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After heated debate, North Port commission orders outside legal review of staff-communication policy
Summary
Two commissioners accused the city manager's office of limiting their ability to ask staff questions and creating a hostile environment; a motion to change the policy failed, but the commission unanimously directed the city attorney to obtain an outside legal opinion on whether policy 6.8 conflicts with the city charter.
A prolonged and often emotional exchange among commissioners, staff and residents ended with the City Commission unanimously directing the city attorney to seek an outside legal opinion about whether the city's personnel policy on commissioner-staff communications (policy 6.8) conflicts with the city charter.
Commissioner Demetrius Petro framed the item as a transparency and access issue. He said the policy and practice have prevented commissioners from informally asking questions of staff and that employees report being instructed not to converse with commissioners,…
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