By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice
GREELEY – A collection of residents in Weld County argued, during a town hall meeting here Wednesday, they should have an opportunity to express opinions and engage with officials they elected.
Recently, though, Commissioner Kevin Ross and a majority of other commissioners removed public input from the Board of County Commissioner meeting agendas. It meant residents could still address the board on agenda items, but not on topics not included on the agenda.
“There is no where in state or county law where it says we have to have it,” Ross said.
That is true, said Jeff Roberts, executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition. Open meetings law does not cover the subject of whether or not a board or commission must allow public comment, in most cases they just happen to, he said.
“Each organization makes their rules,” Roberts said, pointing to a Guide to Colorado’s Open Records and Open Meetings Laws.
So, when one member of the audience at the town hall indicated Ross and three other members of the commission voting to suspend public comment were being “tyrannical”, it is practice and not law which provides for the public comment portion of a meeting.
“We still value your comments,” Ross said, indicating the proper manner in which to have discussion with commissioners and provide comments is a town hall. There have been many of those in recent time, he said.
Commissioner Lori Saine, who was the lone vote in opposition to the suspension of public input, compared the action to “restricting all aspirin” just because one person abused the aspirin.
“It is the chair’s job to moderate the comments,” Saine said. “There was no one out of line that day. This building you are in is built with your tax dollars. This is your hall, it is your microphone.”
Ross countered: “It wasn’t just last week.” Ross is the chair of meetings.
Commissioner Mike Freeman indicated his support for the decision to withdraw public comment from meetings.
“It is disruptive to the business of the county,” he said. “These public comments don’t need to be in our board meetings.”
It is just that most cities, counties and school boards from the Western Slope, along the Front Range and throughout the Eastern Plains all allow for a period of public comment to address officials, with most including a selected time limit and a restriction on the board members not to engage in discussion or take action.
In neighboring Morgan County, “citizens are invited to speak to the commissioners on agenda or non-agenda items. There is a three-minute time limit per person, unless otherwise noted by the chairman,” the March 19 board agenda reads. In Fort Morgan, any number of speakers may address City Council during public comment, but each speaker is limited to three minutes, similar to the county’s policy. The City of Greeley does allow for public input, but a review of the item on the March 19 City Council agenda indicates it restricts the period to 15 minutes when “anyone may address the Council on any item of city business for Council consideration that is not already listed as a public hearing on this evening’s agenda.”
Other comment from several audience members criticized members of the board for utilizing the job of county commissioner as a stepping stone to other ambitions – such as state or federal lawmakers. More than one person in the audience encouraged the community to remember actions of the commissioners “when it is election time”.