Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Civility Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges council to 'be kinder' as public comment grows heated
Summary
During public comment a Panna Garden resident, Samuel Turbining, accused council members of disrespect and urged the dais to listen to constituents; an unnamed council member also urged colleagues to be kinder and not answer for staff.
An unnamed council member opened public comment by urging colleagues to "be a little kinder to each other on this dais," asking that members not answer for staff during hearings and reminding the council to treat one another respectfully.
During the public comment period, Samuel Turbining, who identified himself as a Panna Garden resident and a veteran, criticized the council for what he described as disrespect toward constituents and certain staff. He told the dais, "You can look away. You can pretend like I'm not standing here. But I'm going to tell you guys, yes, we need to be kinder." He added that public‑forum law requires the dais to listen and that he was "not threatening anybody." Turbining said he had been subject to social media attacks tied to the council and urged council members to "earn" constituents' votes.
The exchange included procedural interruptions: a speaker asked for a point of order and for Turbining's time to be stopped if comments constituted a threat. Turbining maintained he was exercising his constitutional right to speak and repeatedly emphasized the need for more respectful discourse between council members and the public.
No formal disciplinary action, apology or staff directive was recorded during this session. The presiding officer subsequently reopened the floor to additional commentators.
