Tense City Council meeting after Police Chief’s termination

IRON RIVER– The City of Iron River held their first city council meeting since the dismissal of former Police Chief Laura Frizzo.

Many members of the community came to the meeting to give their opinion on Frizzo’s dismissal. Tension ran high as members of the Iron River community came to the city council meeting to speak out about the recent termination of former Police Chief Laura Frizzo and some voiced their concerns about City Manager David Thayer.

“Laura’s caring, she does her job, she doesn’t take sides, but she truly cares,” said Iron River resident Jesse Westcot “She cares not only about our community but he people in it.”

There was standing room only in the room the meeting was held, many to support the former chief who was also in attendance, but a few did support the City Manager for terminating Frizzo.

One meeting attendee said “I’m not 100 percent agreeing with what he did in the matter, but I agree with his actions.” This man was asked to comment to ABC 10, but declined.

Frizzo was terminated and not allowed to return from sick leave back in September of this year. Thayer said that the two had irreconcible differences.

“Laura’s dismissal has to do with a disagreement we have on management style and professionalism. I demand that all my staff people treat all of our citizens with respect,” said Iron River City Manager David Thayer

Some residents shared concerns about Thayer’s appointment as City Manager as well as some of his actions, such as taking on responsibilities of a Police Chief. “I think that Mr. Thayer is acting like a bit of a thug and he’s assumed, like the retired state patrol officer said in the meeting; he has no law enforcement and yet he has appointed himself police chief, that’s just not the way things are done.”

“I am serving as the administrative arm of a police chief’s duties,” Thayer said, “and I’ve done that in both Grayling and in Lexington before.”

After the public comment section, a large number of the crowed left, many of them still showing support for the former police chief. Former Iron River Police Chief Laura Frizzo said, “I do not even know how I could begin to thank the community. I love this community; I’ve worked here 22 years.”

Thayer said “I feel good about my decision, I think it’s in the best interest of the city. All citizens need to be treated with respect. I’ve had so many people in the last three months contact me and thank me for taking the effort to review and also release her from the position.

Laura Frizzo would not confirm of deny if she was going forwards with a lawsuit. However, representatives from the city they are confident they can defend against one.