Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Governance Staff Access topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
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, which he described as creating a "hostile work environment." Commissioner Petro said the restriction is particularly harmful to commissioners seeking factual information and examples of city operations.
Commissioner Duval recounted episodes where his direct questions to staff elicited rebukes and where access to departmental areas and routine staff contacts were curtailed. Multiple public commenters echoed concerns that a policy that restricts commissioners from talking with employees creates opacity and appears to conceal information.
Opposing commissioners noted the city charter delegates administrative duties to the city manager and requires that administrative requests and legal services go through the appropriate charter officers. The city attorney explained an interpretation that the charter’s language—when read as a whole—limits commissioners to obtaining administrative or legal services through the manager or city attorney and that the personnel policy was intended to implement that charter structure.
Commissioner Petro moved to direct the city manager to revise communication procedures to allow staff to respond directly to commissioners’ questions without routing through the city manager’s office; that motion failed on a 3–2 vote. Commissioners then voted 5–0 to ask the city attorney to obtain a third-party formal legal opinion about whether policy 6.8 conflicts with the charter and to report back with recommendations.
The outcome preserves the existing policy while opening a formal, outside legal review process. Public speakers and several commissioners urged an independent look at whether the policy or its implementation inhibits the commission’s ability to obtain information and undermines public trust.
