Chapin Planning Commission member suspended

Chapin Mayor Skip Wilson suspended Wendie Svoboda on Friday as a member of the town Planning Commission for allegedly recording conversations secretly.

The recordings that occurred during a meeting at Town Hall are improper since it was done without permission of others, the mayor said in a letter.

“Serving the community in a voluntary capacity requires commitment and dedication to the highest standards of ethics, integrity and respect for the privacy of others,” his letter said.

Svoboda denied doing anything wrong, saying she brought a tape recorder as a way to take notes but didn’t turn it on when others asked her not to use it.

Wilson opposed appointment of political foe Svoboda by a divided Town Council to the panel last year.

“He has done everything in his power since them to have me removed,” she said in a letter to other town leaders.

This story was originally published May 29, 2015 at 5:32 PM.