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Council defeats proposed amendment to council ethics ordinance after debate on phone use exemptions
Summary
A proposed amendment to the city council ethics code — addressing phone use and exemptions for staff and medical personnel during executive session — failed on a roll call vote after council discussion of professionalism and on‑call exceptions.
A proposed amendment to the City of Muskogee code of ordinances (Agenda item 15, Ordinance 41‑59A) that would have amended chapter 3 — city council ethics — failed after council debate and a roll call vote.
Councilor Hall explained the proposal aimed to tighten expectations during executive sessions by limiting phone use and aligning practices with professional norms; he said the intent was to keep members focused when the council enters executive session. Discussion among councilors centered on reasonable exemptions for contacting staff, looking up statutes, or for medical personnel who may be on call.
Several council members said they were comfortable with limited exemptions (city staff, medical personnel), while others argued the rule was unnecessary because members should self‑police. After a motion to approve the amended ordinance and debate about narrowly drafting exemptions, the measure failed on roll call — multiple councilors voted "no."
Council members said the ethics topic remains important, but the body did not adopt the proposed language at this meeting.
