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Committee begins rewriting public‑comment rules and decorum standards; discussion continued to next meeting
Summary
Committee reviewed proposed public‑comment restrictions (no commercial solicitation, limits on placards/attire, distribution of handouts) and proposed professional meeting protocols; several items will be discussed further with county attorney and returned to the committee.
The Blount County Commission Rules Committee on Feb. 25 reviewed a draft of proposed public‑comment rules and meeting decorum policies and postponed final action so staff and the county attorney can review legal and enforcement questions.
The draft would codify practices for public comment, including directing remarks to the chair or commission as a body, prohibiting commercial advertisements, personal attacks and obscene or derogatory language, and prohibiting distribution of written materials to the board during a meeting. The nut graf: the committee sought to balance First Amendment protections with preserving order, and members asked staff to confirm the permissible enforcement steps and where lines (for example, offensive clothing vs. disruptive conduct) can be drawn.
Specific provisions under discussion included: requiring speakers to direct remarks to the chair or the commission rather than individual members; prohibiting commercial solicitations from the podium; limiting or prohibiting stump‑style campaigning depending on context; disallowing placard signs or displays that are disruptive (while allowing group members to identify themselves by raising hands); and prohibiting distribution of handouts during the meeting (instead, written comments should be submitted to the clerk for distribution by email or other methods at the clerk’s discretion). Committee members raised questions about enforcement for offensive clothing and where decorum enforcement might begin — the chair’s authority to preserve order was noted, and members requested legal guidance.
The committee also reviewed a proposed rule 19 on professional meeting protocols (refrain from use of devices except for county business, avoid side discussions, arrive early for roll call) and discussed attendance rules that will be drafted for later consideration. The committee agreed to postpone the public‑comment and professional‑protocol items until the next meeting after legal review and additional staff input.
