Cr Duffy will be formally censured under the council’s code of conduct, the third councillor affected this term.

As part of the resolution on Thursday night, Cr Duffy will have to address the council and apologise to administration and governance manager Michelle Catlin.

The incident occurred at the October 4 council meeting when Cr Duffy put forward a motion to rescind the council’s earlier approval of bicycle parking and park benches on McNamara Street.

He put forward emails from two business owners, in an effort to resolve a dispute over the proposed loading zone location, telling the chamber he had asked for them to be circulated to all councillors at about 6pm earlier in the evening.

However, they were not circulated.

According to the resolution, Cr Duffy said Ms Catlin had failed to copy and distribute them.

He will be required to retract the statement and apologise for the inaccuracy at the next council meeting.

He will also be required write a letter of apology to corporate and community relations manager Nick Redmond for approaching a staff member about day-to-day operational matters.

Councillors are only allowed to approach staff through general manager Garry Styles.

If the letter is not received in a fortnight, the matter will be brought back to the council.

Matters will also be referred to the NSW Office of Local Government, Minister for Local Government Gabrielle Upton and Centroc.

Mayor John Davis and committee chairs will also be encouraged to include any concerns with councillors’ behaviour at meetings in the minutes. 

Cr Duffy said he was not present for the discussions on Thursday night and could not comment until he had received a written copy of the resolutions.

Prior to Cr Duffy’s incident, fellow councillors Reg Kidd and Russell Turner have also been reprimanded as part of the council’s code of conduct, both relating to declaring an interest, although they were only sanctioned.

Cr Kidd declared an interest in a Racing Orange item but left the chamber after speaking in the debate and questioning advice from staff, while Cr Turner failed to declare an interest in the Byng Street hotel proposal despite his involvement with Orange Regional Conservatorium, the property’s neighbour. 

Cr Turner was also sanctioned for encouraging the hotel’s developer, David Nock, in a WIN News story to take the council to court.

Cr Davis could not be reached for comment.