"Councilor Gina DuQuenne said the city should have been more transparent. 'After seven years, no community events had been there, no ceremonies, no memorials, no celebrations,' DuQuenne said. 'The first thing that happened was for the city to move into the community center without a grand opening, a ribbon cutting, a tour or anything. To me, that was not acceptable.'"
"'You mayor and council, are to represent the people, not the corporation, not the assets - the people of flesh and bone to whom you swore an oath,' former Mayor Julie Akins said. 'It is your responsibility to rewrite the narrative as such, open public buildings to the public, inform the staff that they serve you and serve the people.'"
Ashland's City Hall was closed after a fire marshal inspection revealed a broken roof rafter. Thirteen employees were moved to the community center, which had undergone $1.4 million in renovations. The City Council voted to prohibit the use of the community center as office space, prompting criticism for lack of transparency. Residents expressed a desire for the center to serve the community rather than as office space. The city anticipates reopening the center in May, while legal disputes over City Hall continue.
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