City of Bradenton Should Encourage not Discourage Public Participation

Citizens should be given the opportunity to fully participate in all phases of decision-making processes. The current Bradenton City Council public hearing policies and procedures do not encourage public participation. Rather, they discourage it. 
 
The Mayor and City Council set time limits for public comments during public hearings. Members of the public are strictly limited in their time to comment, but there aren’t any time limits imposed on an applicant’s presentation or a time limit for rebuttal by the applicant.
 
Fairness and equality during public hearings require time limitations to be applied consistently and equitably to all speakers, including petitioners.

According to the Bradenton City Council Rules for Procedure for Agenda and Public Appearances:

An individual appearance for citizen comment will be limited to three (3) minutes unless additional time is permitted by the Mayor or consensus of the Council. Additional time will be allowed (up to 10 minutes at the discretion of the Mayor or consensus of the Council) for public hearing items if the speaker is officially representing a group of five or more people, provided that written authorization is provided that the person is authorized to speak on behalf of the group.
 
Allowing petitioners unlimited time for presentations and rebuttals discourages public participation. 
 
Decisions made by the City Council can drastically change local communities and neighborhoods, impact property values and the environmental quality of land, and significantly increase the demand for public services.  Taxpayers spend millions of dollars on infrastructure. The public has the right to provide meaningful and informative comments on issues influencing policy decisions. Favoring petitioners during public hearings is a disservice to all citizens of Bradenton.
                                             
The time limit for applicant presentations should be clearly communicated to all applicants in advance. If longer presentation time for particularly complex projects is needed, it should be decided on a case-by-case basis. 

Limiting rebuttal time ensures that all participants, including public commenters, have an equal opportunity to share their perspectives, thus preventing one side from dominating the discussion. 

Glenn Compton is the Chairman of ManaSota 88, a non-profit organization that has spent over 30 years fighting to protect the environment of Manatee and Sarasota counties.