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La Plata council pauses overhaul of meeting rules after hours of debate
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Summary
After an hours-long, page-by-page review of proposed governance documents, the La Plata Town Council voted to suspend one procedural rule for tonight's meeting but did not adopt the broader rules-of-procedure or code-of-conduct changes; staff was asked to redraft and return with clarified language and definitions.
The La Plata Town Council on April 14 suspended a single procedural rule for the evening but declined to adopt sweeping changes to its rules of procedure and a draft code of conduct after extended debate.
Councilman Johnson moved to suspend Rule 4-2 for the meeting, the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. The suspension allowed the council to give direction immediately on one item: using town-run social media to supplement legally required public notices. "If I can make this any a little bit easier, I'll make a motion to suspend rule of procedure 4 dash 2 for this evening only," Councilman Johnson said before the vote. The motion carried.
But the more comprehensive package of governance changes that staff had placed on the agenda for review did not move forward. Councilors spent more than two hours debating language that would govern how individual members can place agenda items, whether the initial merits of a proposed item may be debated, how consent-agenda items should be handled, and how the town should handle letters and certificates that use the town seal.
"My one and only comment on this document ' I don't support it," Councilman Johnson said of the draft code of conduct during the discussion. He and other council members voiced concern that the draft as written would duplicate existing law, would be difficult to administer consistently, and in some places extended beyond the council's intent.
Several councilors asked staff and the town attorney to clarify legal questions before a vote. Town Attorney Pounds told the council that public-notice requirements remain paramount under the Maryland Open Meetings Act and that staff must exercise care when turning policy into enforceable language. "First of all, these public notices, you know, we have to move. That's what's most important," the town attorney said in the discussion.
Council members also agreed to extract two pieces from the larger package for separate treatment. They directed staff to draft: - A short "code of civility" as a standalone resolution that articulates expected respectful conduct in public meetings, and - An anti-harassment policy to be codified as an ordinance that includes an investigative process (the council asked that any investigation of elected officials use impartial, third-party investigators rather than rely solely on town employees).
Town Manager Stevens and staff will redraft the rules and the resign-to-run language to address the council's concerns about definitions (for example, what "immediately" means when a resignation is required) and to provide clearer safeguards and procedures. The council did not adopt the draft "resign-to-run" ordinance tonight; a proposed ordinance requiring an elected official to resign if they file for certain other offices drew multiple legal and practical questions.
What happens next: Town staff will return with revised language reflecting the council's direction, a standalone code-of-civility resolution, and a draft anti-harassment ordinance that codifies a third-party investigative process. The council voted to move into a closed session at the end of the meeting to consult with counsel about unrelated litigation.
