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Residents press commissioners on public-comment rules for workshops; county clarifies how to place items on agenda
Summary
At a March 17 Loudon County workshop, residents questioned whether public comments must be germane to the printed agenda at workshops and how citizens can place items on future agendas; county officials said citizens should contact their commissioner to request agenda placement and noted statutory limits on germane comments.
During the March 17, 2025 Loudon County Commission workshop, several residents pressed commissioners about public-comment rules and how non-agenda topics may be raised at workshops.
"Okay. So I'm not allowed to speak at any of your meetings for anything unless it's on your agenda. Is that correct?" resident Pat Hunter asked during the public-comment period, seeking clarity on whether workshops allow non-germane comments and how citizens can request agenda items.
Hunter said she believed the Tennessee Code Annotated contains an exception for meetings "for which there are no actionable items on the agenda," and she asked whether workshops fit that description. Workshop participants discussed that point during the session; a county official clarified after adjournment that citizens should contact their commissioner if they wish to place an item on a future agenda and that the commissioner can submit requests on a citizen's behalf. A commissioner present summarized the process by saying moving forward residents should contact their commissioner and the commissioner can put items on the agenda.
The workshop record did not produce a formal policy change; the session included both questions from residents about transparency and staff responses that emphasized contacting an individual commissioner as the practical route to agenda placement. The county did not issue new written guidance at the workshop; participants said workshop-specific rules and packet disclosures would be addressed in future proceedings if needed.
