Charlie Fleetwood returns to Milton council

Milton Councilman Charlie Fleetwood’s council seat had been empty for nearly a year until Jan. 6, when he made a surprise return to town council.

Fifteen minutes into the council’s Jan. 6 meeting, the door opened and in came Fleetwood, in a wheelchair pushed by Milton Community Foundation Chairman Steve Crawford. 

Fleetwood was an active participant in the meeting, with one exception, when he left the room. That’s when Crawford, on behalf of the foundation, recommended council name the pavilion in Milton Memorial Park after Fleetwood in tribute to his decades of service to the town, including helping start concerts in the park, a major summertime attraction in Milton. 

It has been a difficult two years for Fleetwood, who was diagnosed with spinal stenosis in January 2018 after a series of falls at his home. The condition causes his spinal column to narrow, pinching his spinal cord and affecting the nerves going to his brain. He missed three months of meetings in 2018, returning wearing a neck brace. He was absent for much of 2019 as he has been undergoing months of rehabilitation. 

When he came back in to the meeting, Fleetwood was greeted with a standing ovation. The recommendation to rename the pavilion after him was quickly approved. 

“Resounding and deservedly,” Councilman Sam Garde said. 

A modest man, Fleetwood thanked the audience for its support and said he hopes to be able to walk into meetings in the near future.