Photo by Ethan Perelstein
Kenneth City’s town council reprimanded Council member Bonnie Noble. She will remain on council until the end of her term.
On April 7, the Town of Kenneth City hosted a special meeting to discuss the course of action regarding the alleged misconduct of Kenneth City’s Council member Bonnie Noble.
The meeting was to include three rounds of five minutes of the mayor and town manager presenting evidence and testimony of Noble’s misconduct, followed by time for Noble to give her rebuttal. The Council amended this to exclude time for rebuttal when Noble failed to attend the meeting. According to the Mayor Megan Zemaitis, Noble also had four weeks to submit a written response to the accusations, but did not submit anything.
Allegations Against Kenneth City Council Member Bonnie Noble
Council member Bonnie Noble reportedly “exercised her access privileges to directly express dissatisfaction with employees by passing their direct supervisors and distributing the established chain of command,” according to a memo from the Don King, Kenneth City’s Town Manager.
Additionally, staff raised concerns about Noble’s possible retaliation against Town employees. While council cannot hire or fire employees as per the Kenneth City charter, Town staff expressed fear that Noble would fire them, King said. Staff also made accusations of harassment and devaluation.
Council also discussed instances when Noble allegedly accessed Department of Public Works buildings and the community center to allow residents and nonresidents to use the bathroom and the ice machines. No one in the meeting could answer why Noble had keys to buildings. No other elected official has keys or similar access. King said he has since replaced all the locks on Public Works buildings and revoked Noble’s digital access.
Noble also stands accused of an apparent collaboration with Gregory “Storm” Johncox, founder of Reign and Win (RAW) Pickleball, to use the Town’s pickleball facilities for lessons and tournaments without an official contract. Without insurance documentation of $1 million, requested reservation of the courts, or contract to conduct business on Town property, Noble’s allowing Storm to use the courts violated Kenneth City charter and ordinances.
Read what was overheard at the Kenneth City special meeting about Bonnie Noble.
“There have been reports of inappropriate behavior by Gregory towards Town employees, using his relationship with the Vice Mayor as leverage to act without regard for established rules,” according to a staff memo. (Council member Noble previously served as vice mayor.) “During a recent pickleball tournament, he reportedly expanded activities onto the basketball court, displacing residents and engaging in vulgar gestures and language. Such conduct is unacceptable and reflects poorly on the Town’s image.”
Opening Statement from Kenneth City Mayor Zemaitis
After a role call that included a notable absence, Mayor Zemaitis gave an opening statement.
“You should know that this is not a place I necessarily want to be. Before we get started, I would like to explain to all of you, though, how we got here today,” she said.
She described how on Feb. 14, King called Mayor Zamaitis about Noble’s behavior. The two met in person Feb. 20, where the mayor asked King to put his concerns in writing. Zemaitis said they sent this document to the Town attorney, Ralf Brookes, who recommended they handle it internally, “which led him [Town Manager King] to have a discussion with Noble, where she agreed to comply with all necessary corrective actions,” she said.
“The Town manager was doing his job and I was glad he was successful and that I wouldn’t have to deal with this,” Zemaitis said. She also said that she wanted to document the instance, and that she shouldn’t be “the only member on Council who is aware of what’s going on, especially since I know this has been an ongoing issue for years.”
According to Zemaitis, Noble denied that the meeting with with King took place, and claimed that King was the one creating the hostile work environment.
Photo Courtesy of the Town of Kenneth City
The Role of Vice Mayor in Kenneth City
Zemaitis then clarified for the room that according to the Town charter, when the vice mayor is not acting in the mayor’s stead, they have the same powers and responsibilities as a regular council member.
“Nowhere in the charter are duties of the council members specified, because they have none,” she said. “ Since our residents have spoken and changed us to a town manager form of government, the council members are no longer involved in the day-to-day functions of the town, nor are they allowed to give any direction to any staff member.”
Evidence and Testimony
The meeting went on with five minutes of discussion each for three issues on Noble’s alleged misconduct. Zemaitis and King described situations and read emails from staff, dating as far back as 2020. She said the emails came to her in a folder called the “The Bonnie Folder” which she said contains records kept by a former employee with 200-plus entries.
Town Manager King described instances when Noble would come to Kenneth City’s town hall and argue with employees.
“At some point they were like, ‘Hey, we can’t take this anymore; if you don’t get rid of her, we’re gonna quit,’” he said. “Not only would she argue and fight with the staff in the building, she would literally bad-mouth other employees that weren’t there, to the employees that were there.”
Zemaitis read a quote from Kenneth City’s former town clerk, Ana Cabezas.
“Council member Bonnie Noble does not comprehend the Town charter, as she behaves unilaterally and consistently conspires to eliminate anyone who disagrees or displeases her,” Cabezas wrote, going on to describe an instance where Noble demanded the Town manager fire a public works employee, and when he said that he would need to conduct an investigation, she threatened him, and that the next council meeting included testimony criticizing the Town manager’s performance.
After more evidence and testimony by the mayor and town manager, Council opened the meeting for public comment.
Public Comment
Of the five residents that came to the microphone for public comment, three of them gave their own stories about interactions with Noble and asked Council to remove her. A fourth was concerned that the Town could open itself up to a lawsuit by removing her. The fifth was a representative of the pickleball community who Noble allegedly helped during tournaments by opening up bathrooms in a Town building after the pickleball bathrooms had washed out. He claimed that the Town had sponsored the pickleball event, and brought a pickleball paddle with the Kenneth City logo on it.
After public comment came time for Noble to respond to any or all of the accusations laid out, or to read aloud her written response. Due to her absence and lack of response, council moved on.
Photo by Sebastián González de León y León
Kenneth City Council Response
Council member Tony Chan thanked the staff who came forward for their courage, and expressed his support for removing Noble for creating a hostile work environment for staff, and cited his background in workforce.
Then, Council member Bob Arrison mentioned that Noble was about reach her term limit, and said that if nothing has been done about it in the last seven years of her in office, then they should let her finish her term. Noble’s term expires in March 2026. He also brought up all the times Noble represented Kenneth City faithfully.
Council member Donald Kinney said that he felt uncomfortable removing Noble while she wasn’t “here to defend herself.” Zemaitis reminded him that Noble had four weeks to submit her response in writing. She also said Noble could have attended at the meeting, but did neither of those things.
Taking Action Against Noble
Council discussed two options moving forward. First, Council could exercise their right as granted by the Town charter to remove Bonnie Noble from council. Second, Council could issue a letter or resolution of reprimand outlining the seriousness of her overreach and outlining exactly which parts of the charter she violated, and telling her not to do it again.
Council Member Chan moved to remove Bonnie Noble for creating a hostile work environment for staff. Arrison seconded, but stated that he did so only because he believed that the motion should come to a vote, not that he would vote in favor of the motion.
Only Chan and Zemaitis voted to remove Noble. Arrison and Council member Donald Kinney voted against. Without a fifth council person in attendance, no one could break the tie, and the motion failed.
Council then unanimously voted to begin the process of officially reprimanding Noble. Kinney said that after the reprimand, if she violated the charter again, they could look at removing her again. “Hopefully we don’t lose any staff between then,” Zemaitis said, and adjourned the meeting.
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