Politics & Government

Public Comment Should Be Restored to End of Point Beach Meetings, say Three Councilmen

But time may be limited to less than five minutes, says two councilmen

A public comment period should be restored to the end of Point Beach council meetings, said three councilmen on Friday.

Council President Tim Lurie said on Friday that although he made a motion on Tuesday night to not have any public comment at the end of meetings, he has since reconsidered and asked Municipal Clerk Maryann Ellsworth to put an item on the next agenda to amend the new policy.

"I asked Maryann to add an item onto the next agenda to add public comment after committee reports," Lurie said. "My own personal opinion is that residents would be allowed to discuss any topic during that time, but it's up to the entire council to discuss and decide that.

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"I think we should limit it to less than five minutes per person during the second public comment period," he added.

Councilman Sean Hennessy, who had voted to not have public comment at the end of meetings, and Councilman Michael Corbally,  who had voted against that change, said on Friday they would vote for an amendment to restore public comment at the end of meetings.

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Hennessy said on Friday afternoon, "I understand what Tim was trying to do. Our meetings do tend to go into the wee hours of the night and I agree with his philosophy.

"With that said," Hennessy added, "I think some of the residents brought up good points and I have no problem with putting a public comment period back at the end of meetings."

Hennessy said he would not mind residents discussing either committee reports or other topics at the last public comment period, but that he would favor limiting each person to two or three minutes.

A number of residents objected to the new policy, which also eliminates public comments during council consideration of resolutions.

Some of the objections also focused on how having public comments only at the beginning of meetings means the public can never comment on committee reports, which have been read at the end of meetings.

That topic prompted Councilwoman Kristine Tooker to say at Tuesday's meeting that she has been unable to read a committee report for the past six weeks because council members had been voting to end the meetings before the committee reports. She said many of her reports had become "outdated."

At the end of Tuesday's meetings, she read her reports quickly, then looked up at her fellow council members and said, "See, that wasn't so bad. Five minutes."

Tooker, who voted against Lurie's motion, and Councilman Jeff Dyer, who had voted for it, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Mayor Vincent Barrella did not get to vote because there was no tie. However, he said he opposed the new policy to not have public participation at the end of meetings and before votes on resolutions.

Corbally said he would favor allowing five minutes per person during the second public comment period, which is the same restriction for the first period.

"I don't think the meetings are long because of the public comments," Corbally said. "I think they're long because the council has no cohesiveness. We should have an idea of what we're doing before the meetings. When I was on council the first time, the meetings would end at 9 or 9:30."

Councilman Frank Rizzo had been absent on Tuesday night, his third consecutive absence, due to an ongoing health problem.

The policy supported on Tuesday night still allowed public comment before votes on ordinances. A public hearing on the second reading and adoption of ordinances is mandated by law.

 

 

 


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