CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE VOLUNTARY DRUG TESTS.Byline: EUGENE TONG tong 1 tr.v. tonged, tong·ing, tongs To seize, hold, or manipulate with tongs. [Back-formation from tongs. Staff Writer BURBANK -- City Council members will voluntarily submit themselves to random drug and alcohol testing, a move that comes after a former councilwoman was convicted of drug possession. The panel unanimously adopted the policy Tuesday night. Under the guidelines guidelines, n.pl a set of standards, criteria, or specifications to be used or followed in the performance of certain tasks. , two council members will be selected at random every two months for testing on a Tuesday -- the same day the council meets. ``It's effective immediately,'' said Judie Sarquiz, the city management-services director who will oversee the testing. ``We will officially begin the first call of names soon.'' Council members will have the choice of submitting to a urine urine, clear, amber-colored fluid formed by the kidneys that carries metabolic wastes out of the body (see urinary system). As the blood circulates it collects excretory products from the tissues and these substances are separated from the blood by the kidneys and , blood or breath test for illegal substances, such as marijuana marijuana or marihuana, drug obtained from the flowering tops, stems, and leaves of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa (see hemp) or C. indica; the latter species can withstand colder climates. and cocaine cocaine (kōkān`, kō`kān), alkaloid drug derived from the leaves of the coca shrub. A commonly abused illegal drug, cocaine has limited medical uses, most often in surgical applications that take advantage of the fact that, in , or for alcohol over the legal limit. But testing will be completely voluntary, and a council member could withhold with·hold v. with·held , with·hold·ing, with·holds v.tr. 1. To keep in check; restrain. 2. To refrain from giving, granting, or permitting. See Synonyms at keep. 3. results. While many employers require pre-hiring drug-testing, a 1997 U.S. Supreme Court ruling found requiring it from elected officials violates the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable searches and seizures In counterdrug operations, includes drugs and conveyances seized by law enforcement authorities and drug-related assets (monetary instruments, etc.) confiscated based on evidence that they have been derived from or used in illegal narcotics activities. , authorities said. Still, Councilwoman Marsha Ramos said she would submit to it. ``As an elected official, you better be ready to have your life as an open book,'' she said Wednesday. ``If the drug tests scare you away, you're going to be blown away by the rest of it.'' The vote comes eight months after the council asked the city staff to explore a drug-test policy. Council members were responding to public outcry over the arrest of then-Councilwoman Stacey Murphy on drug and child-endangering charges last summer. She subsequently resigned, pleaded guilty to the charges and agreed to enter a drug-rehabilitation program. ``We're in a political environment that has demanded this,'' Ramos said. ``People wonder. ... If you don't say `I'm going to submit,' you're out of your mind.'' Mayor Todd Todd , Sir Alexander Robertus 1907-1997. British chemist. He won a 1957 Nobel Prize for his study of nucleic acids and nucleotide structures. Campbell said he supported the policy but warned it could open the council to groundless suspicion. ``What I hope doesn't happen is, if a council member is out of town and can't make it (to testing), that the public puts that person under false scrutiny,'' he said. ``I just want to make sure the actions don't mislead mis·lead tr.v. mis·led , mis·lead·ing, mis·leads 1. To lead in the wrong direction. 2. To lead into error of thought or action, especially by intentionally deceiving. See Synonyms at deceive. the public and others' perceptions about the city. ``That being said, ... if this prevents the council member in the present and future from participating in an illegal action, then the policy has some benefit.'' In 1997, the council voted down a voluntary drug-testing policy after reports of alleged drug use by former Councilwoman Susan Spanos. The city currently has a pre-employment drug-screening program and a reasonable-suspicion policy that allows testing of any employee believed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The city also uses a federally mandated Department of Transportation drug-testing program for city truck drivers. eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com (818)546-3304 |
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