MOUNT CARMEL - Councilmember Leroy "Chico" Moser hopes a uniform policy will help residents identify borough workers.
Moser proposed the idea at Thursday's borough council meeting, requesting all borough employees wear a simple uniform, like a polo shirt with the borough's logo.
"It looks a lot better and is more professional," he said.
Several other borough council members expressed their support at his proposition, but before a conversation could take place, council president Tony Matulewicz sent the issue to a committee.
Moser and Matulewicz butted heads during the meeting over the "rules of order," which, passed at January's meeting, dictate that issues such as the uniform policy cannot be discussed at either the monthly borough meeting or the borough's work session.
Moser had been absent due to illness from both the work session and borough meeting when the rules of order were discussed and approved.
Under the new rules, discussions are to take place in committee meetings, which are usually not open to the public. If borough council members have questions in agenda items, they are to ask them prior to the meeting in one-on-one or small group conversations.
Matulewicz said the rules are designed to avoid wasting the time of meeting attendees who are not involved in the topics. But Moser pointed out that the new rules hindered discussions and left him unable to clarify points before voting.
He was especially displeased that borough employees would no longer attend the meetings. Matulewicz said a committee could request the presence of a borough employee, but Moser said he would prefer certain employees to attend to field questions that arise during the meetings.
Per the new rules of order, the conversation was shut down for further discussion outside the public meeting.