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Severance council begins rewrite of public‑comment rules, stressing First Amendment and decorum
Summary
At a June 10 work session the Severance Town Council reviewed a draft public‑comment policy compiled from other towns and discussed time limits, group representation, audio/visual aids and signage; staff will revise the draft after legal review.
Severance elected officials spent much of a June 10 work session dissecting a draft public‑comment policy staff compiled from other municipal examples, emphasizing the need to protect free speech while keeping meetings orderly.
Town Manager Wharton presented a two‑page template the council had asked staff to prepare following a prior retreat, calling it “a starting point” for further edits. Mayor Friess told colleagues the policy should not be written to suppress speech but to “give citizens … the guidelines” for decorum and safety. “It’s their meeting,” Friess said, “and they deserve to have their…
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