The Everett City Council Committee on Legislative Affairs and Elections held a workshop meeting on Monday night, April 30, at Everett City Hall, with the goal of tackling the Council’s rules for updating and discussing a Council Code of Conduct – including a potential social media policy.
However, a third item that had been added erroneously to the agenda was quickly tabled until the Committee’s next open session, as the workshop format would not allow the members to take any action on the ordinance.
“We just tabled that item, because it was explained to me that the item was on the agenda accidentally, and I felt it was something that we should be doing (in the Council Chambers) during a regular committee meeting,” explained Councilor Fred Capone, the chair of the Legislative Affairs Committee.
According to Capone, the Monday night session had been scheduled to allow the Council to begin discussing Council rules and the possible adoption of a Council Code of Conduct.
“We had put this on our agenda some time ago, and I had brought it up that we should be considering a Code of Conduct and the Council President (Peter Napolitano) at that same time had asked that this committee consider updating the Council rules in general,” said Capone.
Among the new rules and code of conduct items to be considered, Capone did say that the Council will look closely at establishing a social media policy as well.
Given the attention that has been paid to social media comments by Councilors at recent Council meetings, Capone said it only makes sense for the Council to establish standards to which all Councilors could be held.
As for the proposed stipend, the ordinance would establish a new $2,400 stipend for the Council President, beginning in January 2020. The proposal also calls for the stipend to be adjusted annually by 2 percent. However, the Legislative Affairs Committee has not officially taken the matter up, so no recommendation will be coming out of Committee at the next meeting.