The council is installing something new this week for Peoria citizens: a timer. Those pesky citizens take up a lot of the council’s time on Tuesday nights, so in addition to reducing by half the number of opportunities to address the council (the council’s now meeting only twice a month instead of four times), they’re also going to start strictly enforcing the five-minute rule when citizens take to the microphone.
To facilitate the new rules, they need to buy a timer. But not just any timer:
The $2,675 electronic timer is supposed to tell citizens when their allotted five minutes to address the council is up. The timers – one mounted on the public lectern, one on the back wall and two behind the mayor’s desk – will use green, yellow and red lights to guide speakers on how much time they have remaining.
A $2,675 timer? Are you kidding me? The timer pictured above can accomplish the same thing for only $7.99 from Bed Bath and Beyond. For $14.99, you can get a digital timer that will allow you to have your one-minute warning beep, if that’s important.
That’s not all. The council is also going to require that anyone wishing to address the council fill out a card — before the meeting — in order to be recognized. Since there are fewer meetings, they will undoubtedly be longer. So now we’re going to require citizens to get down to City Hall before 6:15 to fill out a card and then sit in council chambers for the whole meeting, which may go until 10:00, just so they can speak for five minutes at the end and, presumably, get cut off if they speak too long.
Now tell me this isn’t an effort to try to discourage citizen comments.
I stand by my earlier comments in “Peoria city ranking down, MSA ranking same.” See what I mean?
So, don’t vote for any of them next time.
Our tax dollars at work. I’m sure glad I can help buy a timer, but not really have to much time to express my issues to the Council. The Council could care less what tax paying citizens have to say. That’s why they came up with this idea in the first place.
CJ
If you can, research “Joe Doble” in the archives of Peoria city council meetings, then you will have some small compassion for time limits.
Hint, Joe spoke every Tuesday night.
Were they using the Pentagon procurement office to buy this timer??? Did they get a discount on the $500 toilet seats? Zoiks.
This is an effort to stop people from speaking which by the way, goes with the job. If you don’t like the comments, then don’t run for the seat. The money spent on this timer, the new arbour, the trash cans, and on and on could have removed the garbage fee when they are all added up. The cure? Don’t vote for any seated council person. It’s that simple.
Peoria AntiPundit said, “Don’t vote for any seated council person.” You mean not even your beloved Mr. Spain? 😉
John: Then the timer should be used for council members too who love to hear themselves talk in circles, like a puppy chasing its tail —- that uses more time each week than Joe Doble ever used. And since you are supposed to be on topic, then the mayor or mayor pro tem should enforce the topic and time limit.
So, CJ, you are sitting a home and you decide to drive down to comment — forget it? or you are late and you cannot turn in your card prior to the start of council — forget it? or or or — just love to see the memo from Randy Oliver on this one —- neighborhood concerns or input from citizens — seems that would be a big ZIPPO!
Yes Spain too. If he or the others do not follow the wishes of the people then vote them out. I am willing to try 10 different people until we get some that will finally do the right thing for Peoria instead of some developer.
A very, very bad idea; contact your councilperson before they put it into effect.
have mixed feelings on this. 1. have sat through several council meetings where people have talked for an extensive period of time about non issues.
2. however, it is important to have certain items as part of the public record. It is important for the elected officials to hear from their constituents. It is important for citizens to have a forum to voice concerns regarding issues and to share ideas.
3. also note that many on the council are accessible out side of the horsehoe, not all, but most.
I am advocating for a wait and see how this pans out and expect that if there are problems that they are worked out to the benefit of the citizens.
Council persons available outside the horseshoe? Well I have emailed all of them at one time or another regarding different issues. To date I have received three replys that were not computer generated. Two that were automatic and that is it. These were on different issues and some were questions and none of them were bashing anyone or anything. So that is how much they are available. One council person is always available but I have yet to find others that are so generous with their time. As for a timer, I understand the intended use, however, I don’t fully approve, but I would be willing to go along with it if the council persons would listen for that full five minutes. Usually they are out of their seats walking all around talking to each other while the citizen is trying to make a point or ask a question. They are, in my book, extremely rude when they do this to any speaker.
I agree that they should listen when their constituents and that is is somewhat rude for them to wandering about during citizens addressing them. If you don’t get a response from an email, then call. Still no response then much like bad service at a restaurant, complain, don’t patronize, and spread the word to all your friends, especially at election time. People seem to forget a lot of specifics during that time. Just make sure you have the facts when holding those discussions.