[Comment_to_the_council] "...no absolute right to orally address the Council..." ?

[Colin Swales]

Mayor and Council,
Thank you for taking the time to hear my public forum testimony
tonight concerning the changed wording that acts as a preamble to all
your regular meeting agendas, and also for scheduling this matter for
a future discussion.

Previous wording:

     "Important: Any citizen attending council meetings may speak on
any item on the agenda, unless it is the subject of a public hearing
which has been closed. The Public Forum is the time to speak on any
subject not on the printed agenda. If you wish to speak, please fill
out the Speaker Request form located near the entrance to the Council
Chambers. The chair will recognize you and inform you as to the amount
of time allotted to you. The time granted will be dependent to some
extent on the nature of the item under discussion, the number of
people who wish to be heard, and the length of the agenda."

Yet sometime around last July 2008 the wording was changed and it now reads:

     "Important: Any citizen may orally address the Council on
non-agenda items during the Public Forum. Any citizen may submit
written comments to the Council on any item on the Agenda, unless it
is the subject of a public hearing and the record is closed. Except
for public hearings, there is no absolute right to orally address the
Council on an agenda item. Time permitting, the Presiding Officer may
allow oral testimony; however, public meetings law guarantees only
public attendance, not public participation. If you wish to speak,
please fill out the Speaker Request form located near the entrance to
the Council Chambers. The chair will recognize you and inform you as
to the amount of time allotted to you, if any. The time granted will
be dependent to some extent on the nature of the item under
discussion, the number of people who wish to be heard, and the length
of the agenda."

Now compare the latter statement with the somewhat more inviting and
citizen-friendly wording used on Planning Commission agendas:

     "Note: Anyone wishing to speak at any Planning Commission meeting
is encouraged to do so. If you wish to speak, please rise and, after
you have been recognized by the Chair, give your name and complete
address for the record. You will then be allowed to speak. Please note
that the public testimony may be limited by the Chair and normally is
not allowed after the Public Hearing is closed."


While Council's new wording may reflect the absolute minimum citizen
involvement required under Oregon Public Meetings law I have looked
and I can find nothing in the revised (2007?) Council Rules that would
necessitate such a change, and can only guess at the possible reasons
for making it.
I feel that these changes go against the long tradition of open,
transparent, participatory democracy that Ashlanders have come to
expect of their Council and which has always been enshrined in
Council's Goals, Ashland Comprehensive Plan, and Citizen Participation
Plan.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

Colin Swales