BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG -- Ogdensburg City Council tabled a resolution Monday calling for an investigation into City Manager Stephen Jellie’s conduct on social media, but not without descending into a heated argument.

The resolution was brought from the floor by Dan Skamperle who says Jellie has overstepped the scope of his job with comments made on social media.

The resolution follows complaints made at the previous meeting by members of the public, including Margaret Haggarty, who submitted her complaint to the District Attorney.

Skamperle says Jellie’s behavior is unethical and violates the city charter.

The resolution states that Jellie has made derogatory comments toward citizens and refers to Jellie’s conduct as cyber bullying.

The resolution also cited areas of the charter Jellie is alleged to have violated.

Skamperle was heated during the delivery of the resolutions which was supported by councilors Nichole Kennedy and Michael Powers.

Deputy Mayor John Rishe said the resolution, which dealt directly with a city employee, should have been discussed in closed session, not during an open meeting.

“The point is this is a personnel matter. It’s not a witch hunt or a vendetta,” he said.

He accused Skamperle of political grandstanding.

Steve Fisher made a motion to table the resolution which was supported by the deputy mayor, Mayor Jeffrey Skelly and Bill Dillabough.

As things heated up between Skamperle and the mayor, accusations began to fly.

“Why don’t you go home and sober up,” Skelly said.

Skelly accused Skamperle of being drunk, prompting Skamperle to request a breathalyzer test in open session. However, no test was taken.

Skamperle threw a similar acquisition at the mayor.

Skamperle called his fellow councilors who did not support the investigation “cowards.”

Although the resolution was tabled, Skamperle took additional action later in the meeting in what essentially turned into a debate between himself and Skelly.

He took aim at repeated comments made by the mayor that Skamperle is a “do nothing” councilor.

After a lengthy back and forth between the two, Fisher asked the council to move on.

Though councilor Kennedy asked if the resolution could be brought forward at the next meeting, there did not seem to be consensus on the matter.