Alderman Bob Thomas sought to resolve two issues that surfaced at the previous meeting surrounding an upcoming workshop on the issue of banning smoking in city parks. One of his points was any alderman can go to the city attorney without going through the mayor, and he emphasized it was their right to do so.
He also acknowledged aldermen are supposed to work together, so he took the two proposed ordinances which had been presented and took points from both, purposefully at random for fairness, and compiled them into a document he entitled “Beginning Points for Consideration [of] No Smoking Ordinance.” He said his intent was to streamline the process.
Alderman Daivd Mitchell said aldermen generally have not gone to the city attorney as a cost saving measure for the city, and he did not mind having the mayor as a “clearinghouse.”
Alderman Kristi Kendrick also said the attorney general has issued two opinions stating aldermen can present their own ordinances, but added her ordinance was just a suggestion, and she had another on the same subject. Thomas said he would add any new points from her other ordinance to his list for all to see before the April 13 workshop.