In order to be compliant with House Bill 64, signed by Governor Matt Meyer on September 5, Milford School District Board of Education reviewed changes to their policy 8503 – Public and Employee Participation at Board of Education Meetings. The state law requires all school boards provide a method for the public to remotely attend and provide public comment at meetings.
“We are changing this policy to accommodate those changes in the law,” Superintendent Travis Moorman said. “Specifically, what we will do from this point forward is to offer a link on our agenda for anyone who is participating through the public broadcast. If they are interested in making a comment, they would use the link to fill out an online form no later than 24 hours prior to the date of the meeting. Members that join the meeting in person will have the same rights and entitlements as they always have to make public comment upon being present and signing up before the meeting.”
School board president Scott Fitzgerald asked if there was anything in the law that determined priority between online and in person meeting attendees and Moorman stated there was not.
“Can we in the policy give priority to say, in person, as opposed to comment online which is what most other bodies do,” Vice-President Matt Bucher said. “I know that City of Milford does that. I believe Kent County Levy Court, the times I have been there, give priority to in person comment.”
Bucher explained that this could be important as there is a time limit and should there be considerable public comment, it may be important to prioritize.
“I agree with giving the in-person priority over online and then also, where it says the board will allot up to 20 minutes for the public comment period to be completed, I don’t personally agree with this because I think all comments should be heard, no matter how long or how late in the meeting we go,” Board member Ashlee Connell said. “I know there are times we have been here until 10 o’clock, but I think it is important that we hear all comments without being limited.”
Fitzgerald stated that he agreed with that. Moorman confirmed that the board was interested in removing the allotted overall time period but sighting in the policy that in person comment would take place first with online comment following.
“So, to add one more piece to it, this is already existing policy, but name, address, phone number, the speaker along with the topic and concern, that has not been enforced the past few years even though it has been part of the policy,” Bucher said. “I would like to entertain some language in there that if you have not done your due diligence and not given the recording secretary proper information, you cannot speak.”
Connell stated that she was fine with the three-minute limit per person, but felt the 20 minute overall time limit was too restrictive.
This was a first read of the policy and the board will vote on it with changes at a future meeting.
