From the Reporter-Herald (Loveland): Thompson School District’s Board of Education has for months been unable to agree upon how best to handle public participation at meetings, but the board’s new legal counsel has drafted several policy revisions that will be the subject of another discussion Wednesday evening.
The general ambiguity of the board’s current policy regarding public comment has led to some residents, and even some board members, to allege violations of the First Amendment or breaches in unwritten codes of ethics.
Board members asked at their last meeting for a review of the policy to be drawn up by attorneys Brad Miller and Dustin Sparks, who together provide legal representation to the board.
“On Monday of last week we sent an email to every member of the board asking for specific input, ideas, language and priorities for this,” Miller said Tuesday. “Based on the responses we received, this draft reflects that input. It does not reflect a position from my office.”
The three-page revision, which is slated for 10 minutes of board discussion at Wednesday’s meeting, suggests that the time limit for individual speakers be set at five minutes, with a maximum of 15 individual speakers and 30 total minutes of commentary per regular board meeting.
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