CAROLINA BEACH — Last month the Town of Carolina Beach’s Town Council voted down a proposed pedal pub after receiving input from residents, as well as the town’s Police Advisory Committee. Now statements made by one member of that committee are under scrutiny following accusations that he lied to council and used fabricated quotes to bolster his argument against the pedal pub.
Related Story: Carolina Beach puts brakes on pedal pub before it begins
Jerry Bagnell, a member of the Police Advisory Committee (PAC), claimed he spoke with Mayor of Wilmington Bill Saffo, along with Mayor Pro Tem Margaret Haynes about potential drawbacks of the pedal pub. However, according to Saffo and Haynes these conversations never took place.
Bagnell told town council that Saffo and Haynes both had negative opinions on the trolley pub in Wilmington and would not recommend Carolina Beach’s leaders to approve it in their community.
In addition to his public comments to town council, he also reiterated them in emails to Town Council. The day before council would meet to vote on the pedal pub application, Bagnell emailed Mayor Joe Benson, and council members JoDan Garza and LeAnne Pierce.
“You may remember that I shared Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo’s comments at a previous Town Council meeting. Bill said he would recommend not approving even the ordinance much less an application from a vendor unless we strictly limited the route because it added to traffic congestion,” Bagnell said in his email.
Click above to listen: Jerry Bagnell spoke against the proposed pedal pub in Carolina Beach during the May 8 Town Council meeting.
Conflicting stories
Saffo said he’d never had a conversation like the one Bagnell described, adding he was in favor of Wilmington’s pedal pub.
“I’ve never had a conversation like that,” Saffo said. “There was some apprehension on behalf of city council when we considered it, but if they’re properly regulated and properly run, it can be a benefit to everyone. Ours has been great for the business and great for the city…It’s worked like a charm.”
Bagnell also claimed he had spoken to Haynes the morning of the town council meeting, saying she thought Saffo understated the amount of complaints from residents – a claim Haynes categorically denies.
“Let me be clear: I do not have a negative opinion of the Wilmington trolley pub. I also spoke with Mayor Saffo and he has no issues with the pub. As far as I know, the trolley pub is successfully operating without incident.”
-Mayor pro tem haynes
“Mr. Bagnell and his wife continue to say that we had a prolonged conversation about the operating trolley pub in Wilmington. They state that I said derogatory comments about the operation of said vehicle. They also noted publicly that Mayor Saffo, at some point briefly told them something similar,” Haynes said in an email to Town Council.
While she admits she said hello to Bagnell at a public meeting, she did not discuss the trolley pub with him, nor does she have any negative feelings about the business.
“Let me be clear: I do not have a negative opinion of the Wilmington trolley pub. I also spoke with Mayor Saffo and he has no issues with the pub. As far as I know, the trolley pub is successfully operating without incident. I understand it is used by locals as well as tourist. When I see it around town, it certainly looks as if it is very popular and the customers are having an enjoyable and safe experience. It is neither my place, nor desire, to comment on the governance of Carolina Beach,” Haynes said.
Repercussions
On June 4, the Police Advisory Committee met for its monthly meeting. During that meeting, Gregory Bell, the husband of the pedal pub applicant, brought forward information from Saffo, Haynes, and Benson that directly conflicted with Bagnell’s own narrative. (Note: you can read a collection of these documents at the end of this article.)
On Tuesday, Councilman Garza brought up the issue of misconduct at the Town Council meeting and discussed the removal of two members on the board. Another member of the PAC had made comments on a social media post related to the pedal pub application that, according to Bell, was out of line and constituted misconduct.
Pierce, the council’s liaison to the PAC, said that one member in question had already resigned, and another had asked not to be reappointed when the time comes – she did not use names during the meeting.
Bagnell responded to an email from Port City Daily, but did not wish to make any comment on the accusations.
Below: Greg Bell’s documentation indicating that Jerry Bagnell fabricated his quotes and lied to Carolina Beach Town Council.
Greg Bell Statement by Michael James on Scribd
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