Non-Agenda Speakers Blackout

Image: Citizens Showing Disapproval of Council Policy holding Winnie-the-Pooh characters with mouths taped shut (photo at Pilotonline.com).

Just wanted to let you know, [last night’s] public work session (PWS) was ended (for the public) with a discussion about how the non-agenda speakers will not be aired at city council meetings from tonight on.

The mayor opened the discussion and read a draft of a statement to be made to the public at the council meeting about this, then he opened the floor for comments from other council members. Mr. Moody made a strong argument for continuing to air non-agenda speakers. Ms. Psimas stated that, although she had stated on many occasions her concerns about what was aired, she considered the needs of people who could not attend meetings to be important, too. She also said that the mayor had the gavel and could control speakers who were making personal attacks, etc., to a degree, but that other council members had to back him when he did so (which is undeniably true). She further recommended that the decision to stop airing the public’s comments should be delayed until after tonight’s meeting and the community meeting next week. Mr. Moody agreed that waiting until after the community meeting to make the decision was a good idea and asked for consensus. Unfortunately, other council members–Mr. Cherry, Mr. Edmonds, Mr. Meeks, and Ms. Randall–supported the black-out, so we would have been left in the dark this Tuesday and would be at the community meeting on January 15…
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