County OKs policy limiting public comments

The Ozaukee County Board last week approved a new policy that limits public comment at its meetings to issues over which it has authority.

Previously, county residents could any issue they wanted during the public comment portion of County Board meetings

The proposal, which arose after contentious discussions earlier this year over how the state sets political boundaries and racial tensions in America, passed 15-5, with six supervisors absent.

After some supervisors complained that neither issue was something over which the County Board had authority, county Corporation Counsel Rhonda Gordon suggested that public comment be restricted to items on the board’s agenda or over which supervisors have authority.

But the resolution approved by the County Board last week did not restrict discussion to items on the agenda.

Past policy did not restrict what speakers could talk about, only limiting speakers to three minutes and that a total time devoted to a topic not exceed 12 minutes, unless a two-thirds majority of the board voted to suspend the rules.

The new policy maintains the time constraints and also prohibits signs, applause, heckling “and other conduct that disrupts the meetings or is disrespectful.”

Public comment also is not permitted on personnel matters or issues that have been the subject of a public hearing.

Gordon said state law does not require the County Board to hear public comments and that the Wisconsin Counties Association “highly, highly recommends that rules be established if public comment is allowed.”

The new policy also requires speakers state what  they wish to speak on.

Doing so would be “useful to facilitate compliance with the parameters of any public comment policy,” she said, and allow the board chairman to call on specific speakers to represent the pros and cons of an issue.

Some supervisors saw the change as a move by more conservative members of the board to squelch free speech.

“Our constituents are entitled to be heard and their comments should not be limited,” Supr. Alice Read said. “We supervisors are elected to serve the public and that means listening to the public whether we agree with the speaker or not.”

Supr. Natalia Minkel-Dumit voted for the new policy, saying the rules have not been applied consistently.

“Hopefully, adoption of this rule will help alleviate that,” she said, pointing out that other counties have similar policies.

Her concern, she said, is that if comment at meetings is restricted, more should be done to improve the county website and the ability to watch meetings remotely.

“It’s important to provide clear communication to the public in how they can participate,” Minkel-Dumit said.

Gordon said that public comment would better be delivered by citizens reaching out directly to their supervisors, who then can ask that matters be put on committee agendas for discussion.

The new policy was recommended 5-0 by the board’s Executive Committee, which is made up of the chairmen of the board’s five standing committees and County Board Chairman Lee Schlenvogt.

Another aspect of the proposal was amended when Supr. Bruce Ross proposed that supervisors be allowed to participate in committee meetings of which they are not a member. 

The original proposal would have prevented non-committee supervisors from commenting during those meetings except during the public comment portion of the agenda and only on items on the agenda, unless called upon by the committee chairman.

“It’s important that supervisors be able to engage in a back and forth discussion at the committee level,” Read said. 

Ross’ amendment passed 19-4. 

Supervisors also voted 17-2 to send back to the Executive Committee a proposal that would restrict how issues are placed on the County Board’s agenda.

Gordon recommended that restrictions be imposed on how items are put on the board’s agenda.

Current practice is that any supervisor can ask that a topic be placed on “file,” which has been interpreted as meaning that it be put on the County Board agenda.

The new policy would require that a topic be assigned to a committee for review.

Gordon called it a “critical step in the policy review process. The main thrust is that things get vetted before they go before the County Board.”

If the committee does not act on the request within 60 days, the supervisor making the request could appeal to the County Board chairman.

Opponents to that proposal said it would concentrate too much power in the hands of the County Board chairman.

“My concern is more on the agenda policy because it controls what can be discussed,” Minkel-Dumit said. “I was glad that the motion passed to send it back” to committee.