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Select Board debates draft public-comment policy, members differ on time limits
Summary
Chair Julie Perusse presented a solicitor-drafted public-comment policy; Bill Connolly said it was "a little bit too restrictive," urging discretion for chairs to extend time. The board discussed transparency and posting basic guidance online; no policy vote was taken.
The Clinton Select Board discussed a draft public-comment policy prepared by the town solicitor at its Jan. 21 meeting, with members divided over time limits and chair discretion.
Chair Julie Perusse introduced the draft language and said many towns are adopting similar policies; she said the goal was transparency and to encourage public participation by posting basic guidance online. "Based on the feedback that I've received, they are expecting us to respond to these comments," Perusse said, noting some members of the public expect engagement during comment periods.
Board member Bill Connolly said he was concerned the draft as written would be "a little bit too restrictive and not adaptable for different situations," and urged that any policy allow the chair discretion to extend time when necessary. "Sometimes people . . . it might take them more than two minutes to get the point across," Connolly said, adding that respectful comments should be allowed sufficient time.
The board did not vote on the policy at the Jan. 21 meeting; members asked for further review and suggested posting guidance on the town website even if the final policy retains some flexibility.
Next steps: board members to review the solicitor's draft and return with feedback at a future meeting; Perusse will consider how to present guidance on the website to encourage public participation.
