The Tuesday, Aug. 17 Altus City Council meeting agenda includes two executive session items of special interest. The items concern City Administrator, Mike Nettles, and City Parks and Recreation Director Randy Marple.

Both items state that the council will "Consider and possibly vote to go into executive session to discuss employment, with possible discussion and consideration of disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment, and in open session vote to take any appropriate action."

Nettles has commented publicly on the "inappropriate behavior" items against him on the Department of Corrections report released to the Altus Times earlier this week. He said that the procedural violations investigated by the DOC was in reference to their rules against purchasing cold drinks for inmates, something he said he had done when the inmates were working on a project at the airport.

It should be noted that Marple was not one of the city employees listed on the state investigation report, but a number of those who either work or have worked under his supervision, are listed in the report.

Specifics to be addressed during the executive session are not known. City Council member Scot Simco, one of those who asked for the Nettles and Marple items to be included on the agenda, said the council will discuss personnel issues and look at the direction they need to be going from here. "Like in any business, you need to look at the top and work your way down," Simco said.

Council member Jack Smiley said that the council is not digging up allegations, "but looking at consistent patterns of Nettles and Marple not taking care of business." He said that the council "had to take the inmates out of the Sanitation Department for 90 days in the past. Then they took them out of the Parks and Recreation Department for 30 days, and it all went back to the same things happening again. These recent things happened on their watch. We must hold people accountable," Smiley said.