City Council Doesn’t Want To Hear Your Thoughts
From the June 8 PennLive:
Harrisburg City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to eliminate the public comment at the end of its meetings and allow people only to speak on city business at the beginning. Comments would be limited to three minutes and must be focused on agenda items before council that evening.
Does Harrisburg City Council not want to hear from it’s constituency about issues not related to matters on the agenda? Apparently so. This move makes the statement that We do not care to hear what you simpletons have to say and we’re going to ignore you publicly.
Sure, citizens are able to speak – for no more than three minutes- at the BEGINNING of each council session only on items that are on the agenda for that particular meeting.
But here’s the rub: oftentimes, the City Council Website isn’t updated in a timely fashion and the documents regarding the agenda of the meeting aren’t provided until AFTER the meeting.
So, essentially, Harrisburg City Council has told the citizens of Harrisburg that it doesn’t particularly care to hear their thoughts. And they have taken the time to create an ordinance against it.
Furthermore, because this new “rule” is already in place and will not likely be on the agenda again, citizens may NOT address council in the public comment portion of the meetings about this.
Now, I completely understand that there are a motley crew of characters that regularly attend meetings and bludgeon our council with drivel and redundant nonsense following each meeting and often need to be reminded of the three minute time limit- but for every one lunatic that addresses council, there are dozens more with valid, pertinent and meaningful comments to add to the dialogue about what’s hurting (or helping) this ailing city.
But isn’t the public comment portion of a city council meeting considered “due process”? Do we not have the RIGHT to publicly address our ELECTED officials?
City Council must remember that they sought office so that they may SERVE their citizenry. Seems more and more these days that our elected officials forget what the root of their position is: to SERVE the community. And how are they going to SERVE the community without knowing what’s on their community’s collective minds?
If I were sitting on that council, you bet your bottom dollar that you would have heard a pretty loud “NAY” from me on this one…