Less than a week after enacting two changes to the procedural guidelines that govern how business at council meetings is conducted, council members overturned their decision to stop videotaping the first public comment session during meetings after a handful of residents protested the move at the July 7 meeting.##M:[more]##
At the reorganization meeting a week before, most council members said they felt ending the practice of videotaping the first public comment session would encourage residents, who might not come to the podium out of fear their comments would be broadcast, to approach council with their concerns. Councilwoman Linda Geevers had opposed the idea, saying on the contrary, that residents who watch meetings at home may be encouraged to speak up after seeing their neighbors do so.
The changes also included moving the location of the council’s agenda meetings out of Room A and into Room C, a much smaller, conference-like room — to which Geevers was also opposed. The changes were part of council’s goals to move forward more efficiently with business this year.
Geevers said she was “adamantly opposed” to the elimination of videotaping the first opportunity for public comment because “for members of the public not able to attend, videotaping allows them to hear their fellow residents,” she said. “I don’t believe we should be cutting off the public’s right to listen to an entire meeting.”
During the reorganization meeting, Councilwoman Heidi Kleinman and Councilman Will Anklowitz said they had heard from a number of residents who have told them they would not come to the microphone and comment on issues because they knew they would be on television.
Anklowitz said during the reorganization meeting that he understood that other residents who watch at home might be more encouraged to then come to meetings to make comments, and asked if the council had the ability to start taping the first public comment mid-year if the change did not work out. Township Clerk Sharon Young said that the videotaping would be at the discretion of the council, and that procedural guidelines can change any time of the year.
“I don’t mind the guidelines as they are, but certainly keep in mind that if we have an important issue, maybe we should be exercising our discretion to have that public comment taped or broadcast, so that folks who can’t make it here will see we heard from the public on various issues,” Anklowitz said.
Geevers said she never heard anyone complain that they were being taped when making public comments, and didn’t see a need for the change. Morgan says that taping of the first public comment session occurred by accident two years ago when a new station manager wasn’t aware of the council’s usual practice. “We are going back to something that pre-existed,” Morgan said.
However, during the July 7 meeting, a number of residents spoke out against the move. Trenton resident Mike Ranallo, a West Windsor business owner who frequents council meetings, said he had spoken to Morgan through E-mail and had suggested that the council consider splitting the first public comment session into broadcast and non-broadcast segments, giving those who do not want to be on camera the opportunity to speak, while still maintaining most residents’ comments on camera. “I think it would benefit and would be a win-win for both parties,” he said.
Resident Andy Bromberg said he was not sure why “the public comments have to be suppressed.” He also spoke out against a procedural change in the way the mayor and business administrator have to approach the podium to speak to council, instead of remaining at the dais. Morgan would later clarify that the suggestion would only apply to discussions that require face-to-face contact, a practice already in place in which Business Administrator Chris Marion approaches the podium to review and explain the details of the ordinances and resolutions.
Resident Bob Akens said he was also opposed to not having the opening public comments broadcast, saying he believed that many people who tune in at 7 p.m. to see the meeting and do not see a broadcast because the untaped public comment session is still underway “are going to tune out for the whole meeting.”
He also said he felt the “public benefits by seeing and reflecting” on the opinions of their neighbors, and might be encouraged to come to the next meeting to voice their own concerns.
Resident Pete Weale said that a main theme among officials in West Windsor has been to encourage more public involvement. “Now we’re seeing further usurpation of the dialogue” through this council’s action, he said. He said he believed instead, council should be increasing communication, including through the cable channel and television.
He held up a statue of a rat and said, “I smell a rat!” before Morgan told him he had surpassed the three-minute time limit for public comments. Weale then said he would like to see council adhere to the three-minute limit.
“I think we’ve had our public comment and we had our trial period,” Anklowitz said. “We should go back to taping it.” He then made a motion to go back to videotaping the entire meeting. It was seconded by Councilman George Borek.
Council then unanimously approved going back to videotaping the first public comment session, with Kleinman absent.
The other procedural change that remains in place is moving the agenda sessions to Room C, which Geevers still opposes.
