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Residents criticize recent council ordinance on public comment and raise enforcement concerns about burn rules
Summary
During public comment at the May 19 Sedalia council meeting, several residents criticized an ordinance the council passed April 21 they described as limiting free speech and raised separate concerns about neighborhood burn incidents and code enforcement practices.
Multiple Sedalia residents used the public‑comment portion of the May 19 meeting to criticize a recently passed ordinance the speakers said limits public comment and to raise separate neighborhood safety and code‑enforcement concerns.
Debbie Covington said the council's April 21 ordinance "limiting free speech" was passed without public dialogue and accused the council of avoiding public meetings and transparency. Covington said she was denied the opportunity to speak at the April 21 meeting despite submitting a request five days in advance and alleged selective responsiveness by municipal staff. She told the council: "You all indeed have little intentions to be transparent. The public needs to be a part of the process and the Constitution... Free speech matters."
David Goodson, representing a group he referenced as GoodNorth Alliance, also criticized the ordinance, saying it included the phrase "subject to reasonable restrictions to conduct and speech" and calling the change "hideous" and "shameful." Goodson urged council members to consider repealing or revisiting the policy and asked what the process would be to bring the matter back for reconsideration.
Separately, resident Jerry Nelson described repeated brush‑fire incidents near his property and said he believed the city burn ordinance and fire department enforcement needed clarification. Nelson said two recent fires were within 25 feet of structures and that no citations had been issued; he reported the fire chief told him citations would be issued if the problem recurred. Nelson asked the council to either revise the burn ordinance or clarify enforcement responsibilities so that homes are not at risk.
Jack Shibe raised a property‑privacy complaint related to a code inspector photographing items in a rental property's backyard. Another resident, Damien Kennedy, used his comment to note the dispensary ordinance change the council later directed staff to draft.
The council did not take formal action on the criticism of the April 21 ordinance during the meeting; several speakers demanded the council revisit the policy. Staff and council members acknowledged the comments; specific next steps on revisiting the ordinance were not recorded in the meeting minutes.
