Resident asks Montreat commissioners to clarify three-minute public-comment rule after campaign postcard claim

At the Feb. 12 public forum, Dr. Mary Standaert of 118 Shenandoah Terrace asked the Montreat Board of Commissioners for a clearer written rule about public-comment time limits after she kept a campaign postcard claiming the limit had been “lifted.”

Dr. Mary Standaert said the postcard, distributed by the Committee to Elect Jane Alexander and Kitty Fouche before the 2024 municipal elections, asserted that the board had removed the three-minute restriction. She told the council she had checked the town’s procedures and found Rule 6, Section B of the Montreat Board of Commissioners Rules of Procedure still specifies a three-minute limit.

Mayor Tim Helms acknowledged the rule remains on the books but said the council no longer enforces it with a strict timer. “We’ve chosen to leave it to the mayor’s discretion,” Mayor Tim Helms said, describing the practice as “a kinder and more friendly way of managing public comments” that typically involves politely asking speakers to wrap up rather than cutting them off at three minutes.

Dr. Standaert proposed that the written rule be revised to reflect that practice — for example, stating that public comments are generally limited to three minutes while explicitly allowing the mayor to extend time in particular cases. Mayor Pro Tem Kitty Fouche told the forum she had not replied to Dr. Standaert’s earlier email because she interpreted the question as rhetorical.

The council did not take formal action to amend the rules during the forum. The exchange ended with Dr. Standaert saying she appreciated the conversation and that clarifying language could improve transparency and public understanding.

The board carried procedural items on the agenda and adjourned the forum; no change to the rules was made at this meeting.