Politics & Government

Farmington Council Debates Public Comment

After heated issues that left residents fuming, council members discuss policies for citizen input.

Should Farmington citizens have the chance to comment at a time other than the end of each city council meeting? 

That's a question council members tackled during a study session held at Monday night. Council member Bill Galvin, who was appointed to council in September of 2011, said he raised the issue because he has seen inconsistent handling of comments and citizens angered when they weren't able to provide comments before officials deliberated on an issue.

"In looking back on my time on council, it's pretty evident people don't know how to talk to us," he said, pointing out the council has no written policy that governs public comment. 

Find out what's happening in Farmington-Farmington Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

City manager Vince Pastue said while he doesn't want a citizen to dominate a meeting with comments, he also doesn't want to see people leaving a meeting with the feeling they didn't get a chance to speak. However, he added, there should be clear lines drawn when officials begin their deliberations. 

Officials seemed to agree on the idea of having citizens fill out cards to speak on a specific agenda item before officials discuss it, as well as time for comments about items not on the agenda. They differed on the issue of timing.

Find out what's happening in Farmington-Farmington Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mayor Tom Buck said he would prefer taking up the agenda-specific comments before each agenda item; Galvin said he is "specifically against that. I don't think people should be part of the conversation with council." He said he would rather see all agenda-specific comments taken up early in the meeting. 

But council member JoAnne McShane said she has concerns about what happens when last-minute changes are made to agenda items. She cited the changes made to a controversial agreement with the City of Farmington Hills for providing dispatch services. 

"I'm just looking at how we furnish public information," she said. 

Galvin argued that "you can't plan for every occurrence. What I'm trying to do is find a way to engage people on issues, while not removing ourselves or diminishing our role as elected officials."

Kuiken said she would like to see more examples of the way public comment is handled in other communities. Pastue said he would draft a formal resolution that outlines a process for public comment that officials will consider at a future meeting. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Farmington-Farmington Hills