Lynchburg council reopens public comment after dispute over June 23 adjournment

Lynchburg City Council voted 4-3 to amend its agenda and allow citizens who said they were denied an opportunity to speak at a June 23 public hearing to speak at the June 24 meeting.

Council members and members of the public spent more than an hour debating whether the special meeting on June 23 had been properly adjourned and whether three council members met informally afterward in a way that violated the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Councilmember Timmer, reading from a lengthy prepared statement, argued the council's rules require recorded votes and said the actions taken June 23 "violated this rule, as there was not a casting of votes." Councilmember Feraldi said the adjournment had been intended to spare residents a long wait: "We were trying to save y'all 7 or 8 hours of your night,"…