Swift opposition sends idea to committee
Opposition to an ordinance that would eliminate the public comment period at the end of Haines Borough Assembly meetings pushed the legislation into committee before it could even be discussed at the assembly level.
Though the ordinance proposed by assembly member Mike Case was initially scheduled for introduction Tuesday, comments from alarmed residents caused the item to be pulled from the agenda and sent to the Government Affairs and Services committee.
If passed, the ordinance would cut the public comment period scheduled at the end of meetings.
The committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday to discuss the ordinance.
Mayor Jan Hill endorsed Case’s proposal.
Assembly member Case said he proposed the ordinance for several reasons, including that the assembly’s business is largely finished at the end of the meeting and there is “no opportunity to ask that comments be discussed or acted upon.”
(In fact, assembly members are free to address the comments or make motions during the assembly comments period that comes directly after public comment).
“If the post-meeting comments were held either to another beginning of the meeting presentation or addressed to assembly members personally or by letter/email, there is a better opportunity for appropriate scheduling for consideration and/or deliberation,” Case wrote in an email.
Several residents sent emails to the assembly opposing the ordinance, saying the public comment period at the end offers multiple benefits. People who can’t attend the beginning of the meeting and come in later are still afforded a chance to publicly address their elected officials, and people can comment on actions or deliberations made by the assembly during the meeting, opponents pointed out.
Resident Thom Ely called the ordinance “not fair” and said the assembly should be encouraging public participation, not discouraging it.
“There appears to be a recent push from our government to limit public information and ignore public participation in the decision-making process. Public participation in government is one of the tenets of our democracy,” Ely said.
KHNS News Director Margaret Friedenauer also submitted comments opposing the ordinance prior to the meeting.
“Appearances matter and whatever the motivation for doing this, the appearance is that it chips away a little more from the Haines Borough public process. Take into consideration that in the last few years the assembly has also moved to action minutes, using a consent agenda, and already setting time limits on meetings to 9:30 p.m. (unless voted by the assembly to continue.) Each of these seemingly little moves may have been taken in the spirit of efficiency, but in reality and in public perception, they put additional restrictions on the public process,” Friedenauer said.
Friedenauer used the second public comment period at Tuesday’s meeting to state she was disappointed the ordinance was referred to committee and not scrapped altogether. “I just don’t see it as necessary,” she said.
Resident Mike Denker and former Mayor Stephanie Scott also opposed the ordinance.
The ordinance’s summary claims it is consistent with the borough’s Comprehensive Plan, an assertion Friedenauer and Denker challenged.