Baltic City Council moves to remove code of conduct law for elected officials

Four new city employees were approved and ratified during a special session of the Baltic City Council on Tuesday evening. 

John Hughes, the Baltic city attorney, said that while he believed there was no legal need to have the resolution, it was "desirable to have unanimous support for your elected officials and their appointed officials."

The resolution comes after the May 10 council meeting when former mayor Tracy Petersen handed control over to the current mayor Deborah McIsaac. But before the meeting started, multiple city employees resigned from their position, including Sarah Smith, the city financial officer. 

During the May 10 meeting, McIsaac hired Linda Hunnel to replace Smith as financial officer as well as Hughes as the city attorney. Two more people, Ryan Fods and Lacey Branham, were hired as the maintenance superintendent and community relations manager. 

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McIsaac explained Tuesday that the council needed to hold a special session so that they could confirm that Hunnel had been appointed to the position. The bank which the city uses needed approval from the council to give Hunnel access to city funds.

"She cannot do their job without it. We have no access to any of the city funds or financial data without it," McIsaac said.

"This is just an additional resolution to make sure that we're crossing our T's and dotting our I's to make sure we're moving forward comprehensively and everything is covered for the city of Baltic," McIsaac said of the resolution. 

Aldermen have first reading regarding repeal of code of conduct

In the 90-minute long meeting, 30 minutes which were spent in executive session, the new council also had a first-reading of a new city ordinance which would repeal city Ordinance 295 regarding code of conduct for elected officials, passed in March. 

"What this eight page document does, in my view, is cloud the authority of you to govern your own business among your own members," Hughes explained.

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Ordinance 295, which only went on the books earlier this year, establishes rules for how elected officials are to work with one another, city staff, the public and media. It also establishes the process of investigation if someone is suspected of breaking the rules, which involves the use of the city attorney.

Since it was a first reading, no action was taken.

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