Lincoln council hears hours of public comment on calls to censure Councilmember Holly Andreatta; no censure vote
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Summary
Residents and students filled the City of Lincoln chambers to press the council to censure Councilmember Holly Andreatta for remarks she made at a school club event; council heard competing testimony, accepted Andreatta's apology and directed staff to draft a clearer code-of-conduct policy while sending threatened-litigation matters to a closed session.
Lincoln ' The City of Lincoln City Council on 2006-01-13 heard more than two hours of public comment sharply divided over whether to censure Councilmember Holly Andreatta for remarks she made at a student Club America meeting.
More than three dozen people addressed the council during a packed public-comment period. Karen Meredith opened the comments by saying she had "lost confidence in miss Andrea as a representative of Lincoln," calling Andreatta's December appearance at the high school "homophobic, racist, and disturbing." Several other speakers urged the council to "establish the facts, assess the impact, and respond appropriately," and recommended formal censure as a way to uphold the city's code of ethics.
At the same time, current and former students, club officers and other residents defended Andreatta's right to speak as a private citizen. Garrett Culp, president of Club America, told the council the meeting was "to create respectful, open dialogue" and said school administrators were present. Club members described the session as a student-led conversation and urged the council not to impose discipline the students felt would chill debate.
Andreatta addressed the council near the end of public comment. She apologized for remarks that caused pain, said she had already issued a public statement and reiterated that she had not been campaigning at the event. "I have been a person that has always strived to be a bridge builder, to bring people together, not apart," Andreatta said. She added that some claims about the meeting were inaccurate and that she would support a policy clarifying when elected officials speak in an official capacity.
Mayor Pearl acknowledged the strength of community feeling on both sides and framed the issue as a balance between free-speech protections and the public comportment expected of elected officials. "I would not support a censure motion," he said during council remarks, while also saying words and actions can have consequences. The council instructed staff to prepare proposed edits to the code of conduct and agreed to place threatened-litigation matters related to the episode on a future closed session agenda, which must be properly noticed.
No formal censure motion was brought or voted on at the meeting. The council's next steps are to receive staff proposals on code-of-conduct language and to consider any legal advice in closed session before deciding whether to pursue any discipline.
The meeting also included a range of other agenda items before the council adjourned.
What's next: Staff will draft amendments to the council's code of conduct for a future public agenda, and the council will meet in closed session on threatened litigation related to the matter.