Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Participation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mayor Kalaj says board will suspend public comment during regular meetings after repeated disruptions
Summary
Citing repeated disruptions at meetings, Mayor George Kalaj announced the board will suspend public comment during regular board meetings until further notice; public hearings for specific items (budget, local laws) were still held at the Nov. 4 meeting.
Mayor George Kalaj told the board and public on Nov. 4 that the board will suspend public comment during regular board meetings "until further notice," citing repeated disruptions during government business that have made meetings "hectic." The remarks followed two public hearings held earlier in the evening.
The suspension applies to the regular meeting public-comment period; the board continued to hold public hearings on specific agenda items (the tax-levy-override local law and the 2025 tentative budget) at the start of the meeting. Publius, a written commenter, later filed a statement in the record alleging that a planning-board rule implemented Sept. 19 requiring sign-in for speakers and an earlier call by staff to remove public comment chilled political speech and raised First Amendment concerns.
The transcript records the mayor’s announcement but does not show board discussion adopting a permanent policy change or specify procedures for handling future public comments beyond the suspension announcement.
