If the Willmar City Council thought their discussion about being uncomfortable with social media was going end well, today has been an epic fail.
After we put together Willmar City Council doesn't like meeting tweeting, reporter tweets from meeting, a post about West Central Tribune education reporter Linda Vanderwerf's marvelously (and intentionally) ironic tweets, national media critic Jim Romenesko tweeted our post:
Willmar (MN) City Council considers banning phones to stop reporter from tweeting news during meetings. http://t.co/PeYU7O6W8f
— Romenesko (@romenesko) June 16, 2015
Vanderwerf reported on the incident in the Tribune article, Texting, tweeting during meetings frustrate council:
For a brief time Monday, members of the Willmar City Council appeared to be entertaining the possibility of banning the public’s cellphones from council meetings.
The council didn’t take action on the suggestion, but members did make it clear that they find the public’s habit of texting and tweeting during meetings to be annoying.
In fact, the word “annoying” came up several times in the discussion, along with “intimidation” and “humiliation.”
The issue came up during a training session Monday afternoon with representatives of the League of Minnesota Cities. At a special meeting, LMC staff attorney James Monge discussed conduct at meetings and provided a refresher on the Minnesota Open Meeting Law.
Council member Ron Christianson suggested that the mayor could tell everyone to shut off their phones and to stop texting during meetings. “It’s annoying,” he said. “It’s happened quite often in the last six months. … We’re trying to do city business; it’s annoying.”
Monge said there are First Amendment issues that could come into play. He and other League representatives suggested discussing the issue with the city attorney. . . .
Read the entire article at the West Central Tribune.
Christianson, who is subject to a recall drive, frequentlygives the First Amendment the stinkeye, if comments by friends who live in Willmar are to be believed. The Tribune editorial board wrote in a June 1, 2015 editorial, ‘No’ to Willmar City Council censorship:
“I remember the advice: ‘Don’t forget. The (City) Council can do anything … even if it is illegal,’ ”
— Council member Ron Christianson at the May 27 Labor Committee meeting.
Some Willmar City Council members believe they need to further limit the public’s right to speak at council and committee meetings.
We say ‘no’ to more city censorship.
Some public forum limits discussed at a May 27 city meeting were: limiting individual residents’ comments to only two times a year, restricting comment topics, not allowing nonresidents to speak, not allowing residents who are candidates to speak, limiting comments only to agenda items and not broadcasting public comments via public access television or audio.
Council member Ron Christianson said that the public forum is only for residents to bring up city issues. He wants to see more limits. Apparently he is not liking what he’s been hearing lately. . . .
We'll stay tuned as this unfolds.
Photo: Willmar City Council via West Central Tribune.
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