Pubdate: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 Source: Boulder Weekly (CO) Copyright: 2007 Boulder Weekly Contact: http://www.boulderweekly.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/57 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/richard+polk 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. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin