Written by Last night’s council meeting was a long one, lasting about two and a half hours. One of the main issues before us was the proposed 3-minute limit to audience comment (down from five minutes.). This decision was reversed last night unanimously by the council, leaving the five minute audience comment that everyone has become accustomed to. The subject has been sent back to Committee of the Whole, as there are still language issues in the policy that some members would like to see better clarified.
There was also discussion about go-forward planning for the Cedar River Library renovation, and some other issues that brought out comment at last night’s meeting. Jenny Manning, Editor of Renton Patch, was in attendance and I’m sure in the coming days she will be posting more detailed stories about specific topics that arose.
If I could offer some reforms:
Speakers must stick to topics that are “local or municipal.” The crackpots with their crazy political theories will have to go elsewhere for their 5 minute of fame.
The council should adopt a policy of accepting ten minute citizen presentations at the council of the whole to balance out the city-staff presentations.
Oh great. So now you whiners can go a ramble on longer about crap nobody else cares about.
I agree with both of rentonben’s ideas, especially the one about appropriate subject matter. Speeches about a political party’s opinion of national or international economic theory is not appropriate in a City Council meeting—it is a waste time for the council and the attendees.
Third-ing the bit about political causes, especially those outside of the city. I can read about that somewhere else.
It’s much easier to untedsrand when you put it that way!