While eyes across the nation were on Amarillo following April 3rd's City Council meeting, the proposed minutes for the meeting make no mention of the event that drew media attention.
According to the proposed minutes for the April 3rd meeting of the Amarillo City Council, no mention is made of the arrest of Kip Billups. Billups was escorted from the meeting and arrested after clapping during the public comment portion of the meeting. In addition, no mention is made of Mayor Ginger Nelson's request for Billups to stand or of her request to have Billups escorted from the meeting. Mention is made, however, regarding two speakers who disagreed with the Amarillo City Council's conduct in their regular meetings.
A handbook released by the Texas Attorney General's office states that the minutes of public meeting shall include " every action taken by the governmental body." However, the handbook also states that the minutes shall include the subject of each deliberation taken and "indicate each vote, order, decision, or other action taken." From the information in the Attorney General's open meetings handbook, it is unclear whether these definitions include actions taken by the presiding officer of a governing body.
The proposed minutes, if approved in their current form, will be voted on by the Amarillo City Council during their meeting on Tuesday.
For more information, please visit amarillo.gov.
Photo by Susan Cooper Bailey