By Caleb Brown | News Director
One of the items listed for Lansford’s monthly council meeting agenda was
“Discuss/Motion to approve a resolution for public comment.”
This item was listed under the Solicitor’s report. Upon discussion, the scope of the
motion was revealed. “I’m going to tell you now I’m going to have an issue with making
people having to fill this form out before a meeting,” Council President Bruce Markovitch stated.
The motion aimed to have Lansford residents who were interested in speaking during council meetings fill out a form and present it sometime before the start of a meeting. Immediately, a comparison to how some school boards conduct public comment was made, but Markovitch questioned the logistics of the motion. “How do we get this?” Markovitch asked.
Councilwoman Jennifer Staines answered. “They fill it out and they put it there, {a box
on council’s table}, and before we start the meeting, the president picks it up, looks it
over, says dah dah dah is talking about what?” Stand up.”
“How will these people fill it out?” he later questioned. Again, a comparison to
schoolboard meetings was made as speakers are given time before the start of a
meeting to fill out the form; however, Lansford is unable to, as prior to each meeting, an executive session is held.
“We certainly can’t have people coming in during our executive session to fill out this
paper, and we can’t expect them to fill it out outside,” Makrovitch said.
Councilwoman Gwynth Collevechio said, “I think they can come in throughout the week and get it.” Collevechio further elaborated that no due date needed to be set so long as they received the forms before the start of the meeting. Not every resident in attendance was behind the idea, however, with some voicing concerns that it's a “waste of paper,” and “a waste of time.” However, without the solicitor present council voted to table the motion for further discussion.
This all comes after a motion was passed by council to prohibit public participation during council workshop sessions. A motion some have viewed as violating Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act.
CC Broadcasting LLC. staff spoke with Markovitch in September after the motion was passed. He stated, “Our last workshop meeting, members of council were attacked by some members in the audience, okay, it was a three-hour meeting. After the meeting, members of council asked if there was anything that can be done about this, and we talked to the solicitor about this, and the solicitor said that we can make workshop meetings as council only.”