BLYTHEWOOD – After Mayor Sloan Griffin posted Tuesday morning in the Town’s online newsletter an open invitation to the community to “Join the Town of Blythewood for their Summer Community Cookout Party on Sunday, July 13, from 6-8 p.m.,” Councilman Donald Brock said council members and the town administrator knew nothing about the Town hosting a free cookout for the entire Blythewood community until after the mayor announced it.
The announcement said the cookout would be a family event that would include free hotdogs, hamburgers, chips and drinks for everbody, and would be held at the Town’s new $1.3 million soccer pavilion, in Doko Park.
“I am the Town of Blythewood. I’m the mayor.”
Sloan Griffin
Mayor of Blythewood
Councilman Donald Brock said that after he was alerted Tuesday morning to the announcement of the event, apparently, he said, being hosted by the Town government, he called Town Administrator Ed Driggers to ask about the details of the cookout.
“Mr. Driggers said he had heard nothing about the cookout before I called him,” Brock said. “I emailed Mayor Sloan Griffin to ask him what was going on.”
In that email, provided to The Voice, Brock asked Griffin how the cookout would be paid for and why was no member of council or the town administrator informed prior to the announcement.
In a return email, Griffin noted that Driggers had called him after Brock called Driggers, and that he (the mayor) would be hosting the party.
“The event is privately funded and will not involve the use of Town funds,” Griffin wrote. “As the event is privately funded, no town budget line item or appropriation is required.”
Griffin did not say why the council or the town administrator were not informed of the community invitation that was originally sent from the official Town Hall online newsletter and in the name of the Town. He said he sent council members an email after 10 p.m. the night before the announcement appeared in the Town newsletter.
In that email, Griffin said, “More details will be shared soon; however, please mark your calendars in the meantime. I look forward to seeing you there!”
Griffin later told The Voice that it was intended from the beginning to be a cookout funded by members of the community, that it was to be a meet and greet.
Asked by The Voice why he used the Town’s online newsletter and employees to announce that the cookout was being hosted by the Town, Griffin replied, “I am the Town of Blythewood,” he said. “I‘m the mayor.”
“It would appear that Town resources have already been used for this private event, and it clearly states that this was initially intended to be a Town event, paid for out of Town funds,” said Councilman Rich McKenrick. “At least, that appears to be the mayor’s initial intention when sending out the announcement. He didn’t say anything different.”
“Because the pavilion has just been finished, we have not yet priced it for rental,” Brock said. “But I understand that the mayor has been given a contract by one of his employees for $25 per hour with a two hour minimum.”
Ribbon Cutting Opens Pavilion
A ribbon cutting was held for the pavilion on Saturday with only town employees attending.
The covered pavilion sits on top of an incline overlooking the soccer fields, providing a cool, shaded area with some picnic tables. The outdoor shaded area measures just over 1300 square feet.
There are restrooms for men and women (both wheelchair accessible) on one end and two drinking fountains are located outside of the restroom doors. A storage room for the Town Hall and Manor are located on the opposite side of the pavilion. A full scope of the project also includes new and improved irrigation and sod for the soccer field. Organizations/groups will be able to rent the field for practices or games.
