The Ruins of Trenton

Councilman Jim Coston has withdrawn a resolution that would have paved the way for the removal of Police Director Joseph Santiago because of the director's continued violation of city law, until City Council can conclude executive session discussions and come to some sort of consensus on the issue.

The resolution would have required the director to advise the council within 14 days of his intentions in regards to a move into the city and compliance with the law, but council tabled the document in favor of further closed-door talks with officials from the Palmer administration.

Mr. Coston, in statements in Thursday's Trentonian, said the council would proceed with the matter in a more approachable way, working with all parties to come to the proper, legal conclusion.

The withdrawal of the resolution from both Tuesday's and now Thursday's council meeting certainly appears to be the result of some dialogue with administration officials, with Chief of Staff Renee Haynes and other addressing the council in closed session Tuesday, and at least one councilman engaging in emergency discussions with the mayor and police leader directly late Wednesday night.

And don't forget the influence of Mayor Palmer's controversial, fiery address made to the governing body during Tueday's meeting, in which he threatened prolonged legal battles and refused to remove the director in the face of an ouster at the hands of council.

Let us hope executive branch has not gotten the best of the supposedly co-equal legislative branch once more.