by Karen Brune Mathis
Managing Editor
At least a dozen members of Mayor Alvin Brown’s administrative staff attended the first City Council meeting of the Council year Tuesday night at City Hall.
“We are showing our collective interest in the work of the Council and our desire to work closely with them,” said Abel Harding, Brown’s communications director.
He also said it was the first Council meeting for the mayor’s staff. Brown took office July 1.
Members of Brown’s staff seen during parts of the Council meeting included Harding, Chief of Staff Chris Hand, Deputy Chief of Staff Michelle Barth, Director for Boards and Commissions Mia Jones, Council liaison Jessica Deal, state affairs liaison Mario Rubio and Brown’s executive assistant, Alison Miller.
Brown is out of town. Today, he is scheduled to speak at a National Urban League conference leadership event in Boston, said Harding.
Compared to the last meeting of the past Council year on June 28, public attendance Tuesday was light – 41 people signed in – and the legislative discussions were not heated. The seven newly elected Council members will likely find that changing.
Noting that there were no contentious issues debated, “we know they’re coming,” said second-term District 7 Council member Johnny Gaffney after the meeting.
Council President Stephen Joost said he thought the meeting, which lasted about 2 1/2 hours, was “pretty smooth.”
At-Large Group 2 Council member John Crescimbeni, re-elected to his seat, said the meeting was calm, noting it “was the first meeting for seven newly elected council members.”
“It was good for us to kind of ease into it,” he said.
“It really was an easy meeting because there was very little controversy on the agenda,” said newly elected District 5 Council member Lori Boyer.
“They decided to give us two weeks,” she said.
The next Council meeting is Aug. 9.
356-2466