Although he never mentioned Councilman Dan Gookin by name or his dust-up with City Administrator Wendy Gabriel, Coeur d'Alene attorney Norm Gissel warned City Council members to avoid creating a hostile work environment for staff. Speaking during the public comments period of the council meeting Tuesday, Gissel, a long-time leader in the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, said: "All of you have an affirmative duty to make sure none of you harass staff." On Thursday, Gookin fired off an email to Gabriel in which he belittled her for failing to alert him before a story appeared on the Coeur d'Alene Press Web site that Team McEuen had proposed a change to boat-trailer parking in the McEuen Field upgrade. Gissel recommended that council members  "get ahold of counsel and review matters pertaining to a hostile environment."

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