POLK KEEPS CITY COUNCIL POST

City Council member Richard Polk was allowed to keep his job last
Monday-but not without a strong reprimand by other council members.

Polk came under the spotlight last fall when a police officer stopped
him for driving too slowly. The responding officer reported smelling
marijuana and confiscating a warm pipe from Polk's car. While the
police officer said that Polk admitted to smoking marijuana, Polk took
a drug test, which turned up negative. Earlier this year, Polk plead
guilty to a misdemeanor offense-reckless driving.

Because Boulder's charter requires that any member convicted of a
"crime or felony" be dismissed, city council began considering whether
Polk's offense fell within the boundaries of the Charter. Lawyers
hired by city council advised that since the Charter was written in
1917, use of language was less specific, and "crime" was sometimes
used in lieu of "felony."

While Council voted unanimously to let Polk keep his job, they also
unanimously approved a letter of reproach, in addition to airing
disappointments with Polk at the Monday meeting.