Overbrook ? The police chief is back on the job a week after he was removed by the City Council.

But the assistant police chief has been suspended with pay.

And even the mayor admits he’s confused about what’s happening in this Osage County community about 25 miles southwest of Lawrence on U.S. Highway 56.

The confusion and turmoil have been sufficient enough to prompt an Overbrook resident to launch plans to try to recall the mayor and two councilmen.

“We can only go after two,” Mike Blood said, referring to what state law says about recalls.

During a council meeting Monday night, Blood asked the mayor and all five council members to resign.

They refused.

About 150 people attended the meeting. Only a few could squeeze inside the tiny City Hall.

The large attendance stemmed from action at last week’s council meeting. The council did not reappoint the city’s seven police officers: longtime Chief Ed Harmison, Assistant Chief Everette Dannar and five part-timers.

Following a closed-door executive session Monday night, City Attorney Michael Coffman announced that Harmison had not been fired and, therefore, is still the police chief.

During a phone interview Tuesday, Mayor Jack Young explained that he tried to reappoint Harmison and Dannar during last week’s meeting. Making such appointments is part of his job. But those appointments are subject to council approval.

The council voted 3-2 against the police chief’s reappointment. The assistant chief’s reappointment died for lack of a second by the council, Young said.

But, according to Young, no one was appointed to replace the officers. Therefore, state law allows them to retain their jobs. The law doesn’t set a timeline for making appointments, Young said.

“At this point Chief Harmison is working,” Young said. “Assistant Chief Dannar is not working. He’s still suspended with pay.”

But the mayor said about the assistant chief’s suspension: “It’s not a punishment thing.”

Young admitted the situation was confusing. He said he can’t say why Dannar is suspended but insisted there is no investigation going on. It is possible Dannar’s position will be eliminated, Young said.

“You have to understand I’m probably as confused as you,” the mayor said.

Dannar’s suspension wasn’t announced until Monday. The mayor said that was his mistake. He said after last week’s meeting Dannar asked about his job.

“I said, ‘Well, you guys don’t have a job,’ which in effect suspended him. Which the mayor can do.”

Young said he made a mistake.

“He (Dannar) thought he was fired. Actually so did I,” Young said. “I’m thinking I screwed up. I’m human just like everybody else.”

Harmison and Dannar couldn’t be reached for comment. Coffman was out of his Lyndon office Tuesday afternoon and unavailable for comment.

Councilmen Bob Sisson and Larry Coursen are targeted by Blood’s recall petition. He thinks they wanted Harmison out because of past issues with the police and personal biases.

“I’m happy Ed was able to report for work this morning,” Blood said. “I’m not happy that he doesn’t have job security, because when you are reappointed you can be replaced at any moment.”

Blood’s petitions are being examined by the Osage County counselor to make sure they are legal, he said. If the petitions are allowed, 82 signatures must be collected on two petitions to bring a vote on the two councilmen and 85 for the mayor, he said.

Sisson declined to say much about Blood’s petition.

“The way I look at it, I was voted in to do the job,” he said. “I do what I think is right and if somebody ain’t satisfied they can try to do something different.”

As for the part-time officers, Young and Sisson said they think they, too, are able to return to work.

“I don’t know. We never voted on them,” Sisson said.