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Residents urge more public work sessions; council weighs changes to public speaking time
Summary
A resident told the council public work sessions held at lunchtime reduce participation and urged greater transparency and outreach; councilors debated scheduling, staff burden and a proposed reduction in public speaking time to three minutes, with at least one councilor opposing the cut.
A member of the public, Jackie Nicks of Running Brook, told the council that holding work sessions during lunch hours limits public participation and urged more visible outreach and use of public screens for event and meeting notices. "By not having public work sessions and doing them during lunchtime when people can't participate, we need more participation, not less participation," Nicks said.
The council discussed whether a regular work session schedule would improve visibility for residents, how frequently department heads should be required to attend, and how to mitigate staff overtime or scheduling conflicts with county meetings. Some councilors said they favor public work sessions and using livestream/video so constituents who cannot attend can watch; others expressed concern about added staff burden. One councilor opposed reducing public-speaker time from five minutes to three, arguing the longer allowance helps constituents gather their thoughts before speaking.
The council did not take a final vote to change speaking rules at this meeting; several councilors asked staff to consider definitions and the logistics of scheduling and livestreaming so that public accessibility is preserved while limiting staff impact.
