack was unprovoked, and I had no choice but to defend myself because of his prior threats to kill me.
The purpose of this letter is to request that the KCEC Board formally remove Mr. Martinez from the Board as a result of his actions at the November 29th Board Meeting. In addition to being in the interest of my personal safety, his removal is in best interest of the Board given this erratic behavior and his behavior in the past to fellow board members. Furthermore, I would request that KCEC be responsible for any legal expenses that may arise as a result of this incident being that I was acting in my official capacity as Boars of trustees.
Sincerely,
Chris Duran