MILTON, Ga. — Residents had questions about a City of Milton proposal that would place restrictions on public comment at the Feb. 21 City Council meeting.
They also renewed their concerns about granting an alcohol license to a neighborhood winery.
Nine residents signed up to speak during public comment preceding the consent agenda.
Speakers voiced their opinions on the Blackmaral Lane farm winery and proposed changes to meeting procedures.
Mary Cronk, former member of the Design Review Board, spoke first about proposed changes to public comment, proposed by City Attorney Ken Jarrard.
“This was not the first time the City Council heard most, if not all, of these recommendations,” Cronk said. “The city attorney made them initially, I think, during a retreat council had last spring.”
At a Jan. 17 special-called meeting, Jarrard recommended limiting public comment to two opportunities during formal sessions, one before the consent agenda and one before new business. Each public comment session, he suggested, would be limited to 30 minutes, with three minutes provided for each speaker.
Currently, Milton allows five minutes for each speaker during public comment, with no time limit on the session.
Georgia Assistant Attorney General Kristen Settlemire encouraged the Jan. 17 special-called meeting after a violation of the Open Meetings Act Sept. 18 when all councilmembers assembled at Avalon in Alpharetta to discuss implementing Milton’s first self-run municipal election.
Cronk said she wanted to know why and how the proposed changes made it on the meeting agenda.
“Why were they so important that they replaced ethics training?”
Tracking the source
While Jarrad told Appen Media Jan. 23 that “the recommendations on meeting efficiency originate with me,” Cronk asked who on the City Council approved the item for the agenda.
“Who within…
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