Board Message to Our Community: Public Comment at Meetings

Board meetings have 20 minutes scheduled for public comment (3 minutes per individual and 5 minutes per group). The 20 minute timeline is what most municipalities and other public governance bodies normally allocate on their agendas.  In the meeting announcement before public comment, the Reynolds board clearly encourages the community to submit written testimony in addition to oral comment.  The board receives emails on a regular basis and our individual contact information is posted on the website to ensure everyone can communicate with us.  Agendas are planned with tight timelines to ensure we get our business accomplished with a projected conclusion time of 10pm.  However, we remain flexible when a topic for deliberation or a presentation takes longer. 
 
·      On 01.11.12 we received 11 requests for public comment for a total of 33 minutes. 
·      Since several speakers signed up for the same topic we asked them to designate a spokesperson.
·      The reason we ask speakers to convene in the hall to choose a spokesperson is purely one of courtesy to other meeting attendees. 
·      At the microphone, the spokesperson specifically requested to share responsibilities with several individuals. 
·      The board was happy to comply. 
·      It appears however, our intentions to comply have not been interpreted as helpful and accommodating.
·      Instead it has come to our attention it is being misinterpreted as inefficient and limiting.

A historical perspective is helpful here.  A couple of years ago the board received 159 public comments at one meeting which lasted until well after midnight on a work evening.  The board regularly receives input that students and parents wished to be given priority to speak first (citing many reasons including homework, extra curricular activity, etc.).  As a public governance body and in our endeavor to accommodate this, the board uses color coded forms to organize speakers and to sort them in the following order- students first, parents second, and all others in the order in which they signed up.  Then they are grouped by topic.

·      It appears that system is not working since so many staff lives in our community.
·      Another challenge has been lack of clarity on the forms regarding the topic of the speaker.

Public meeting law is a public attendance law not a public participation law.  It does not guarantee the right to participate by public testimony or comment.  It expressly defines that a governing body may conduct meetings without public comment and conversely, that governing bodies may voluntarily allow it.  The business meeting is just that.  A public meeting at which the governing body must conduct its business.  It is not a public hearing.
 
This board (as with past boards) has clearly defined that we very much appreciate and expect to hear from the public.  We have shown zero interest in the possibility of removing the comment portion of business meetings.   Additionally, we have not restricted comment (as is our right) to agenda or non agenda items. 

·      Therefore, to ensure fairness and to treat everyone the same, the board will return to our old method of using a log in sheet for public comment. 
·      If students, parents or others complain, we will explain the reasons. 
·      If it needs to be changed again, we will be flexible and do so. 
·      Public comment will maintain the same maximum amount of 3 minutes per person, 5 minutes for spokesperson which exponentially will accommodate 7 speakers (21 minutes). 
·      Anyone else leftover in the que will be encouraged to submit written testimony.   

We genuinely hope this relieves any further confusion and will smooth the comment portion of our meetings. 

Theresa Delaney Davis, Chair
on behalf of the entire Reynolds School Board