Members of the Chattanooga City Council reached an agreement Tuesday with Mayor Ron Littlefield on how to ask for information.
Council members now will ask committee chairpersons to request the information for them, and the information will be distributed through an email distribution list.
"The whole idea is to have one person coordinating this," said Richard Beeland, spokesman for the mayor.
Mayor Ron Littlefield sent an email to council members last week saying they no longer would be allowed to call individual department heads and ask for information. He said in his email that some council members were requesting so much information it was hindering the work of the departments.
The email led to scathing remarks by Councilwoman Deborah Scott, who said she would continue to ask for information.
But council members seemed to agree Tuesday the new plan could work.
"I see this as more pre-emptive," Councilwoman Sally Robinson said.
Councilman Russell Gilbert told the administration that if the council signed off on the distribution then it would expect the same courtesy from the mayor.
"We've been getting info late in the game," he said.
Cliff has worked for the Times Free Press for five years and covers Chattanooga city government. He previously covered Rhea County, as well as transportation and growth and development in Southeast Tennessee. A native of Maryville, Tenn., Cliff graduated in 2003 from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis on journalism. Before coming to Chattanooga, he was a crime reporter with Hernando Today, a supplement of The Tampa (Fla.) ...
