By GAGE WILSON
for Glasgow News 1
A review of proposed ethics changes dominated Glasgow Common Council’s Monday meeting. Council members worked through the first reading for amendments to be made to the city’s code of conduct, with only councilman Joe Trigg absent.
With Glasgow’s status as a certified city of ethics, code guidelines come from the state legislature. City attorney Rich Alexander pointed out that the city was working on amendments to the code independently before the state guidelines were received.
While the document spans 43 sections, council discussion narrowed to two areas, one of which involved the removal of restrictions previously placed on public officials’ social media use. Councilman Randy Wilkinson noted that the section removing constraints around the individual official to make comments and share information via their personal accounts had been “scratched.”
“I know it becomes an open record if we’re communicating with that…. Where are we since that was deleted out of here?” asked Wilkinson.
“There is no violation of the Open Meetings Act if it’s one-on-one with your constituent,” said Alexander. “It would be a problem if it was a big group text or post where a quorum of the council got together and responded to constituents.”
“Regarding social media, the state is making it clear that we cannot write policies that say, ‘You as a council member cannot get on social media’ that’s the number one thing this does,” explained Mayor Henry Royse. “The state’s come down and says that’s really not enforceable.”
Councilman Terry Bunnell raised a question on a subsection stricken involving vacancy appointments on city committees. Bunnell’s concern arose from the removal of who would appoint a new member, should a vacancy occur. Alexander noted that the mayor’s role in this process would be “assumed” before city clerk Danielle Cashion pointed out that another subsection within the code described the mayor’s power of appointment.
While the body is mandated by the state to pass a code of ethics, council members were instructed that further amendments could be made. No such motions were raised and the first reading of the code was passed.
A map Beltline Boulevard and its surrounding area provided by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Gage Wilson/for Glasgow News 1
The council also accepted the first reading of an ordinance bringing a roughly 1,400-foot stretch of Beltline Boulevard near the Beaver Valley Road and New Bowling Green Road intersection into the city. Part of the South Cooper Industrial Park, the area was reported on in August of this year.
Before closing Royse reminded attendees that city hall would be closed Dec. 24-25 in observance of the holiday season.
The council’s next scheduled meeting is Jan. 12.
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