After advertising hearings for public comments on proposed amendments to the personnel code and the civil service rules and regulations, some Bellevue Council members showed up on June 24 only to find that no such hearing had actually been authorized.

Council vice president Lisa Blaney-Stewart called a start to the hearing, which was attended by council members Steve Mosolansky, Stewart, Dave Gillingham Jr. and Linda Woshner.

Council member Jane Braunlich also was present, but rather than being in her seat with the other council members, she was sitting in the audience as a citizen.

Braunlich asked council who had authorized the hearings. According to Braunlich, a motion to hold the hearings failed in a 3-3 vote at last month's regular meeting.

Gillingham maintained that council had agreed to hold the hearing before this month's pre-council meeting, giving the finance committee time to review the proposed changes.

The amendments, which have not yet been formally drafted and presented to council, would retroactively authorize a combined code enforcement-census position, allow police clerks to be employed as meter attendants, and coordinate language regarding firefighters and police officers in the personnel and civil service ordinances.

Director of administrative services Connie Flasher looked through the minutes of last month’s meeting and determined that the public hearing was not authorized.

Stewart then ended the hearing. Council members Jerry Walter, Mike Kutschbach, Kathy Coder and Mark Helbling were absent.