A well-informed council member

Dear Editor:The inner workings of local government are beyond my knowledge, but rational thinking would suggest it’s absurd a City Council member who has served on the Planning and Zoning Commission, and therefore has a depth of knowledge of projects brought before the P&Z, should have to recuse himself from discussion and voting on the same project that comes before the City Council. I don’t believe previous examination and knowledge of a project constitutes a conflict of interest. Common sense and reason would support the premise that this council member has the MOST knowledge of the project and therefore brings valuable insight to the City Council decision-making process.As the City Council considers improvements in city procedures, I suggest this council rule should be changed so a previous P&Z commissioner does not have to recuse himself from discussing the same project on City Council. His background knowledge and insight are paramount to the council’s making a well-informed decision.Susan O’NealAspen