NILES — City council is looking to adjust how they handle anonymous messages moving forward, with one official acknowledging they should have never accepted the initial letter that sparked the discussion.

At a roundtable discussion ahead of Wednesday’s regular meeting, council members discussed potential rule changes — mainly regarding anonymous letters, and whether or not to accept them, according to Law Director Phil Zuzolo.

The discussion comes after a city council meeting earlier this month, when an email was sent to Clerk of Council Abbey Lavelle, and later read, regarding comments made by Council President Doug Sollitto during a May 28 podcast that implied city council didn’t immediately respond to the will of the people regarding data center discussions.

“I get anonymous public records requests from a Mark Smith, who I know is actually Geo; what would stop somebody from just writing ‘Mark Smith,’ or ‘James Smith,’ or whatever?” Zuzolo said. “Then are we looking at having now to verify and do some kind of investigation as to whether they’re an actual person or not?”

“My position, my humble opinion, is we already give everyone six minutes so they can come down here and speak. I don’t think it’s right — especially if it’s a salacious or rude comment — that they get to use the clerk anonymously, or using a pseudonym, to have her say what they don’t have the temerity to say.”

Zuzolo said the anonymous letters could be accepted and placed on file, but didn’t think they should be read — regardless of their nature.

“I think that opens the door for a keyboard warrior using, indirectly, the clerk having to say comments that no one should have to say because we’re letting them,” Zuzolo said.

Councilman Aaron Johnstone, D-2nd Ward, suggested council members entertain letters regarding agenda items as an exception.

“We’re not going to spend hours of research to find out who these people are; there has to be a name at the bottom, and it has to pertain to an agenda item,” Johnstone said. “That way, they have their opportunity to at least speak to council prior to a vote.”

Councilman James Sheely, D-3rd Ward, said he agreed with Zuzolo’s remarks about the nasty remarks in the anonymous letters, but noted there was a resident who walked out because he felt council was trying to trample on people’s First Amendment rights, according to a post online.

Sollitto said allowing anonymous letters means they can’t be censored, adding that it had to go down the row of city officials.

“When I’m looking over here across the row, every single person I’ve seen here has been attacked — some more than others, and to bring it here and allow that,” Sollitto said. “What we’re saying is, we’re not allowed, according to Phil, to say, ‘This one we’ll allow, this one we can’t.”

“If we let them in, we gotta let them all in,” he added.

Councilman Edward Stredney said he was the first to apologize for opening the “Pandora’s Box” of accepting the first anonymous letter.

“Sat here and heard it, and even when they said anonymous, and we accepted it and placed it on file — should have never happened,” Stredney said.