Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners move public comment ahead of consent agenda, update meeting ordinance
Summary
The Board approved an amendment to county meeting procedures that relocates public comments to just before the consent agenda and relaxes a prior three-business-day sign-up requirement; the board voted unanimously after brief discussion and allowed public comment on that agenda item today.
Bullock County commissioners voted unanimously to amend Article 2 of Chapter 2 of the county code to change meeting procedures, moving the public-comment period immediately before the consent agenda and removing a prior rule that required speakers to register three business days before a meeting.
County Attorney Jeff Akins presented a redline of the ordinance changes and said the draft also included minor organizational edits, a catchall phrase referencing OCGA 50-14-1 (the Open Meetings Act) and updated executive-session and minute-recording language to match current state law. Akins said the new sequence will typically place public comment immediately before the consent agenda, allowing citizens to address agenda items prior to formal votes.
“I just added this sort of language that you can vary it if you can vary it by majority vote,” Akins said, explaining he retained flexibility so the board can alter order by vote when necessary.
Why it matters: the change formalizes an operating practice commissioners had discussed previously — letting residents address agenda items earlier in the meeting — and removes the stricter advance-signup clause the board had not been following.
Board discussion and vote
Commissioner Nick Newkirk said the revision matches his preference to let citizens speak before the board acts on agenda items. Newkirk moved that the board allow the public to speak about this agenda item today; the board held a vote on the ordinance amendment and approved the change unanimously.
The board also agreed the new ordinance text should remain flexible and include a five-minute time limit for speakers; that time limit remains subject to a majority vote of the board to waive or change it.
Ending
With the vote the county will update its published meeting agenda template and post the revised ordinance text; county staff said they will implement the sign-in sheets provided at meetings and noted the board may vary order by majority vote in future sessions.
