Submitted by David Wold, Greenwich. This was also submitted to the all 230-member RTM email address
Dear RTM members,
I like to share some reflections over how Board of Selectmen meetings have changed over the past year, and how I understand it differs from ‘public participation’ at RTM meetings, and hopefully it can be reversed to civility and respect and include all citizens in Greenwich.
RTM is a fair representation of all districts and political views represented in Greenwich and with elections coming up, your members will be heard on issues of how things are done in Town of Greenwich.
RTM seems to have found a good balance in getting things done and open to others to be heard, and not only based on Robert’s Rules but an expanded wish to have all citizens included in the process.
They might be different, but keep in mind all Board of Select open meeting agendas come with following disclosure, when you read below:
“The Town complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding non-discrimination, equal opportunity.”
In the past years Board of Selectmen in case of 1st and 2nd read (with minimum 2 weeks intervals) allowed for public comments, if time allowed for it, prior to the 3 elected vote, and out of respect and civility gave all residents equal opportunity to speak or submit comments.
Comments could be submitted via First Selectman’s office day prior to the meeting, but was expected to be treated as comments to the issues on the agenda.
A sign up sheet was introduced last year, for public comments, so all who wish to comment and present in person or via Zoom, should sign up prior to the meeting. The sign up sheet and Zoom participation is unknown to the public so a fair order as to who can speak, is in the hands of the Chair and his assistant.
Attending Board of Select meeting on July 24th, I found several changes had been introduced that I feel no longer gives the public equal opportunity to express their view to policy changes:
#1 issue: wording from 1st read get changed, and changes not indicated, from what was introduced at 1st read.
Despite having signed up to give comments, not all public comments was allowed at the meeting. Comments submitted day before, was not presented at all. Understand this has been the practice, for a while between 1st read and the allowed 2 weeks for public comments before a vote.
#2 issue: among the first 3 to sign up at the July 24th meeting, to offer public comments to the specific issues on the agenda, one member of the public was intentionally silenced, unacknowledged and by that disrespected publicly – as noted by several attendees.
#3 issue: So no reference to publicly submitted comments as encouraged at First Selectman’s Website policy, but a “walk in” who had not sign up, prior to the meeting, was respectfully acknowledge and allowed time to speak on the agenda issues and others matters.
Last is important, as public comment given as per town hall policy should be reflected in the minutes. It should not be selective – to many times we have heard ‘we have only heard positive comments after 1st read,’ etc, when one knows negative comments have been submitted. It makes submitting such statements for the record, in many cases ‘moot’.
Finding now after attending (have not attended for a while) that ‘selective’ members of the public are allowed to give comments ‘on the spot’, while others who have signed up are not recognized (likely due to the Chair aware of their view) clearly gives a unbalanced recording of the meetings and in this case issues of Town policy changes.
Hopefully these Board of Selectmen meetings can once again return to equal being an opportunity for residents to be heard and share comments.
Regards
David C. Wold