02-21-2025 South Bend Common Council President statement Regarding Council Rules Committee

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City of South Bend Common Council 441 County-City Building ● 227 W. Jefferson Blvd South Bend, Indiana 46601 (574) 235-9321● Fax (574) 235-9173 ● TDD (574) 235-5567 ● http://www.southbendin.gov NEWS RELEASE Subject: Statement Regarding Council Rules Committee Meeting Date: Friday, February 21, 2025 From: Council President, Canneth Lee Contact: sbcityclerk@southbendin.gov Statement of Council President Canneth Lee Regarding February 20, 2025, Common Council Rules Committee Meeting Much is being made about a disagreement between acting Chair Rachel Tomas Morgan, the Council Attorney, Bob Palmer, and Council Member Dr. Oliver Davis at the Rules Committee meeting. Let me clarify. The Rules Committee was presented with an unprecedented situation in conducting the meeting. The relevant city ordinance provided for the meeting to be conducted in an “nonpublic executive session” of the Rules Committee. This ordinance predated by 14 years, an Indiana statute which limited the reasons that an executive session could be closed to the public. In a nonbinding advisory statement, the Indiana Public Access Counselor opined that the Rules Committee meeting should be open to the public. Although that opinion is not in the least bit binding on the Rules Committee, the Committee, in the interest of avoiding additional complaints and avoidance of delay, chose to open the meeting to the public, while at the same time adhering as much as possible to the other requirements of the ordinance regarding participation in the meeting, the nature of an executive session, and confidentiality, under the circumstances of and open meeting. In the past, the Rules Committee conducted such meetings in compliance with the relevant ordinance, meaning the only participants in the meeting were the Rules Committee members and any others whom the Committee determined were necessary to accomplish the purpose of the meeting. This is in accordance with the Indiana statute which in reference to Executive Sessions, states in part, “the governing body may admit those persons necessary to carry out its purpose. The governing body may also admit an individual who has been elected to the governing Canneth Lee President Rachel Tomas Morgan Vice President Troy Warner Chairperson, Committee of the Whole Canneth Lee First District Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers Second District Sharon L. McBride Third District Troy Warner Fourth District Sherry Bolden-Simpson Fifth District Sheila Niezgodski Sixth District Dr. Oliver Davis At Large Rachel Tomas Morgan At Large Karen L. White At Large