Other than the presentation to our great linemen who won two trophies at the recent lineman's rodeo in Lakeland, the meeting did not become interesting until the end under the City Manager's Report when he asked the commissioners whether they wanted him to follow through with their previous idea to change two minutes of public speaking to three minutes. His second point that he brought up was when members of the public ask a question and there is no place for a commissioner to respond. I will leave that for another time.
What your elected representatives said:
Mayor Pam Triolo
First suggested moving public participation to the end of the meeting and leaving it at two minutes. "It's our job to conduct business," said the Mayor. She later said she would leave it up to the rest of the dais to decide, that she was just throwing out ideas. The public should be your priority, Mayor.
The MOST WILD COMMENT OF THE NIGHT
And just when I was beginning to believe he ran to work for the people--
Hardy jumped on the mayor's statement and said, "Sometimes people come up at the beginning of the meeting and say things that are incendiary and they do this on purpose and it gets everyone a little bit off kilter and it sets a tone for a meeting that doesn't have a business atmosphere and so I think it is a good idea to rob these people of the opportunity to throw a monkey wrench and the harmonious working of the commission...I love the first amendment but I think three minutes is overkill. I think we could do well with two--what we have."
He said this knowing that every nearby city gives three minutes and even trying to compare us to PB County that has a trillion items on their Agenda.
Commissioner Herman Robinson
Presentations should be held to ten minutes. We need to allow free speech and we need to be responsible enough to not pontificate for too long.
The 2nd MOST WILD COMMENT OF THE NIGHT - Hardy has no clue--what a guy! Contempt for the people who elected him.
Commissioner Omari Hardy
He's now thinking for other commissioners and interpreted Commissioner Robinsons' comments, wrongly I might add, by stating that he thinks what Herman was saying is that "we would love not having people introduce negative feelings...move that to the end of the meeting and [by doing so], at the same time we are undermining the effect of their speech.
Commissioner Andy Amoroso
"Let's hear the people whether good or bad." Give three minutes and keep public speaking at beginning of the meeting.
Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell
We're all for free speech.
The BEST COMMENT OF THE NIGHT
She reminds the commission who they work for
Peggy Fisher, Resident
As a member of the public sitting here with duct tape on my mouth (the best comment of all), I don't appreciate it. This was said to begin with to come back as an agenda item...then it comes back tonight under the City Manager's report..Please have the courtesy to put this on an agenda item so that the public, who you work for, can express their thoughts.
It will be coming back as an agenda item.
6 comments:
Omari never said during the campaign that he was going to work for us. It was voting for better roads, more small businesses and voting for him.
8:24 isn't it sort of IMPLIED that these Commissioners JOB is to work for us???? And I never thought I'd say this ,but BRAVO to Peggy for her comments! Katie Mcgiveron
He thinks he's teaching middle school from the dais.
A tiresome act to add to the arrogant trio.
This was basically a disgrace. thanks peggy for speaking out.
Maxwell, Amoroso and Robinson had the right attitude. The mayor was ambivalent saying she would leave it up to the rest of the commission. So, basically the only one up there who showed disrespect for the residents was Hardy. And we're not trolls, commissioner.
the mayors only job is NOT just conduct business it is also to listen to ALL citizens no matter if they are negative or positive to her reasoning.people like to be at least heard.to them they are not always negative as one commissioner thinks.maybe we think he is negative too.
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