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new Councilmember I felt that we wanted to have <br />more say in the formation of city policy. The <br />resolution was drafted after the Mayor and Mayor <br />Pro-tem went to a meeting on W-470 and MTDC under <br />one of its other names "Airport Access". Older <br />members of the Council were notified, they went to <br />the meeting, came back, drafted a letter stating <br />the city's position that was taken by the previous <br />council in December. The State Statutes say that <br />public meetings shall be held with notice to the <br />public and straw polls from work session do not <br />constitute city policy. These things have to be <br />done in a public meeting. So I made this resolu- <br />tion to let the citizens of Louisville know that <br />we have a commitment to honor those State Stat- <br />utes. The Open Government resolution affirms our <br />commitment to doing city business in the public <br />and states that all council members will be noti- <br />fied of future meetings and events that require <br />Council approval and that city policy will be <br />determined by majority of Council according to <br />State Statutes governing public meetings. My <br />resolution by no means abridges the right to speak <br />as an individual. When I spoke at the W-470 <br />meeting, I spoke as an individual, not as a <br />Council member. If I would have been speaking for <br />the city I would have prepared a statement saying <br />I was representing the city as all the other <br />representatives had done. I promised nothing at <br />this meeting. Two newspapers reported that the <br />City of Louisville had no city opinion. The <br />representatives from other cities spoke first, I <br />waited 3 1/2 hours to speak. Governor Romer was <br />in a law suit because he had spoke against <br />amendment 6 during a campaign. The court <br />judgment came out and the judge ruled that the <br />governor had a constitutional right as an <br />individual. My resolution does not prohibit <br />individual Councilmembers from speaking out on a <br />case like this. I would be very disappointed if I <br />could not voice my own views on certain issues. <br />This meeting was an open publicized meeting versus <br />the closed door meeting that the Mayor and Mayor <br />Pro-tem attended. Yes I did speak but I did not <br />say that I was representing the city. There is a <br />transcript and not where in there does it say that <br />I was representing the city. I have the right to <br />express my personal opinion. No policy or other <br />action resulting in my speaking at this meeting. <br />While you sent out a letter signed by the Mayor. <br />The plan true is that we are employed by the <br />people and are responsible for them. Hopefully we <br />will work toward open government in this city. <br />The open government resolution was an attempt to <br />establish some guidelines for council. At the <br />7 <br />