PTC Council OK’s comment session

Thu, 04/27/2006 - 3:19pm
By: John Munford

Speakers will be limited to 2 minutes each

The Peachtree City Council has ceded up to 20 minutes of its future meetings for comments from citizens about any item not on the agenda.

Granted, each person only gets two minutes to speak. That’s two minutes more than allowed by the previous ordinance, which left such speech entirely up to the council’s discretion.

There’s another catch. Speakers will have to register with city staff starting at 6:30 p.m. until the meeting begins at 7 p.m. And council will not be required to respond to any public statements that are made, according to the approved guidelines.

The plan is to strictly adhere to the 20-minute overall time limit, and the two-minute slots will be handed out first-come, first-serve, city officials said.

The public comment period will be on the beginning of the agenda starting with the next council meeting Thursday, May 4, said City Administrative Director Jane Miller.

The idea was bandied about at the City Council’s March retreat as a way to let the public get issues off its chest, perhaps bringing something to council’s attention that might be of importance.

Council did not change the current three-minute allowance to citizens wishing to speak on any topic on the agenda.

The new ordinance, however, eliminates the former requirement that three minutes of time be granted to anyone who is disparaged at the council meeting by any city employee, appointed official or city contractor. That part of the ordinance hasn’t been used, so staff recommended it be axed from the ordinance.

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mudcat's picture
Submitted by mudcat on Thu, 04/27/2006 - 6:47pm.

Like 2 minutes is enough to talk about everything that is like, on my mind? Like, I can get my head like straight in two freaking minutes. I mean, I'm like, confused and I like have to like say things, but the pressure of time is like, so unfair, like I just want to crawl under like a rock or something.

And having to sign up like early? I have issues like girls to soccer and painting their room. I mean 6:30 is like so inconveinent, Can I like e-mail what I want to say in? Like maybe at midnight?

Signed, like Steve Brown, like thinks - allegedly.

meow

Yea, I know, it sounds more like hamster, and he and others are here drinking and did in fact inspire this, but no way he's getting his paws on my keyboard.


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