Despite citizens voicing concerns to the Cuba City Council on Nov. 18 about dissolving and reappointing a new Parks and Recreation Board, councilmen were at a standstill, forcing Mayor Kevin Copling to break a 3-3 tie vote in favor of dismissal. Copling cited an ordinance about Parks Board term limits as his reason for encouraging and supporting the vote. The tie vote took place when Aldermen Joyce Hartzell, Ray Mortimeyer, and Harold Halbert voted for the removal of the board, while Pitts Lesesne, Richard Hewkin, and Jeff Bouse voted no. 

Copling, who will “probably” run for re-election in April 2026, said his reasons stem from a lack of records regarding individual term limits of board members. After dissolving the Parks Board, Copling appointed three people to the nine-seat board. One of the three seats went to Faye Howard, who served on the previous Parks Board, while appointees Karen Groom and Beth Kight were new.

Copling has previously and repeatedly said the reason he advocated for dissolving the former volunteer group is that there is a city ordinance outlining how Parks Board members must have term limits. So he asked the city council to dissolve the Parks Board and appoint a new one. As for the remaining six seats that need to be filled, Copling said he is considering all options.

Copling said the Parks Board removal and starting fresh with a new Parks Board should not divide the community. It is only about “three-year term limits.”

“We are trying to straighten out a bunch of stuff that fell through the cracks in the past,” Copling said, referring to the term limits. 

Regarding allegations from some people in the community that City Clerk Lainie Garbo was not accurately keeping records, and so the Parks Board had to be dissolved, Copling denied it. However, the mayor did add that a record-keeping system is in the works, but one has not yet been decided upon. When it is, he said it will be shared at a Cuba City Council meeting. He did not have a timeline for when that would happen.

“I think she does a good job,” Copling said of Garbo. “She does a terrific job. These are not problems that she did. We are trying to straighten everything out and bring everything up to date.”