Fairmont City Councilman Bruce Peters is to be commended for understanding and doing his job. It must be incredibly frustrating for him — and for council member Wayne Hasek and Mayor Debbie Foster — to be serving at a time when they are surrounded by a trio of others who clearly fail to understand what it means to serve the public interest, or to be honest, or to be considerate human beings.

Peters this week noted (more) ongoing unmitigated gall by fellow Councilman Tom Hawkins. He pointed out that Hawkins is now attempting to force his will on the city’s Charter Commission. Peters says Hawkins took it upon himself to contact an attorney to put together a training session for the commission. Not only does Hawkins not have the authority to bypass the City Council to do this, he has no authority at all in the matter. The Charter Commission does not answer to the City Council. Additionally, the commission had already arranged its own training session.

The Charter Commission, by the way, is in good hands. It is chaired by attorney Michael Edman, with CPA Sara Pierce serving as its vice chair. These are two intelligent, competent and formidable individuals. Not only do they not need Hawkins to hold their hands, they are far better off the farther he stays away from their group.

All of this comes in the wake of Hawkins and his two minions working to first have the City Attorney ousted, and now possibly trying to do the same to the city administrator.

We cannot help but notice that nothing Hawkins ever does is introduced with any modesty. Does he humbly present an idea or a question to the public in open session? Does he care what citizens think? Does he ask for the input of city staff or his colleagues on the council? No. He has already made some move behind the scenes. He did his “research.” He knows best. Always.

Except this is clearly not true or possible, and it is Fairmont and its citizens who will pay, in dollars and in terms of the city’s reputation. No local attorneys wanted to be the city’s next counsel. Do you think anyone is going to jump at the chance to work at City Hall? Just the opposite: they’ll flee.