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Town board debates tightening public-comment rules; clerk to circulate proposed language
Summary
Board members argued over whether to limit interruptions and revise public-comment language, with proposals including a 4-minute comment plus a 1-minute board response and a separate 'responses' line on the agenda; the clerk said she will circulate proposed wording.
Board members spent an extended portion of the work session discussing revisions to the town’s public-comment rules, including whether to require advance sign-up, keep or shorten the five-minute limit, and explicitly state that the board may respond after all speakers have finished.
One board member urged tightening rules to prevent misuse and described recent instances where the public-comment slot had been used as "a bully pulpit." As the member said, "5 minutes as a bully pulpit, which has been been done fairly recently to espouse something that is totally untrue."
Others argued for preserving some flexibility for on-the-spot clarifications and said the clock already governs question-and-answer exchanges. One board member said, "I just really don't mind having the interchanges with the residents," and cautioned against overly rigid rules that would silence back-and-forth needed to clarify issues.
Suggestions included adding a line on agendas that allows a brief board response at the conclusion of public comment, or explicitly splitting public comment into a 4-minute comment and a 1-minute board response when a response is requested. The clerk/meeting administrator said she would draft and circulate proposed language to the board.
