GREENFIELD — In a lively debate that touched on free speech, social media and censorship, the Appointments and Ordinances Committee voted 3-0 to unanimously recommend that City Council President John Bottomley bring a proposed Code of Civility before the council at its next meeting.

The topic arose Wednesday evening as the councilors discussed a new Code of Conduct proposed by Precinct 5 City Councilor Marianne Bullock. Although Bullock was not present at the meeting, the proposal addressed issues similar to those contained in two existing codes — City Council’s “Code of Civility” and the 1876 guide to political decorum “Robert’s Rules of Order” — two documents that Precinct 1 City Councilor Katherine Golub said are no longer used.

“This Code of Civility is something that was created with the intention that it would be something City Council, the Mayor’s Office and all appointed officials agreed to,” Golub said. “It’s kind of slipped away — it still exists, we have it, but people haven’t been signing on to it. It’s kind of fizzled out.”

Precinct 3 Councilor Michael Mastrototaro, discussing Bullock’s proposed Code of Conduct, noted that while he agrees public officials should interact with respect and decorum, he does not think it makes sense to penalize them for something as subjective as disrespectful behavior.

Mastrototaro also alluded to the fact that the adoption of a renewed Code of Conduct was placed on the table in 2022 after an incident in which a city councilor publicly disparaged another councilor in a letter to the editor. He said he does not believe City Council should adopt rules or regulations because of any one individual.

“My concern is to have a Code of Conduct that outlines what you can and can’t do and when to do it, how to do it and with that we need a penal code. So we’re going to have a 10-page document as you say something at certain times a certain way, this is your punishment … all of this is very subjective — somebody could interpret something the wrong way,” Mastrototaro said. “From what I understand, this had a lot to do with the behavior of a certain councilor who is no longer on City Council. … The way I see it is you don’t make a rule for one person.”

At-Large Councilor Wahab Minhas also expressed concern with the way the proposed Code of Conduct explicitly mentioned officials’ behavior on social media — a form of regulation that he believes would, in its enforcement, violate individuals’ rights to free speech.

“That limits all of our freedom of speech, our ability to engage in communication with our constituents, with each other, with our friends, and who’s going to do that? Is my social media now going to be monitored? Does liking a post that is inflammatory fall into this? Is a comment on a post going to fall under this? ... Where do we draw the line?” Minhas said. “Should I have prying eyes and the government, even on the local level, determine what is inflammatory and what is uncivil and what is disrespectful? No, absolutely not. Just because we are councilors, no government — small or big, local, state or federal — should have a say about what I have to say on social media.”

As debate over the lines between respectful conduct, free speech and enforcement continued, Golub asked Minhas and Mastrototaro if they wished to instead discuss reimplementing the Code of Civility and Robert’s Rules of Order. Minhas expressed concerns over censure being noted as a means of conduct, which was quelled when Golub mentioned that censuring an official is simply a public condemnation — not the same as mandatory silence or removal from office.

With all three councilors agreeing that re-implementation of the Code of Civility was “reasonable,” they voted to recommend that councilors “read and voluntarily sign on to the Code of Civility at the next meeting, and if not present, the next one they’re present to.”

The motion also recommended that councilors read a particular section of Robert’s Rules of Order so that they are made familiar with the possibility of enforcement.

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.