Friday, August 24, 2001
Friday, August 24, 2001 |
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PTC Council: no need for rules to eject unruly person from meeting By JOHN MUNFORD
A proposed city ordinance to eject rowdy persons from City Council meetings if necessary has been deep-sixed by Peachtree City council members. City Attorney Rick Lindsey recommended the ordinance, which would allow the mayor to declare a person in contempt of council if they disrupt a meeting. In those cases, the offending person or persons could be ejected from the council meeting. The contempt ordinance was one of several Lindsey presented to council Thursday night which would coincide with the revised city charter council is expected to approve. The final vote on the charter and ordinances was delayed two more weeks at the request of Councilwoman Carol Fritz, who said she would like some extra time to go over the material. Two new ordinances were added to the slate Thursday by Lindsey which allow council to appoint the police chief and the fire chief upon a recommendation by the city manager. Several council members indicated at the previous meeting that they would like to have that obligation. In agreeing to "can" the contempt ordinance, several council members indicated such penalties were unnecessary. Councilwoman Annie McMenamin said if someone ever became out of control in a meeting, it could be cumbersome for the mayor to determine if someone is in violation of the ordinance. Mayor Bob Lenox said in his nearly 10 years as mayor, he has never asked anyone to leave a meeting. If he had to, he would ask politely once before summoning police to escort the person out, Lenox added. Councilman Steve Rapson said the amount of latitude given to members of the public when addressing council is "one of the things that makes this a great city." The ordinance would have allowed the mayor to eject any person who: Disrupts a meeting to the point that council could not conduct the meeting; Uses fighting words directed at anyone in attendance at the meeting; Uses violent physical force against another person at the meeting, or Threatens future harm to anyone in attendance at the meeting.
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