At-large City Council member Michael Brown said in a brief interview Friday with the Washington Informer that a three-hour meeting called Sept. 22 -- in the wake of a fracas that took place at a gathering two days earlier -- was private, and therefore, no further comment could be provided.
During the latter meeting, police barred reporters from the proceedings.
"We were discussing personnel issues and some other things [related to ethics and reforms] and the meeting was closed to the media," Brown said.
The meeting that took place on Sept. 20 involved members hurling profanities at each other as the 13-member governing body debated raising income taxes among the city's wealthy residents.
In recent times, relationships have been strained among members of the Council, particularly after a string of ethics violations have been leveled against many of them.
However, it was partly because of the tension-filled debate that Council Chairman Kwame Brown called the Sept. 22 meeting, where a new 25-page code of conduct for members was distributed.
The pamphlet also covers concerns such as reporting outside income and accepting gifts, according to a report.