Council policy committee recommends procedure for public comments, board member removal

At its meeting Wednesday, the City Council Policy Committee agreed upon recommendations for Fayetteville’s governing body, addressing recent debates over procedure for public comments at council meetings and removal of volunteer board members. 

Public comments

• What happened: The committee made a recommendation to allow for speakers who had signed up for — but didn’t have a chance to speak during the once-a-month public comment period at city council meetings — to be placed at the beginning of the agenda for the following month’s public comment period. The proposed change comes after Mayor Mitch Colvin made a decision during the city council meeting on Oct. 9 to allow speakers who were signed up for public comment but did not get to speak at that meeting to be able to speak at the next regular council meeting, on Oct. 23. City staff also said Wednesday that they plan to make a more “concerted effort” to reach out to residents who sign up to make public comments. 
• Why it matters: Colvin’s decision caused some confusion among council members, sparking a discussion at the Oct. 23 meeting about the rules regarding public comments, which have historically only been allowed at one meeting per month. The change, if taken up, may provide a follow-up opportunity for public speakers who feel passionate about addressing the council with concerns.
• What’s next: Committee members will present this recommendation at the city council work session at 5 p.m. Monday. The council will then decide on whether to move forward with the recommendation. 

Procedure for board-member removal

• What happened: The committee made a recommendation to add a misconduct clause to the council procedure regarding removal of volunteer board members. The additional language, if accepted by city council, would make it so that the council’s Appointment Committee would hold a special meeting to discuss any complaints against board members accused of misconduct. If the meeting yielded a recommendation for removal of said board members, the city council would be tasked with making a final decision on whether to remove the members. 
• Why it matters: At a city council meeting on Sept. 11, council members discussed whether to remove three members of the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Parks and Recreation Board who were accused of misconduct, including rude behavior toward city staff at board meetings. Acknowledging that the city did not have a procedure in place to deal with board member-removals stemming from misconduct complaints, the council voted unanimously for the Policy Committee to review procedures for removal. 
• What’s next: Committee members will present this recommendation at the city council work session at 5 p.m. Monday. The council will then decide on whether to move forward with the recommendation. The Appointment Committee may vote on the three board members’ removal with clarified procedure in place. 

The Policy Committee will hold its next meeting at 1 p.m. on Dec. 13. The meeting will be held at City Hall in the St. Avold Conference Room, 433 Hay St. 

Contact Evey Weisblat at eweisblat@cityviewnc.com or 216-527-3608. 

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