St. Clairsville Council May Relax Rules on Public Comment
Robert A. DeFrank Trending
ST. CLAIRSVILLE -- The public soon may have more input at St. Clairsville City Council meetings.
Council is debating whether to give members of the public who ask to be placed on the agenda the opportunity to speak for three minutes each at the beginning of every council meeting without being required to provide a summary in advance. Members also may set aside 15 minutes at the end of every meeting for residents to make general comments for one minute each.
The current ordinance requires those who wish to speak at a council meeting to register by 4 p.m. by the Friday prior and submit a summary. The council president will then review the summary and decide whether to allow it, and an individual may not bring up the same topic more than once.
Councilwoman Beth Oprisch raised the issue recently and said she would be in favor of repealing restrictions on public participation altogether but wanted the entire council to weigh in. She hopes to have a proposed change to the existing ordinance for council to consider during its next meeting at 7 p.m. Nov. 6. Law Director Elizabeth Glick will draw up legislation.
Oprisch, who is not running for reelection and will not be a member of council after the end of the year, wants progress to be made on this issue as the year closes and her term expires.
She said some of the criteria are too onerous and said it should not be necessary to submit a written summary before being placed on the agenda to speak, adding that a statement should suffice.
Oprisch noted that council meetings are typically sparsely attended with orderly public comments, but several issues in recent years have been highly contentious, including debates about the future of St. Clairsville's water service, legislation controlling pit bull dogs and a proposed levy for the St. Clairsville-Richland City School District.
"This ordinance, I think it's too restrictive. I think people need to be heard," Oprisch said.
Councilwoman Kristi Lipscomb agreed that the policy should be updated but was not in favor of a total repeal.
"I think you need to have some sort of guidelines, but I absolutely am not in favor of people being limited," Lipscomb said. "It's wrong that people are limited, and I feel like people feel that they have lost their voice."
She had suggested a town hall meeting committee might be set up to help connect the public with the appropriate city services. Another option would be to reserve 15 minutes at the end of each council meeting for the public to speak.
Councilman Mike Smith said the optimal time for public comment would be during council meetings when the entire council is available.
Council President Jim Velas agreed changes are needed.
"I don't want the public to think if you do away with it completely that they can come up here and council can solve all their problems," he said. "There's only certain things council has authority over. If they're mad when they come in, they'll be a lot madder when they come out."
Councilwoman Linda Jordan recalled instances when numerous members of the public wanted to speak about the same issue. Velas suggested such instances could be handled on a case-by-case basis, with the suggestion that a group select a spokesperson.
Holly West, running unopposed for a council seat and present to observe the meeting, was asked her opinion.
"I think everybody has the right to come up and speak," she said, adding that the meetings are lightly attended. She suggested that council create an atmosphere more welcoming of public comment. "You don't see many people here, and you wonder if it's because it's not closed, but it's closed. They don't have a voice."
Mayor Kathryn Thalman suggested contacting other communities and asking how they conduct public comment.
Talk also turned to Velas' authority. Oprisch said civility must be maintained.
"If somebody gets out of line, if somebody is disrespectful to council, if somebody starts yelling, then that has got to be shut down," she said. "That, I think, is the job of council president. There needs to be a certain amount of decorum. Passions can run high."