John Spencer, Grass Valley’s representative to the Nevada County Board of Supervisors, also attended the Grass Valley City Council meeting Tuesday night. He spoke during public comment, issuing an apology to Councilman Dean Williams for comments made on The Union’s editor’s blog about the City Council participating in team-building sessions.

In a May 9 post, Spencer had written, “Nothing wrong with team building as a whole. All but one of those Council members have been there for a good while already, so I don’t think they need it. Maybe they could give Mr. Williams $300 to go out and get some private therapy and report back!!! With today’s budget situation you better have a darn good reason.”

At the Tuesday meeting, Spencer apologized for the comment, saying “I got involved with The Union newspaper’s new (weblogs), thinking it was cool and something I’d never done before. I came out with a couple arrows sticking in me. I formally apologize to Dean.”

He said he meant the comment “tongue in cheek,” but when he saw the reaction of his wife, Grass Valley Councilwoman Patti Ingram, after he told her about it, he realized it was a mistake.

Williams responded by saying “we are all pretty much learning as we go along, I don't think it is a big deal as long as your intentions are good.” He added, “I hope you keep blogging and I recognize that your political values and priorities are reflected in a significant part of the population.”

But Spencer, who is the only current public official known to have participated in The Union’s blogs, said he is through with blogging, “I also told them I wouldn't be doing that anymore. I think as part of our job as a public official, I think we need to hold ourselves up to a little different standard.”