PRESCOTT - Claims of censorship continued to surface this week during the Prescott City Council's efforts to streamline city business.
A former city councilman and a frequent speaker at council meetings both contended on Tuesday that the meeting-rule changes that the council was considering would stymie discussion by members of the public.
"It's almost like censorship," former city Councilman Robert Luzius said about the proposed changes, which could include stricter enforcement of the rules that limit the number of times a resident may speak on a specific topic.
Local resident Frank Creelman, who has spoken at more than a half-dozen council meetings in the past year on a variety of topics, broached the censorship issue when he told the council that the rule changes were "an obvious attempt to stymie people, gag people."
In fact, Creelman showed up at this week's meeting wearing a bandana around his face in the form of a gag.
Before he started his comments during the "public comment" portion of the meeting, Creelman referred to the council's Jan. 26 meeting, when Mayor Marlin Kuykendall asked him to halt his comments.
"Can I remove the gag out of my mouth?" Creelman asked Kuykendall this week before beginning his comments about a 2008 shooting at the Prescott Gateway Mall.
The council first brought up the possibility of changing its meeting rules in late 2009.
Initially, the discussion focused mostly on plans to reduce the number of regular meetings from four per month to two per month.
The council originally planned to approve the change in late January and have the new schedule in effect by March.
But when the matter went to the council for a vote on Jan. 26, several council members asked for more discussion on the matter - especially on how to deal with speakers who repeatedly disrupt meetings.
The matter came up again this week, when Creelman exceeded the city's five-minute limit during his comments about the 2008 "Gateway Mall shootout."
"As presiding officer, I'm going to ask you to wrap it down," Kuykendall told Creelman after about five minutes had elapsed.
Councilman Jim Lamerson later maintained that the city should adhere to its rules of procedure, noting that residents sometimes speak "in less than I would call a constructive manner..."
The current rules state: "(If properly agendized), members of the public shall be permitted to speak for a period of not to exceed five minutes provided; however, a member of the public may not speak on the same topic more frequently than at a six-month interval."
Luzius urged the council to take into account people's rights to speak.
"I don't agree with everything Mr. Creelman says, but I do agree with his right to speak," Luzius said.
Kuykendall maintained that the council was working to open up even more dialogue with the public through other efforts - such as a move to have one council member available for four hours every weekday at Prescott City Hall to talk with members of the public.
The rule changes were on this week's agenda for discussion only. The council will consider the changes further at its Feb. 16 and 23 meetings.
Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, February 10, 2010
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Worn Out His Welcome Again
Frank Creelman has managed to again turn the majority of the Prescott City Council against him. His "presentations" are an excuse to slam our police department, city workers, city council, etc. He rambles and goes off agenda repeatedly. Time to get out the hook.
