New Lebanon residents and council clash over proposed pre-meeting protocols

The Village of New Lebanon heard sharp public criticism Tuesday over proposed pre-meeting and meeting protocols that residents and some council members say could limit public participation and the ability of council members to ask department heads questions.

Law director said in a council presentation that the protocols he circulated are intended to ensure safety and consistent operations and largely restate authorities already in place, including the Ohio Constitution, the Ohio Revised Code, the village charter and Robert's Rules of Order. He told council the operational steps (designated entrances, building access controls and protections for staff) are administrative procedures and may not require formal council adoption.

The concerns were voiced both in written statements read for absent council members and in live public comment. Rachel Kaiser read a statement attributed to Council member Nicole Atkins that said Vice Mayor Cooper’s comments after a previous meeting and a claimed restriction on council questions reduced transparency and the council’s ability to gather information to represent residents. Kaiser said, “Preventing council members from asking questions limits our availability to perform our elective duties and reduces the transparency that our residents deserve.”

Tammy Joy, speaking at the podium, said an earlier meeting on Feb. 20 was a ‘‘turning point’’ for the village and urged the council to explain actions taken then. “What happened to that oath?” she asked, urging officials to defend decisions in public rather than curtailing speech.

Law director responded to free‑speech concerns by noting legal limits on meetings focus on time, manner and place rather than content. “Restrictions on speech limited to time, manner, and scope — not content — is absolutely permissible,” he said, and offered to circulate a memo detailing those legal principles for council review.

Several public commenters and at least one council member asked that the proposed protocols be tabled and vetted at a work session with citizen input before any adoption. Municipal staff and the law director said they endorse public input and suggested council consider the protocols’ implementation details — not all of which, they said, require legislative approval.

The council did not adopt the protocols at Tuesday’s meeting. The law director encouraged additional discussion and promised a written memo; council members suggested a future work session to allow fuller review and citizen comment.

Next steps: council members may ask for a formal work session or place the protocols on a future agenda for amendment or adoption.