Folks who want to be on ANY meeting agenda now must file a form five days in advance of the meeting with an explanation of what they wish to discuss.
"Many times people come in and we kind of get blindsided," said Commissioner Jim Hollenbeck.
Ironically, it's the City Council that has developed the system for blindsiding its own citizens.
Not too long ago it was the procedure to present an ordinance at one meeting and vote on it at the following one. That gave citizens an understanding of what was coming and an opportunity to respond.
Now the procedure for City Council members is to avoid public discussion of proposed ordinances. The only advance notice is a single line on an agenda issued with the state-mandated two-day notice. Typically, there is no discussion and only minimal explanation offered before a vote.
If the council members provided more transparency there would be less "blindsiding" all around.
We urge the council members to think more about what is best for their citizens than for themselves.
This is what happened in Peru the last time I wished to make a public comment prior to a vote. Citizens need to be watchful of their government and sure hope they straighten out this mess that the Marseilles city government has created. I see that Peru now has had Public Comment on each agenda since the time I was not allowed to comment. Remain watchful.
8 comments:
Mayor Harl has always requested public comment and at times it is placed an the agenda twice. You speak to the Mayor and alderman on a regular basis at the meetings. To say that your rights as a Peru Citizen are being violated by not being able to speak at a City meeting is complete rubbish.
2:25 PM
The week that I wanted to make a public comment before a vote was taken that was scheduled for that evening. I was refused and told I needed to contact my alderman beforehand. Several weeks later when I mentioned this once again to the Mayor, his response was that he did not have to allow public comment.
It happened and many people were there to observe this. You may call it rubbish so I guess you were not at that meeting.
Lois is exactly right and she is not the only one who was denied public comment. Attend meetings and maybe you'd be more informed.
Anon 2:25 Complete Rubbish! You want a taste of rubbish take a bite of the Celebrity Waiters menu of favoritism. A organization asking for donations was allowed to speak at the start of a city council meeting, Lois was denied the same courtesy at the same meeting. Many times individuals have been at city council meetings including the Insurance Consultant and a realtor and they have been allowed to speak at the start of a meeting so they can excuse themselves when they want instead of speaking at the agendas public comment. Others asking to comment directly after have been denied.
One young lady, a very concerned citizen, was told her public comment was limited to three minutes, a restriction no one else has been enforced upon. Normally this persons does her research and she is the most knowledgable in the room on the subject she is discussing.
Anon 2:25 Lois is referring to speaking during the meeting at public comment when the entire body is in attendance not a private question and answer discussion after the meeting.
Yes her rights have been violated as others have at city council meetings by the Mayor and others and this has been observed and discussed by many. The decrease in attendance at council meetings is proof of this as it is the proof of quite a few other things taking place.. To ride one horse to the middle of the stream and than to change horses is a sure way of getting very wet or even drowned in the cold, truthful waters of April 2013.
The city council should have some sort of guideline or policy regarding the public comment portion of the meeting to ensure the equal and fair treatment of all citizens who wish to address the council. Most cities have such a policy in place, however those cities also have a tendency to conduct their meetings in a far more organized manner than our city council.
Business Sense: Public Comment is a issue which is the Mayors concern. A member of the city council could ask the Mayor as anyone else can to have a public comment but having a public comment and the guidelines for it are under the jurisdiction of the Mayor.
9:19AM My apologies, I did not realize that the policies governing public comment were under the pervue of the Office of the Mayor. Irrespective of that fact, there still should be a policy or guideline to ensure the equal and fair treatment of all parties who wish to address the City Council.
Common sense is that mayor Harl wants full control of who speaks at council meetings!! Something might be said by a taxpayer that would open up a can of worms if truth be known!! We as taxpayers pay our city officials therefore we should NEVER be denied to speak!!! Kinda like a attorney speaks for his client, because client may slip the truth!!! And it could bite their case in the butt in the end!! Three minutes to speak is a joke also!!!
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