Citizens believe that recent interpretation of rules being used by the Martinez Administration is an attempt to silence the public!!
Chief Administrative Officer, Beth James, chided the public at the December 8th Planning and Zoning Commission about "decorum" in public meetings and rules related to the Ascension Parish Council. CAO James followed with a dear editor letter in the December 17th issue of the Gonzales Weekly Citizen. James stated "It is against the parish ordinance to mention a member of the Council, committee, staff or other elected officials in a meeting." She further stated that citizens are "free to speak outside of public buildings and say whatever they wish about whomever they wish,...but within the sanctity of a public meeting, there are rules that everyone should follow."
The “rules” posted on the podium during the December 8th Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting were addressed again at the regular December 16th Ascension Parish Council meeting. Speakers addressed the Council concerning the agenda item related to Review of Rules of Meeting Conduct. One man in the crowd, who identified himself as a veteran, spoke out from the crowd that these rules infringed on the first amendment rights of citizens which he and others had fought to preserve while serving in the military. At the order of Chairman Pat Bell, the veteran was escorted from the room by a sheriff's deputy. Another veteran was so shaken by the removal of his fellow veteran that he removed himself before the situation escalated further. Chairman Bell tried to defend his action of having the veteran removed with a long futile explanation. Attempts were made by Chairman Bell in the beginning of the meeting to stop applause; however, by the end of the meeting Bell’s gavel was silent while citizens continued clapping.
The six rules on the original document are listed below. Only the first four were posted by the administration. We will see how these are applied at the next Council meeting on January 6th, 6:00 p.m. in Donaldsonville.
Ascension Parish Council
Rules of Meeting Conduct
The Ascension Parish Council, the governing authority for the Parish of Ascension, finds the need to implement rules for the orderly conduct of its meetings and participation by the audience. The following rules will be recognized and enforced:
1. Ascension Parish Council meetings are for the conduct of business of the Ascension Parish government. The meeting will be conducted and order maintained by the Chairman of the Council, or his successor in his absence.
2. Public attendance and participation are encouraged, but the public's discussion of issues is limited to 1)public hearings, 2) public comment period, and 3) placement on the agenda of a regular meeting.
Guidelines for Public Comment Period and Public Hearings are as follows:
a) Public comment shall immediately follow roll call
of the members.
b) All individuals wishing to speak during the public
comment period or public hearings must sign in with
the Ascension Parish Council secretary giving the
name, address, and agenda item number which
they will speak on. The Chairman of the Ascension
Parish Council will announce when the sign-up
period is completed, after giving adequate notice
that anyone wishing to speak should sign in with
the council secretary. Once the sign in period is
closed, no one else will be allowed to participate.
c) Once an individual signs in to address the council
during the public comment period or public
hearings, only that individual is authorized to
address the council during that allocated time. No
one may relinquish this time to another individual
or substitute speakers. If the person who signs in
to speak does not address the council when his or
her name is called, that person will forfeit their
right to speak.
d) Public comment shall be limited to those items on
the agenda. In the event the agenda is amended
during the meeting by 2/3 vote, the public shall be
permitted to comment at that time, prior to the
commission acting, since the item was unknown at
the beginning of the meeeting. If an agenda item
is set for public hearing, then the public shall
only comment during the public hearing, and not
during the public comment period.
e) Parties shall be limited to three minutes per
person to speak. The Chairman shall be vested with
authority to regulate the public comment period and
shall be permitted to request that those speaking
not be repetitious. The Chairman shall indicate to
the speaker when his/her time limit has expired.
3. The following acts are prohibited by audience members:
a) Speaking or addressing Parish Council, or any
member, at any time during the conduct of the
meeting in the meeting room;
b) Yelling, shouting, cheering, or other such
disruptive conduct during the meetings of
the Ascension Parish Council;
c) Clapping, applauding, or other such disruptions or
sudden noise during the conduct of the meeting,
except at time of ceremony, recognition of
individuals or groups for special achievement or
other such customary or appropriate circumstances;
d) Use of profanity or vulgar language;
e) Physical threats or intimidation.
4. Any person violating these rules may be asked to leave the meeting room.
5.All members of the public are asked to turn off cellular phones, two way radios, pagers, or other such communication devices during the conduct of meetings.
6. A copy of these rules shall be published in the Official Journal and posted on council meeting rooms to adequately advise the public of their content.
