The February meeting under new business started with a first and second reading to enact a new Ordinance No. 629 — Establishing Public Participation During Board Meetings.
It went into effect at (the Feb. 12) meeting. The best I can tell from reading is that the council has no intention of answering citizens’ questions. You can ask all the questions you want in a three-minute period. All the council has to say in response is, “Thanks.”
What is very convenient for the council is there is no time stated in Ordinance No. 629 when they must give you an answer to your question. Example: I asked four questions at the January meeting, three of which they had no response. One question I was told they would have to check with the city’s attorney. At (the Feb. 12 meeting) I asked for answers to my four questions. Still no response from the council.
The city’s attorney did say in a round-about way that Daryl White is still receiving his monthly pay as mayor.
It appears to me, the city lawyer is pulling the puppet strings on what the council members may or may not say in the meetings. It would be nice to see his invoices for coming to our council meetings, that we as city taxpayers are covering.
All we get is “THANKS” from our elected officials instead of an answer to our questions. Doesn’t sound like a good deal to me. I ask the city lawyer why he was instructing the members of the council to give “THANKS” as the answer.
This is the paraphrased answer: That he would not answer my question, because it was a client/attorney privilege.
I thought he represented the city, not just a select few on the board. Just my thought, the more I hear and see how the city’s lawyer is so protective of the council’s statements the more potent the smell gets.
My opinion, Mayor White for the most part was able to appoint his “yes, sir” people. He is still pulling the strings. I think this is why the council has not and will not remove him from the office of mayor.
Election time is coming, the council members can be voted out with the same ink pen that voted them in. Just remember, their job is to serve our needs, not their personal agenda.
Thanks,
Delmar Branson
