Tensions Rise Over Homeless Encampments, Social Media Censorship, and Water Billing Questions at Marion Town Council Meeting
MARION VA– At Monday night’s Marion Town Council meeting, residents raised pressing concerns ranging from social media censorship and government transparency to neighborhood safety and homeless encampments near public parks. The meeting, which included public comment, council reports, and an interesting exchange regarding the town’s water billing department, was marked by visible frustration and firm citizen engagement.
Councilman Larry Carter was absent from the meeting. Early on, Mayor Avery Cornett noted that his bi-annual mayor’s report had not been included in the official minutes for approval. The mayor explained that the report had covered several matters, including a deep dive into the water billing system, website maintenance issues, a review of credit card expenditures, and iPad-related concerns. He provided a written copy of the report to the clerk to be included in the record.
Bill Stamper was the first to speak during public comment, addressing an incident involving the Town of Marion’s social media page and Ken Heath, the town’s Director of Community and Economic Development. Stamper explained that his comments had been selectively deleted by Heath and that he was eventually blocked from the page altogether.
“Ken Heath decided he was going to get on there and start bashing people including myself,” Stamper said, before citing 42 U.S. Code §1983, arguing that censorship on a government-managed page violates federal law. Stamper claimed this was not the first time Heath had acted this way. In a prior incident, Stamper agreed to meet with Heath, but arrived to find three police officers waiting in Heath’s office. “Heath said he was in fear of his life,” Stamper said, noting that he has no criminal record and is not a threat to anyone. 42 U.S. Code §1983 is a federal statute that allows individuals to sue for civil rights violations committed by government officials.
He called on the council to take action: “I ask that you either fire Mr. Heath or ask him to resign, otherwise you risk the liability of a potential lawsuit.”
The topic shifted as a group of three residents addressed the council with serious concerns about homeless encampments and vagrants in their neighborhoods, specifically near Billy Earp’s property, which is adjacent to Marion’s River Walk.
Caroline Case expressed discomfort about people going in and out of the property, adding, “One person was on my porch in the middle of the night.”
Lynn Van Dulcen stated that she and her neighbors came as a group to address the problem. “My kitchen window overlooks the encampment,” she said. She voiced alarm over sewage concerns, foot traffic, and suspected drug activity. “Children should not be exposed to this,” Van Dulcen said. She added that she has called police twice due to domestic violence occurring on the property. “It’s not a healthy situation, and we are just hoping we can get some help with it and it doesn’t come to a head at some point.”
Susie Jennings then asked the council: “Can you tell us what’s in the works?” The response was that they could not discuss details due to ongoing legal matters.
Van Dulcen, who has a medical background, added that it was “evident that these people are under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol” and warned that lawsuits could arise if someone were injured on surrounding private properties.
Becky Rankin echoed the previous speakers’ concerns. “They stop at my driveway all hours of the day and night and are around my property looking at my house,” she said. Rankin described seeing a vehicle parked outside her home at 3 a.m., which she later saw drive directly to Earp’s property. “We are upset because we do not want these people in our neighborhood,” she said, citing sewage, drugs, and safety concerns. “I hope we can get something done about this.”
Mayor Cornett responded, “We are in a legal process and there are things we cannot divulge.”
During the council reports, Todd May and Susie Jennings both offered praise for Ken Heath for his work on a recent town event, with May calling it a job well done.
Debra Hayes reported on a meeting with the Town Uplift Committee focused on improvements to the area near Exit 45, where the “Welcome to Marion” sign is located. She noted the committee had many good ideas for the location.
Mayor Cornett recognized Marion native Billy Wagner for his recent induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame and showed a vintage photo of Wagner in a Marion Recreation Department shirt. He highlighted the importance of the town’s recreation programs and praised local media coverage of recent weekend events.
The mayor then addressed the water billing department. He stated that despite asking council members to participate in reviewing billing procedures, no action had been taken. He said he had been told he could work with Cindy and Mandy, staff members involved in the department, and formally requested documentation.
“While I make no allegations of any wrongdoing but to help better understand the problem that we are having in the billing department and pursuant to my authority as mayor of the town of Marion I hereby request information — a formal request for the following records and information relating to the operations of the water billing department covering ‘23, ‘24 and ‘25 up to this date,” Cornett said. He added that the information may not be necessary if he is able to resolve issues by working with staff.
Town Attorney Mark Fenyk interrupted to ask whether the mayor’s request was a FOIA request. The mayor clarified: “No, this is not a FOIA request, this is a request from the mayor’s office for information regarding the water billing department.” Fenyk appeared confused, asking, “I’m not sure if you are making this personally or individually…” Cornett firmly responded, “I am making the request in my capacity of the Mayor of the Town of Marion and this was not a personal request for information.”
Councilwoman Susie Jennings interjected to say, “Personnel issues I don’t think should be voiced in public.” Observers noted that Jennings and Clerk Cindy Stanley exchanged glances during the exchange. Jennings continued, “I think we should meet with people in the water department before anything is brought to the public because I have talked with Mandy and understand why that bill got as high as it did and I think they were following protocol.” It was unclear what protocol and whose bill she was referring to.
Jennings added, “We have always been very professional I think and personnel is a reason we go into closed session and if we have a problem with personnel we need to talk about it there first.”
Mayor Cornett reiterated that he was not alleging any wrongdoing or personnel issues. He emphasized that his goal was to fix a broken system: “We don’t need to kick the can down the road, we need to fix it and move on.” The statement was met with loud applause, prompting a brief pause in the meeting to bring it back to order. He assured council that everyone would receive copies of the records he requested.
Tricia Spencer noted that the billing system follows a three-step process and asked Clerk Cindy Stanley if she believed the system was broken despite these checks. Stanley’s response was inaudible as there is not a working microphone at the desk where she and town manager Billy Hamm sit during council meetings.
Observers noted that the mayor was met with considerable pushback while attempting to initiate oversight. He cited ongoing complaints about estimated billing, dual billing, and unresolved concerns that had yet to be addressed by the council or staff.
The Marion Police Department reported that they are currently undergoing a hiring process. Marion Fire Department also gave a status update.
During Todd Long’s report, he and Mark Archibald reviewed some edits to the Tree Ordinance. These changes, described as “minor,” had been recommended by the Planning Commission. Public hearings are scheduled for August 4 to consider these changes. The suggested ordinance should soon be available on the Town of Marion’s website under Public Notices located at https://www.marionva.org/home/pages/public-notices
Town Manager Billy Hamm requested to close Groseclose Street to Sayers Street for approximately six months due to utility work at the former Marion Automotive site. The property has been cleared and will become the future location of a new Food City store.
https://www.marionva.org/home/pages/public-notices
After returning from closed session, the council voted to proceed with cleanup of a property on Henry Street. The specific address was not disclosed. Notably, a prior cleanup on Henry Street led to the removal of items such as handrails, raising concerns about potential property damage.
Context: The property owned by Billy Earp referenced during public comment is located next to the River Walk, a public park in Marion. Earp has allowed a homeless encampment to remain on his private land, sparking ongoing debate over environmental, safety, and health concerns in the area.
