After lengthy debate, Smithfield committee keeps public comment at five minutes and approves policy updates

The Smithfield School Committee conducted an extended discussion on a second reading of the district's public comment and participation policy and voted to keep the public comment speaking time at five minutes.

The draft policy presented to the committee proposed a default speaking limit of three minutes in some situations; members expressed concern that shortening speakers' time might discourage parents and community members from fully presenting concerns. One committee member said she "would never want a parent to come before us and feel ... that they can't pour their heart out to us about something that's concerning their child," and urged keeping the five-minute allotment.

Another member said the three-minute limit had been used in a previous workshop where a long meeting prompted the shorter time, and that a shorter limit can help keep meetings efficient when many speakers appear on one topic. After discussion, a committee member moved an amendment to remove the change from five to three minutes while retaining language that allows the committee, by majority vote, to extend the total open forum time. The amendment passed on voice vote.

The committee then voted on the amended policy; the amended motion passed by voice vote. The policy as adopted continues to set a five-minute limit for public comment with an explicit majority-vote option to extend the open-forum period; other grammatical edits included in the draft were kept.

Committee members asked staff to clarify public sign-up procedures and to make the sign-up sheet available throughout meetings to avoid confusion about availability and order.

The amended policy will be the district's rule going forward; no roll-call tally was provided in the meeting excerpt.