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After months of rambling debates, soapbox speeches and personal attacks, the council plans to enforce the rules of order.
By JENNIFER GOLDBLATT
© St. Petersburg Times, published December 12, 2001
NEW PORT RICHEY -- For nearly a year, New Port Richey City Council meetings have been marked by sharp criticisms, personal attacks, people stomping out of the chambers in frustration, and long diatribes about things that were -- and were not -- scheduled for discussion.
And that's just among the council members.
But the residents who regularly appear at meetings also have given the council plenty of the same treatment.
Monday evening, both parties drew a line in the sand.
"From this day forward, the abuse is going to stop," said Mayor Wendy Brenner. "It's not right. It's not going to happen from the dais and from the audience."
At the meeting, council members only slightly revised the rules for public comment during consideration of city business and during "vox pop," the time at the beginning of the meeting where the public is allowed to comment about items that are not on the agenda. Rather, council members focused on the existing rules that they wanted regularly enforced.
The council asked city staff to purchase a new timer to help enforce the three-minute time limit and to ensure that the agenda is made available to the public well before the meeting. Council members also asked that the rules for public comments be posted outside of the council chambers.
One of the few changes: Citizens no longer will be able to read aloud written comments from other citizens who couldn't attend the meeting. But those written comments can be submitted to the city clerk to be entered into the record.
Brenner asked that an item be added to the city code dictating that speakers shall address the City Council as a whole, not individual members or city employees. Both council members and speakers should refrain from rude and derogatory remarks, abusive comments, and statements about council members' motives and personalities.
The tweaking of the rules for conduct of City Council meetings came after a recent swell in animosity among council members and the residents. At a meeting last month, Tom Finn demanded fellow council member Ginny Miller's resignation or apology after she accused him of sexual harassment. At a meeting last week, Finn asked, after lengthy public comment, why it was that "the people with the biggest mouths pay the least in taxes."
Many residents showed up Monday night, fearing that their time for public comment at meetings was going to be taken away.
And those residents also wanted to make sure that the council members not violate the rules of conduct they set up for citizens.
"Limiting the time that the people are allowed to speak at vox pop could be a help," said resident Don Kirby, as long as it's enforced on both sides of the dais. "Sometimes we have long-winded speeches, if you will, from members of council that we enjoy about as much as some of you enjoy vox pop -- not at all."
Resident John DiGiorgio also was concerned.
"If we can't meddle into the city, then what are we supposed to do?" he asked.
"Can the City Council also enforce the rules on themselves that certain City Council members can't use their seats as a soapbox, and speak about things that have absolutely nothing to do with city business going on and on and on about something that's not even being talked about, get into personal conflicts with other people?" he said. "If we as the citizens have to live by the rules, I think our elected officials should have to live by the same rules."
-- Jennifer Goldblatt covers business in Pasco County. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6229 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6229. Her e-mail address is goldblatt@sptimes.com.