Public Comment Period During Select Board Meetings
The most recent town Select Board meeting could almost be considered unremarkable in its “normalness”. Business was conducted effectively. There was enough community participation that decisions were not made in a vacuum. Proceedings ran almost flawlessly. Other than the unavoidable technical glitches that can make viewing from home frustrating, there was not much that held my undivided attention. As I watched, I cooked dinner, tried to take notes and occasionally glanced at the agenda to get reoriented.
Yet, one moment stood out as significant. Not because of the topic, but because of the insight it provided to understanding the quality of the meeting.
Paul Hodgetts’s challenge of the 3-minute per individual restriction for public comment during select board meetings, on the surface, seemed a nuisance protest, but it may have been the most interesting point of the evening. In our increasingly contentious society, how do communities effectively debate issues? In recent days, our town has seen what happens when sides believe their points are not being heard or respected. Reactionary policies are ineffective and vulnerable to shifts in power.
Hodgett’s protest started a discussion that culminated in a proposal to change the Select Board meeting procedure. Members of the board were noticeably frustrated with the tediousness of the issue. There was the assertion that common decency would guide future board member behavior. But intentions and actions do not always align. Hence the need for meeting rules and rigid procedures. But what model is the most effective? The current format gives citizens time at the front of the meeting to address the board. This is equivalent to Prime Time – a larger percentage of the community will be tuned in. Both audience and board have energy, and there is potential for some really substantial engagement at this point.
However, this format can negatively impact the quality of scheduled business. If public comments are lengthy or the issues presented controversial, later agenda work could be diminished because of fatigue or a shift in attitudes or focus.
During Tuesday’s meeting, a motion was made to move public comment to follow main business agenda items and allow residents 5 minutes to address the board. The 3-minute restriction could be reinstated, if necessary, for meetings with high attendance to allow for maximum community participation in a timely manner. As was evident in this meeting, not enforcing a strict time limit allowed for back-and-forth discussion that led to truly effective solutions.
The answer to the question on the floor – when the most appropriate time during a meeting is to allow open public comment, is a matter of opinion and are related to what one thinks is the priority – 1. Increasing public participation and discovering unaddressed issues or 2. Current business. Changing the agenda order will certainly have an impact. How that would affect future community issues is unclear.
The Select Board moved discussion of the topic of public comment period to an agenda item for next meeting. Community members with questions or opinions on this issue should contact the board and are encouraged to join the meeting scheduled for June 1.
Recordings of meetings are posted to https://www.townhallstreams.com for residents who were not able to attend and did not watch live proceedings.