2 weeks Ago
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save OCEAN CITY — Topics range wildly during the first public comment portion of City Council meetings. Previous speakers have given their thoughts about the dangers of smoking and the need for positivity, alleged that a gold fringe on the American flag in the room impacted the validity of council decisions, called for a crosswalk on Bay Avenue near the Intermediate School and covered innumerable other issues. New rules will limit those comments so that speakers can only address items on the meeting agenda.
At the same time, council did away with its monthly morning meeting, so that all meetings are now scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursdays.
It’s still open season for the second round of public comments, which take place at the end of each meeting. Those comments are open to any topic, so long as the same speaker did not speak about it during the first public comment portion. Developer says he'll spend over $1B on plans for Claridge and Sands properties in Atlantic City Atlantic City casino profits fell by over 9% in 2024; only 2 of 9 properties saw increases Man's bid to cash in $59,000 in chips from long-gone Playboy casino is rejected 'Mental health hold' keeps Hamilton school threat suspect from first court appearance Barnegat woman dies in Atlantic City Expressway crash Ocean City police search bridge after report of person jumping off it Phil Murphy’s offshore wind blunder cost NJ billions: Robin Shaffer Jim Allen rose from dog-walking kid to global gambling titan atop the Hard Rock empire Atlantic City police officer accused of sexually assaulting handcuffed woman ordered held until trial Army Corps envisions thousands of raised houses in Cape presentation Residents push back on $112M Ocean City budget Girl is killed and her sister is missing after fire destroys Millville homes US says it needs FAA tech center but won't rule out future layoffs.
It also plans drone monitoring. Atlantic City mozzarella company to be featured on ABC's 'Shark Tank' 11 accused of shoplifting from Brigantine Acme, other stores For years, that was how each council meeting took place, which meant those who wanted to raise a subject typically had to wait through the entire meeting. At Thursday's council meeting, Council member Keith Hartzell said a former council member, the late Frank McCall, pushed to allow public comment for 30 minutes at the start of meetings.
Before that, everyone who wanted to speak, aside from the public hearings on specific ordinances before a final vote, had to wait until the end of the meeting. Hartzell said he was the one who introduced a time limit. Sea gulls will be on alert for another summer with the approval of a $387,852 contract to bring falcons back to the Boardwalk.
Now, the council chairperson sets a limit of three to five minutes for speakers, depending on how many sign up to speak. Hartzell voted no Thursday, saying people should be allowed to speak on any topic at the beginning. “Look at tonight.
They’d be here an awfully long time,” Hartzell said as the meeting crawled into its second hour. “People’s free speech should be at any time they want.” Hartzell and Council member Jody Levchuk voted against the change.
The same resolution sets a 10 p.m. cutoff for council meetings.
It is now rare for council meetings to go later than 8 p.m. It also makes specific allowance for members of the public to take video at council meetings, so long as they do not interrupt the meeting.
Under New Jersey’s Open Public Meetings Act, the same law that requires public access to most public meetings, a portion of every meeting of municipal governing bodies and boards of education must be set aside for public comment. But community governments have broad discretion on how much time may be given for speakers. Rules vary widely from town to town.
In Upper Township, which recently changed its rules to allow comments early in the meeting, the first public comment period can only be for comments related to agenda items. Similar rules are in place in several other towns in South Jersey. Contact Bill Barlow: 609-272-7290 bbarlow@pressofac.
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