2 Comments

  1. Joe on March 27, 2018 at 1:16 pm

    Ann;

    Thanks for these guidelines. They’re equally helpful on both sides of the dais. I’m certainly going to start calling out boardmembers who are, “Demonstrating lack of interest in what the public is saying.”

    We already talked about minutes. So moving upward and onward, as to, “The council has the right to set limits on what subjects may be addressed, how long public comment will be, and how many times people may speak. All such limits must be viewpoint neutral: they must not favor one point of view over another.”

    I wish you said something more specific like what some are doing about restricting to agenda topics. That’s something I support – restricting public comment to what’s on the agenda saves time & money – and shows respect to the taxpaying citizens who made a sacrifice in time and money to attend to give quality public input.

    I’d also love to see transit boardmembers have some, “other channels to connect with your public” that are truly meaningful like a coffee or a Town Hall. A webform or “e-mail the Board” isn’t sufficient methinks.

    But otherwise, thank you again. Clearly you put a lot of time and effort into this. You’re a timeless resource.

    Joe



    • Ann Macfarlane on March 27, 2018 at 6:59 pm

      Joe, I’m happy to know that you find these guidelines helpful. Yes, we’ve invested quite a bit of time and thought in this project, as there isn’t anything else out there on this topic, as far as I can see.

      I agree completely about limiting comment to agenda topics! We’ll keep that in mind for the second edition!

      With gratitude for your passion and thoughtful response – Ann