Mayor, officer discuss critical report again

Grand Coulee Mayor Chris Christopherson and police officer Sean Cook had another encounter, this time a brief one, at the council meeting March 4.

Cook, during the visitor input time, explained that he was appearing as a private citizen and asked the mayor what was happening on a number of public records requests he had made. He also asked the mayor if he knew who had given a copy of the “Key report” to The Star newspaper.

Christopherson acknowledged that he had met with a reporter from The Star newspaper, but had not given him a copy of the report.

Cook had asked if he could ask another question and the mayor replied, “No.” And then stated, “Let’s move on.”

Parts of the Key report were revealed in a Star newspaper story Feb. 19.

The report stated that the mayor had overstepped his office in regard to issues he had with the police department. The published report was also uncomplimentary to Cook.

The mayor had stated that “no one is going to lose their jobs over this report.”

Cook had asked that what he sees as errors in the report be changed; the mayor stated that the report was what it was and it was time for the city to move forward.

Both the mayor and the city’s law firm had stated that the report was flawed, but Christopherson said the “report is the report and I’m not going to ask for another.”