Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Open Government topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Milford resident urges council to move public comment to after deliberations and stop same-day ordinance votes
Summary
Resident Rachel Richardson told the Committee of the Whole that voters rejected a recent charter amendment and want more meaningful public input; she urged council to avoid same-day ordinance drafting-and-voting and to move public comment to the end of committee discussions so residents can comment after hearing council deliberations.
Rachel Richardson, speaking as a Milford resident from 907 Center Street, told council the failure of a recent charter amendment showed voters want more transparency and deliberation. Richardson said council frequently meets as a Committee of the Whole and then immediately reconvenes the regular meeting and votes on ordinances that were already drafted, allowing little or no meaningful public participation.
"Milford voters want transparency, deliberation, and a real opportunity for public input before decisions are made," Richardson said. She urged that the practice of same-day voting on non-emergency ordinances end and proposed moving the public comment portion from the beginning of the committee meeting to after the committee's discussion and before any vote so residents can address specific ordinance language.
Richardson asked that the Committee of the Whole operate as a true working committee with posted agendas and advanced notice so residents have a meaningful opportunity to participate in the process.
