Those who are following the self-induced melodrama suffered by the North Mankato City Council over citizen comments at meetings should check out Trey Mewes' North Mankato comment forum debuts with criticism of format.
Citizens can now show up to speak for the 15 minutes after the meeting, but their comments won't be televised, as is the custom in the Nicollet County city.
Mewes reports in the Mankato Free Press:
The North Mankato City Council heard an earful on about its public comment policy at an open forum after the council's public meeting Tuesday night.
Several residents used the council's first open forum to urge council members to drop the stringent public comment rules they passed last summer.. . .
Critics say the public comment period suppresses fair criticism of the city and harms the public's ability to hold its elected officials accountable.
"What is it about several citizens that so annoys or terrifies you that you cannot tolerate them for three minutes at a council meeting?" Tom Hagen asked council members Tuesday.
Some residents objected to the council describing its critics as bullies over some issues they've brought forward. Former Council member Kim Spears said residents who repeatedly brought issues before the council had positively changed city policy in the past, while others said the council mischaracterized critics as bullies.
"It's important to remember that facing negative feedback is different from being bullied," Stefanie Jaquette said.
Dehen and city staff decided on the open forum concept as a compromise. The council will stay for at least 15 minutes after its public meetings to hear resident concerns and potentially respond to issues. While the forum has some rules, it's run a little more loosely than regular council meetings.
Yet the open forums aren't televised the way regular council meetings are, which some speakers felt was just as bad as restricting public comment.
Dehen said after the forum City Attorney Michael Kennedy recommended the forums not be televised, though the mayor said forum minutes will be included as part of meeting agendas in the future. . . .
Read the rest at the Mankato Free Press.
Our earlier coverage of this issue includes:
Free speech & Greater MN cities: the rewards for speaking out in North Mankato and Little Falls
Snowflake alert: North Mankato city council member walks out after citizen gets sassy
N. Mankato Snowflake alert, pt 2: Angst over personnel conflict prompted councilman's flight
A tale of a few cities: St. Cloud & No. Mankato councils take different paths on public comments
A related story about citizens not being heard at a county board meeting: Meeker County commissioners repent freak out about family's plan to donate 153 acres to DNR.
Photo: Tom Hagen's silent protest at a North Mankato city Council meeting. Photo by Trey Mewes at the
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