FALLING ON DEAF EARS: Why not allow public input at City Council meetings?

Editor's note: Today we begin a two-part series examining why the Rochester City Council does not allow public input at all board meetings, which would give city residents more voice in the direction of their community. The second installment will be published next Tuesday.

ROCHESTER - Rochester residents who attend tonight's Public Hearing and City Council Workshop will have the opportunity to speak directly to the board that is the highest governing body in the city.
But during City Council meetings - when decisions are voted on that impact every Rochester resident, public input is prohibited.
So why is that?
Maybe someone should ask the councilors and mayor tonight!
Longtime city councilor David Walker, who's served on the board on and off for almost 20 years, said last week that he couldn't recall when the decision was made to prohibit pubic comment at City Council meetings, but he does recall why.
"It was the council's feeling that having public comment during a City Council meeting would limit their ability to get through the agenda," he told The Rochester Voice."
It should be noted that City Council "meetings," which are held the first Tuesday of the month, are the venue where ordinances are voted on and financial decisions are made that impact Rochester residents' tax rate and other municipal affairs like the weed ordinance that was rejected earlier this month.
Meanwhile, City Council workshops, which are held the third Tuesday of the month, are just that, when nonvoting conversations are held between councilors who report on possible action items that they're working on in committees, like Codes and Ordinances and Pubic Safety.
Lifelong Rochester resident, former state rep and frequent critic of Rochester's heavy handed style of governance Cliff Newton said he's been trying to get the city to open all City Council meetings to public comment.
"I've brought this up many times over the years, but to no avail," he said last week. "The City Council could easily add a rule requiring that public comment be allowed at regular meetings."
He said that despite his many efforts, the city has failed to make the change.
"They appear happy with business as usual without input from those they represent," he quipped.
Meanwhile, the Rochester school board a few years ago did pass a law requiring all school board meetings to have a mandatory public comment section at every school board meeting.
Proponents of the change insist that allowing public comment moments before action items are voted on by the City Council would be a game changer as councilors would be able to understand more fully why residents might be for or against a particular action or ordinance.
But instead of possibly moving toward a more open dialogue with the public, former mayoral candidate Susan Rice said it's getting more restrictive.
"Now the mayor is restricting public comment at committee meetings to items on the agenda," she said. "Look at the finance committee meeting earlier this month. Only 20 minutes long and yet he (Mayor Paul Callaghan) could not let anyone speak except for items on the agenda."
She added, however, there seems to be some inconsistencies with the policy put forward by the mayor.
"I know when I spoke at the police commission meeting, I was allowed to speak on an item not in the agenda, and I also have spoken at public works and not been restricted. "