Councilor urges consistent civility in email and public comments to preserve public trust

Councilor Hillgartner raised a governance concern asking the council to reinforce consistent civility standards for both email and in‑meeting public comments. Hillgartner said a recent email exchange between a councilor and a resident included a reply she described as inappropriate and “the kind of trolling post one would expect to find on a toxic social media site.” She urged colleagues to delay responses to heated emails until a courteous reply can be composed and to give speakers in meetings a brief chance to calm down before muting them. “We owe city residents respect, civility, and professionalism in all communications we have with them,” Hillgartner said. She recommended that if a public speaker remains incapable of conducting themselves respectfully after a warning and a short pause, the council should ask the person to provide their comments in writing so the council can consider them later. She warned that abrupt silencing without explanation can create the perception the council is policing dissent rather than managing decorum. No formal policy change was proposed at the meeting; councilors discussed the principle and Hillgartner said it is better to have either an enforceable policy or none at all than a policy that exists only on paper.