The issue was consistency versus flexibility as Bellevue Council debated a proposed amendment to the borough's administrative code that would allow them to change the regular meeting date from the first Tuesday of every month.

While the state law that governs other boroughs, as well as Bellevue's own home rule charter, requires only that council meet at least once per month, the administrative code in Bellevue mandates the regular meeting be held the first Tuesday of each month.

In December, a lame duck council hired a solicitor who cannot attend meetings that day because he represents Baldwin Council, which meets the same night.

A public hearing was held Jan. 26 on a proposed amendment to the administrative code that, as drafted, would allow council to meet whenever it wanted during a month.

Council member Jane Braunlich pointed out the dangers of giving council that much flexibility. She noted that on Dec. 30, council approved a resolution setting the dates for meetings in 2010. That resolution set the next meeting for Tuesday, Feb. 2. The borough has since advertised that council will meet on Tuesday, Feb. 9, a decision council members said they never approved.

"In four weeks it needs to be changed?" questioned council member James Viscusi.

"Who okayed that?" Braunlich asked.

"We, as a council, did not make that change," said council member Linda Woshner, who chaired the meeting in the absence of council president Kathy Coder.

Council members argued that meetings had to be held on a predictable date in order for the public to know when their officials would be making decisions.

"The consistency we're going for can't be set aside," said council member Susan Viscusi.

Council member Mark Helbling suggested that the change to the administrative code include a mandate that council meeting dates had to be set and advertised at the beginning of each year.

James Viscusi maintained that there was no reason to change the meeting date, and that people hired by the borough needed to conform their schedules to the longstanding council meeting schedule.

"It's been fine all this time," James Viscusi said. "Why change it for one or two people?"

Woshner said that solicitor Tom McDermott was aware of his meeting conflict before he accepted the position.

"He interviewed at our council meeting so he knew we met the first Tuesday of every month."

McDermott has said in the past that someone else from his firm could attend the meetings if they continue to be held on the first Tuesday.

Helbling said that he did not think it was a good idea for one attorney to attend pre-council meetings, and another to attend the regular council meetings.

Braunlich noted that the solicitor does not attend pre-council meetings.