The press releases have been labelled defamatory by the parties referred to - the Wakatipu Environmental Society and Andre Prassinos - but neither was allowed to have a say at a council meeting yesterday.
Mr Geddes said Mr Prassinos and society spokeswoman Karen Swaine had been referred to the council's solicitors.
"It would not be appropriate for council to address those issues either as late or urgent business.
"The allegations that have been made are extremely serious . . . in both cases they have alleged defamation."
But there was only a brief respite for the mayor.
The press releases again became a talking point, this time through the questioning of Cr Cath Gilmour, backed up by Cr Lyall Cocks.
Cr Gilmour, responding to Mr Field's report on abandoned land at Cardrona, said the council should not make media statements about specific individuals.
Mr Geddes tried to shut down the conversation immediately, saying the agenda item was specifically about abandoned land.
"I could not allow any discussion . . . both cases have been referred to council's solicitors; in both cases they have alleged defamation.
"I can't make the connection between this item and matters of communication in press releases . . . and I will not allow this discussion to proceed on that basis."
He also said the matter of communication was a management matter, but Cr Gilmour said there were governance issues as well.
But, after another interjection by Mr Geddes, Cr Gilmour said she believed the discussion needed to be had "and if not now, we need to find some other way to have it".
She was backed up by Cr Cocks.
"Forget about [Mr] Prassinos. Forget about Karen Swaine. There are communication guidelines and I feel we need to have a closer look at them," he said.
Mr Geddes told the pair to re-read the delegations register and the council's communication policy.
"Having done that, then, if you want to discuss it at some time in the future, that's fine."
In reply to Cr Vanessa Van Uden, who asked what was an "appropriate process" for such a debate, Mr Geddes said: "in my view, there's not one".
Ms Swaine has laid an official complaint about Mr Field's statement on July 16, in which he was strongly critical of the environmental society.
"The statements . . . are false and need to be corrected by the same means they were originally issued," she said.
And, in an email to Mr Geddes yesterday, copied to the Otago Daily Times, Mr Prassinos demanded a press statement made by Mr Field last Monday be removed from the council's website, saying it was in violation of the council's communications policy and he wanted the council to review Mr Field's actions.
