School Board Limits Public Comments

If you want to address the Brick school board, make it snappy.

A recent spate of meetings lasting past 1 a.m. prompted Board President Kim Terebush to institute a new public comment policy at the Dec. 16 meeting. Members of the public will now get five minutes each to have their say, and the entire public comment portion of the meeting will be limited to two, 30 minute sessions.

Those who speak will also be limited in what they can talk about. The first public comment period will be limited to topics on the board's consent agenda for the evening, and the second period will be limited to suggestions on what the board should discuss at its next meeting.

The plan was put to the test at the Dec. 16 meeting. As members of the public approached a podium set up for public comment, a giant clock appeared on a projection screen hanging from the ceiling of the Veterans Memorial Middle School all purpose room. When a person began speaking, the clock began counting down from five minutes.

Terebush said that when she first became board president, she took away the "egg timer" and increased the availability of public comment opportunities during meetings. Now, she said, the time allotted for public comment has to be limited due to a lack of respect from the public.

"I now feel as though my generosity has been taken advantage of," Terebush said.

A number of recent meetings have lasted until about 1:30 a.m., mainly because parents lined up to speak about the demise of middle school sports programs. The Nov. 18 meeting lasted into the early morning hours after the board spent several hours discussing a new health insurance plan for teachers, then moved on to general public comment where the sports issue was brought up again. Under the new meeting agenda format, consent agenda and personnel items are both taken as a group to streamline the meeting, and a special portion of the meeting before adjournment has been set aside for board members to discuss topics brought up by the public.

The move didn't sit well with everyone.

"I think you're penalizing the people who show up at every meeting by limiting how much they can talk," Vic Fanelli, a resident who said he attends meetings on a regular basis, told board members. "I think it's shutting down the line of communications, and I know you want to keep them open."

Board member Vicky Leone, however, said she agreed with the new policy.

"We have families, and I'm not home twice a week, and I'm here once a month until after midnight sometimes," Leone said. "I understand you put me here to get a job done, and I'm not feeling sorry for myself, but I know I have to be home at a decent hour. We have to find a common ground where we're all pleased with the new agenda."

John Talty, another board member, said he disagreed with the policy since it may discourage members of the public from speaking.

"I don't think we endear anyone to come up and speak, especially before the agenda items when many people have questions," Talty said.

Terebush said the policy may be adjusted in the future, but an impromptu poll of board members at the meeting conducted during the board discussion portion indicated most members supported the new policy.

Business Administrator James Edwards said members of the public who have detailed questions on financial records or district policy that can't be answered within the allotted time period can call his office or file an Open Public Records Act request with the district to examine documents.