Mayor Stark loses temper at final meeting

The March 11 Oakland Town Commission meeting became heated when Mayor Kathy Stark misunderstood a resident’s comment and shouted at the woman to stop talking and to sit down. This was Stark’s last meeting before the March 19 municipal election to elect a new mayor in the town.

During a discussion on a mixed-use activity center, resident Anne Fulton stood at the podium to express her concerns.

“My concern now is that the (Comprehensive) Plan that all of this is based on was written in 2007 when we had less than 3,000 people here and there were 30 people involved in this,” Fulton said. “That was 1% of the town involved.”

She then asked the commission to put a hold on any new development coming into the town until the Comp Plan could be updated to reflect the town’s current needs.

Stark replied that the Comp Plan was updated in 2021, to which Fulton made a comment that angered Stark.

“I can do what I want; it’s my meeting,” Stark said. “Do not come in here and tell us what we have done wrong when you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Fulton responded: “Respectfully, I did not say you’ve done anything wrong. … I said the residents have been asleep. I did not say you have been asleep.”

“Stop now,” Stark said. “Go sit down. Sit down.”

Fulton replied: “I said the residents have been asleep, I said I’ve been asleep. I said my neighbors have been asleep.”

Stark continued: “You can come back when I’m gone, but I don’t need someone to tell me how to run this town in five minutes. Sit down.”

When Fulton sat down, the meeting continued as normal.