Roane County Commission adopts public-comment rules, sets three-minute limit after extended debate over livestreaming and scope

The Roane County Commission adopted a formal public-comment policy that limits speakers to three minutes, requires respectful behavior, and clarifies that comments must be germane to the commission’s jurisdiction. The action followed extended debate over whether the commission should livestream public-comment periods and whether comments must be limited to agenda items.

The commission first considered an amendment by Commissioner Brackett that would have limited public comment to three minutes and stopped livestreaming during the public-comment portion. That amendment failed on a roll call, 6 yes to 8 no. Commissioners debated livestreaming logistics, whether state law requires livestreaming, and how to handle speakers who raise matters outside the commission’s jurisdiction. The county…