Libby councilman drops restraining order request

Justice court expected a full house Wednesday afternoon for a hearing to determine if a Libby councilmember’s temporary restraining order filed last month against the city clerk should be extended.

The outcome was anti-climactic, however, as Justice of the Peace Jay Sheffield granted D.C. Orr’s request Wednesday morning to dismiss his petition.

Orr alleged in his affidavit filed in November that city clerk Glena Hook had “become increasingly unstable and volatile” toward him, and that her alleged erratic behavior is interfering with his ability to carry out his duties as an elected official.

He dropped the request Wednesday morning, he said, because it had “served its purpose.”

“I was able to get some of the issues resolved that I was really getting blocked on,” Orr said. “That is really what I was after.”

Orr said he waited until Wednesday to withdraw his petition because he was under the impression that he had to attend the hearing either way. An attorney advised him Wednesday morning that the hearing wouldn’t take place if he wanted to drop the order of protection request.

“I feel great,” Hook said Wednesday after learning of the dismissal. “I feel really relieved.”

Hook hired a Kalispell attorney after Orr filed the temporary restraining order. She doesn’t know how much it will end up costing her in legal fees, but she did report paying a $2,500 retainer and taking a day off of work to meet with him in Kalispell.

“I don’t know the exact amount because I haven’t gotten my final bill from my attorney,” Hook said.

She said that she hopes to come to an understanding with Orr.

“I would like for D.C. and I to both meet with him (chairman of the personnel committee),” she said, “and see if we can’t iron out our differences and come to a good working understanding.”

Councilmember Bill Bischoff is the chairman of the personnel committee, but he admitted that he would not be a good mediator because he has already made it clear to Orr that he disagrees with his actions.

“We would have to consult our attorney first,” Bischoff said, concerning how the rift between Orr and Hook should be resolved.

Orr said that he tried to contact Hook’s attorney for the very purpose of “extending an olive branch.” He believes that the city mayor should act as mediator, but says that mayor Doug Roll clearly sides with Hook.

As for the purpose of the temporary order of protection, Orr said it helped him gain access to documents at the city office to learn why his excavating company ended up on a list of businesses operating without a city license.

Orr alleges that the city office intentionally sent his business license application, which is sent annually to remind businesses to purchase them, to the wrong address. He also said that his business was on a licensed business list in August, but was then on the city’s unlicensed list in October.