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Residents urge selectmen to preserve 'present to speak'; board debates legal limits and possible changes
Summary
Residents at the March 16 meeting urged the Willington Board of Selectmen to preserve or expand public participation during meetings; the board acknowledged the value of input but cited lawyer advice that live public debate during agenda decisions can pose legal risks and said it will consider parameters to increase engagement without exposing the town to liability.
An extended discussion of "present to speak" (public participation) dominated part of the Willington Board of Selectmen’s March 16 meeting, with residents urging the board to maintain transparency and selectmen weighing lawyer guidance about what public input may be allowed during agenda decision-making.
John Blessington, a resident, criticized previous practices that limited public input and cited a past school referendum he said failed in part because the public was not adequately heard. "I implore you, be transparent," Blessington said, urging the board to allow citizens to present facts and opinions during meetings rather than relegating them to a separate, limited comment period.
First Selectman Mike McCoux said he wants more public interaction but emphasized attorney warnings that allowing interactive public debate during agenda items can create legal risk: lawyers told the board that permitting public participants to inject opinion and debate into the committee’s agenda work is "not a good legal way to be doing things." McCoux said the board’s goal is to strike a balance — increase meaningful interaction while avoiding procedures that could place the town at legal risk — and that the discussion will continue as the board considers specific parameters for public participation.
Other residents who spoke included Lilian Borelli, who said new residents value access to meetings and that the board can maintain decorum while allowing input, and Melissa McKinnon, who used her allotted public-comment time to announce that vendor registration for Willington Day (May 23, Center Elementary School, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.) is open. The board did not change its rules at the meeting but opened the topic for further work.
