Bellefonte council discusses moving public comment into agenda items; formal resolution to follow

Bellefonte Borough Council members debated a proposed change to the borough's public-comment procedure at their Jan. 6 meeting and asked staff to draft a resolution for formal consideration at a future meeting.

At issue was language in a packet describing a trial change to allow public comment during discussion of agenda items rather than at the beginning of meetings. One council member asked whether the proposed Jan. 21 resolution would reflect only the wording of the first paragraph in the packet or a broader change. Council members replied the first paragraph described the planned resolution but that they had discussed wording at the agenda meeting and wanted counsel review before a final vote.

Councilors described the intended procedure: after a motion and second, the borough solicitor and council would comment first and then members of the public would be allowed to speak on the agenda item. One member said, "I would preferably prefer to hear them first because that might change my mind," indicating there was not unanimous agreement on order; others said counsel should speak first to clarify legal issues before public comments.

Why it matters: Changing when the public may speak can affect how council members hear and weigh public input on specific items. Council said the change would be placed in a resolution for a Jan. 21 vote and would be considered a trial policy that could be edited depending on votes and feedback.

Next steps: Staff and council will draft the resolution and bring it back for a formal vote. No final policy or ordinance was adopted at the Jan. 6 meeting.