“That room is too small to accommodate the council, the mayor, the staff, the township attorney, the reporters, and most importantly, the members of the public,” she said during the reorganization meeting. She says everyone shouldn’t be “crammed together” in that room. “Room A is much more appropriate,” she said. “This is one of the reasons we moved in to this room two years ago.”
Further, she said sitting around the table in Room C, facing each other will mean that council members’ backs are to the public, and that there are no podiums or microphones for public comment or presentations in Room C. In addition, moving the location of the meetings could cause conflict with other community groups, including the Site Plan Review Advisory Board, which usually meets in Room C on Monday nights.
Other council members shared concerns during the reorganization meeting that a large public turnout would render the room too small, but said that the procedural guidelines were flexible enough to accommodate such an issue.
“There is something about the other room that allows for a little bit more of a face-to-face discussion, and it sets a different tone,” Kleinman said. “I am a little concerned that on certain evenings, we may get a lot of people. I just hope we have the flexibility here that we would look into this room (A) if we really have a turnout.”
Anklowitz said he agrees that a compromise could be reached. “It makes no sense to me that if we give this a try and we get into one or two or three meetings, and it’s just not working,” that the council continue to use Room C. He said the guidelines give the council the flexibility to issue notices for the agenda sessions to be brought back into Room A if that is the case.
Morgan says he has “felt the loss of the opportunity for an informal conversation on important potential issues,” which holding the meetings in Room C would enable the council to do. But, “the rules are made to be broken,” he said.
A third issue raised by Geevers drew support from the rest of council. She said she was opposed to the proposal to eliminate the first public comment all together from the agenda sessions. “The comments at the beginning of a meeting could be helpful to our deliberations,” she said. “We’re here to listen and to serve our taxpayers. There’s a certain convenience and courtesy in allowing the public to speak at both the beginning and the end of a public meeting, and I’m very uncomfortable with closing the doors to public comment at the agenda session.”
Kleinman suggested keeping the public comment at the beginning of the agenda sessions, but placing a time limit on it.
“We’re trying to get back to where we have a conversation about business that has yet to be fully formed,” Morgan said. “The purpose of the agenda session is to wrestle them down to some sort of formulation for real consideration.” Holding public comment until the end, he says, “gives everyone a chance to react to the conversation.” Ahead of time, it would be “ill-informed” because the conversation on the topic wouldn’t have even happened before the first public comment.
Still, Anklowitz said that “if you’re trying to get as many public comments as possible, then Ms. Geevers’ point is well-taken, and the changes that are here shouldn’t be implemented.” Ultimately, the council kept the first public comment session in effect for agenda session meetings.
In adopting the rules, the council also approved keeping tapes of council meetings up to 10 years, as opposed to four years, as suggested by Clerk Sharon Young. State law allows for tapes or CDs to be destroyed or stripped 80 days after the adoption of the minutes from those meetings. Young said she was running out of room in the township vault.
“To me, four years doesn’t seem that long for some of the larger issues that are discussed in town,’ said Kleinman.
Appointments. In addition to Charles Morgan’s unanimous selection as the council president, Heidi Kleinman was also unanimously voted as the vice president during the reorganization meeting.
Kleinman was also appointed as the class III Planning Board member and as the environmental commission liaison. Will Anklowitz was appointed as an Affordable Housing Committee member and the Cable TV Advisory Board liaison. Linda Geevers was appointed as the Emergency Management Council representative and the Parking Authority liaison. George Borek was appointed as the Zoning Board of Adjustment and School Board liaisons.
The council also reappointed John Roeder, Shawki Salem, and Alice Ng to the Zoning Board; and Pat Boyle and Thomas Crane to the Parking Authority.
Meeting Dates The council also established its meeting dates through June, 2009. Regular business meetings will be held on August 4 and 18; September 15 and 29; October 27; November 10; December 8 and 29; January 20; February 2; March 2 and 16; April 6 and 20; May 18; and June 18. Agenda sessions will be held on Monday, July 21, as well as on September 2, October 14, November 24, January 5, February 1
