Tony,
1. The Council has an official obligation to transact the business of the city. While this certainly involves listening to a wide variety of opinions both during and outside of council meetings, it is not our primary task to operate a public forum. Last night, the Council met for approximately four hours and about three of those hours were devoted to citizen comments. Everyone who wanted to speak had an opportunity to do.
2. The rule that people speak on agenda items at the time when the item is open for public discussion is designed to (1) focus the discussion and (2) get people to speak before the Council begins its deliberations and takes action.
3. The rule that citizens' statements should in some way relate to the function of municipal government is simply an effort to limit exploitation of a very good media outlet--OCAT. This rule has been interpreted very liberally and since its inception I do not believe that anyone has been called on it (maybe nudged a little). For example, while I do not approve of the national missile defense initiatives and believe that we have an obligation to speak out on the issue, I do not believe that the City Council meeting is the proper forum for it.
4. These rules are not intended to stifle criticism of the Council. We have taken some pretty good blasts both during comment on specific issues and in citizen statements. As councillors, we respond in different ways. If it is carefully thought-out criticism, then I am going to take it seriously. If it is an ill-informed, off-the-cuff statement, I will ignore it. Both types go with the territory.
5. I do not believe that the rules of discussion should be identical for councillors and the public. Certainly, we want and need public comment, but I believe that the responsibility of serving on a deliberative body and conducting city business requires a little more latitude in our ability to speak In the same way, I do not believe that I and a member of Congress should be governed by the same rules in the operation of government.
6. Finally, with reference to your other article, the issues of downtown redevelopment and Highway 41 corridor development are considerably more complex than you make them out to be.
Sincerely,