The Columbia Falls City Council on June 15 voted to send a certified letter of censure to City Councilor Christopher Semok for his chronic absences from council meetings.

Of the 13 meetings since Semok was sworn in in January, he has only made five, including missing some key meetings where the Council voted on the Teakettle Heights subdivision and the city’s new land use plan and zoning regulations.

Mayor Don Barnhart said he texted Semok on two different occasions. Semok replied work was  “hectic” in the first exchange and then never replied to the second inquiry after he missed yet another meeting. 

One of Barnhart’s texts, in part, said “please attend meetings or step aside.”

Council agreed Semok’s chronic absences were a disservice to the community.

City councilors are paid $200 a month and are expected to attend meetings either in person or by Zoom. For example, Councilor Marijke Stob was recently out of town at a housing conference, but still attended the meeting by Zoom.

The city has had to replace councilors mid-term, but they moved out of the city or left due to work issues.

In those instances, they all left Council voluntarily and resigned.

But the city has no laws to formally remove an elected official for not attending meetings. Barnhart said this was the first time in his decades of public service where he’s run into this problem.

After some discussion, Council decided to formally send Semok a letter of censure. Councilor Paul Robinson did raise some concern about the procedure, noting they hadn’t actually talked to Semok, so they don’t know why he hasn’t shown up.

But in the end, Council decided to send a letter with verbiage that wasn’t threatening, but was more of a written reprimand 

City Manager Eric Hanks suggested a sentence that built upon Barnhart’s previous text to Semok.

“This letter of censure is intended to be a formal expression of disapproval and a call for corrective action. It does not remove you from office or limit your authority as an elected official, but it does serve as an official record of Council’s concern,” Hanks suggested.

Councilors agreed with that language and decided that each member would sign the letter. A motion to send the letter passed 5-0, with Councilors John Piper and Semok absent.

The Hungry Horse News sought comment from Semok, but he did not respond to a phone message by press time.

Semok had only lived in Columbia Falls about a year when he decided to run for Council last fall.

The 22-year-old said he was on the autism spectrum and made some poor choices in his youth, but hoped serving on Council would springboard his political career.  

When the Hungry Horse News interviewed him last fall, he was working as a delivery driver for FedEx and was living in an RV in the city limits. When he did attend meetings, he participated in discussions and decisions.