By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics
The September meeting of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission will feature newly revised public‑comment rules — changes introduced by chair Jay Tutchton of Bent County, who announced them without first discussing the revisions publicly with the rest of the commission.
Tutchton set forth the new rules as follows:
- The general public comment agenda item will be set at 60 minutes.
- Virtual and in-person commenters will be called at random, replacing the previous first-come, first-served system of signing up and prioritizing in-person first opportunities.
- The Commission will hear commenters in a two-thirds split, allowing only a third of the speakers to come from the online platform.
- Priority, in terms of receiving additional time and being moved to the start of the public comment period, will no longer be afforded to elected officials.
It’s the last one, on public comment by elected officials, that’s already drawing angst.
Previously, elected officials, whether county commissioners, town or city officials or state lawmakers, were afforded five minutes each at the beginning of public comment periods at CPW commission meetings.
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