STORMY scenes were sparked among West Somerset district councillors on Monday following the resignation of public relations officer Julie Hill.
Mrs Hill quit last week after a disagreement with chief executive Colin Rockall over the direction of her job with the authority.
She was then summarily ordered to clear her desk by Mr Rockall's deputy, strategic policy officer Alistair Stewart, and was escorted off the premises.
The manner of her departure infuriated some councillors and saw 21 of the 31-strong authority turn up for Monday's bi-monthly cabinet meeting.
Many were aware of growing resentment among staff in recent months at the way jobs had been axed or changed in a secret review of the council's mode of operating.
Some saw Mrs Hill's departure as the final straw before they learned on Monday that Mr Rockall would not seek an extension to his own contract when it expired next July.
Mrs Hill became the council's first-ever professional press officer when she was appointed more than two years ago.
But she had been unhappy for several months with a perceived erosion of the authority's public relations function.
Matters came to a head last week when secret cabinet briefing papers prepared by Mr Rockall included an offer by Watchet Boat Owners Association chairman Tony James to work in a public relations role on a £5 million marina plan for the town.
Mr James prepared a paper outlining faults in the way the council had handled publicity and suggesting ways forward.
His comments were seen as almost identical to those previously expressed by Mrs Hill in private memos to Mr Rockall and council cabinet member Cllr Keith Ross.
District councillor and Watchet Town Council chairman Cllr David Banks told the Free Press this week the issue raised several areas of concern.
Firstly, it revealed the existence of briefing papers previously unknown to councillors outside of the cabinet.
Secondly, he was disturbed at the possible inference that a member of staff was hampered in her job only for an outside consultant to be fast-tracked through to cabinet using her ideas.
Cllr Banks said it appeared somebody had improperly exercised political judgement and "almost commercial sharp practice".
It was now clear cabinet meetings publicly advertised to start at 6.30pm actually began at 4pm when members met to privately discuss briefing papers to which other councillors and the public were denied access.
Cllr Banks said Mr Rockall was expected to remain objective, impartial, and politically neutral.
However, he previously complained when Mr Rockall gave advice to another boat owners association officer, secretary Roger Vincent, who as a town councillor tried to force the resignation of Cllr Banks for opposing the marina.
Council cabinet member Cllr Simon Stokes told the Free Press this week of his distaste for the way Mrs Hill had been forced to leave her job.
Cllr Stokes said: "Like the vast majority of councillors, I am sorry to see her go. I think she was very professional. She did a good job and did her best by us."
He accepted it was normal for officers not to work their notice when they resigned from a sensitive position because of a disagreement.
However, he felt the council was "insensitive and rushed" in the way it dealt with Mrs Hill.
Council leader Cllr Steven Pugsley said: "I am sorry we are losing Julie. She brought immense expertise to the post and will be sadly missed.
"However, being positive, we must now seize the opportunity to review the direction of our press and public relations and our programme for public consultation so residents of West Somerset have as much information as possible about what the council is working to achieve."
Mrs Hill said in a statement: "Publicly, I have professionally presented the corporate view in as good a light as possible, given the management constraints under which I was working.
"Privately, I had been advising and warning the council they needed to keep me better informed and provide far more information at regular intervals to the public than they were doing, especially on major projects such as Minehead's sea front enhancement and Watchet Marina.
"Additionally, the council was using my knowledge of consultation and intended to expand the work I had already been conducting in this area.
"My view is that it is neither practicable nor sensible for the council to risk taking their eye still further off the ball in terms of the media and public relations.
"Sadly, my advice was not followed and I was placed in a position where I felt there was no option but to resign.
"I tendered my resignation, explaining my reasons to the chief executive, and giving the authority two months' notice as required under my employment terms.
"I was taken aback to be asked not to remain at work at such a particularly sensitive time for the council, when they clearly need public relations support more than ever.
"I am, quite frankly, surprised the authority chose to leave itself without professional cover.
"I am sorry not to have had the opportunity to say goodbye to friends, colleagues, and councillors, a number of whom have contacted me to express their surprise and regret."