Chariho committee unanimously refers public-forum policy to subcommittee after public complaint about time limits

The Chariho Regional School Committee voted unanimously Nov. 18 to send proposed revisions to its public-forum policy to the committee's policy subcommittee after a public speaker raised concerns about time limits and chair conduct. The referral followed roughly an hour of discussion about who should draft changes and whether legal review was needed.

Public speaker Mister Abadizian used the meeting's public-forum time to urge more frequent committee meetings and to criticize time limits on public comment. "It appears to me that putting a time clock on free speech ... limits dissent from other school committee members, and it limits the public public ability to comment on agenda items," he said. The chair responded that the district's policy sets a 30-minute public-comment window and that the chair has discretion to allow full time when only one speaker is signed up.

Vice Chair Laura Chapman and multiple committee members said the draft policy would benefit from careful wordsmithing. Chapman said policy work of this type often belongs with the policy subcommittee and noted that any revised policy would also go to the district's legal counsel. Several members, including Jess Purcell, recommended circulating a tracked-change draft in advance so the subcommittee could start with concrete language rather than debate wording at the full meeting.

A motion by Member Holly (moved) to refer the policy to the policy subcommittee was seconded and passed without opposition. Members emphasized the subcommittee would include legal review and urged community input and prior circulation of suggested edits.

The committee chair said the broader goal is to balance respect for free expression with a practical structure for managing meeting time and producing work in committee sessions. The subcommittee will return a proposal to the full committee for consideration and possible adoption.