(7-24-25) At a regular schedule meeting on Tuesday night the Redkey (Indiana) Town Council residents questioned the reason for Billie Hammond’s suspension, with council members saying legally they are not allowed to share details regarding a personnel issue.

However; Firefighter Mark Leavell said council members need to be held to accountability as they expect their employees to be held to, pointing to several allegations about two council members.

“Unless you guys as a council are saying that you are held to a different standard than what your employees are, whatever you’re going to do to your employees, you ought to do to yourselves.”

Commercial Review story – Council also put improvement plan in place for employee who was suspended last week

Redkey (Indiana) Town Council Suspends Two Employees

After an executive session on Wednesday, the council agreed to create a performance improvement plan for Hammond.

Council president Brenda Beatty

“The council has talked about it, and we are going to do a personnel improvement plan for 90 days with 30-day reviews. Every 30 days she will get a review, and we will discuss it with department heads.”

During Tuesday’s regular Town Council meeting the council approved a resolution related to paying new office manager Jessica Fugiett.

Council had hired Fugiett as a full-time office manager at its meeting on July 17th. It also approved an emergency resolution the same day appointing her to carry out utilities billing and financial operations for the town.

According to the resolution approved, clerk-treasurer Gloria May instructed Fugiett not to enter town hall.

From the resolution-

“As a result of the Clerk’s directive, Mrs. Fugiett has been denied the opportunity to perform her duties despite the Town Council’s official action hiring her.”

It authorizes paying Fugiett to be paid her regular wages-

“for all hours that she has been and continues to be instructed not to work or denied access to the Town Hall by the Town Clerk … until such time as the Council provides further direction.”