PORT TOWNSEND – Longwinded residents of Jefferson County who wish to speak at Monday county commissioners meetings will now have to cut it short.
Phil Johnson, chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, announced Monday that there would now be a three-minute limit per person on public comments at the commissioners’ weekly meetings.
There previously was no time limit on comments during the designated comment period.
“The primary reason is because I wanted a more orderly meeting,” said Johnson, D-Port Townsend, adding: “There have been comments made about people not getting equal time.”
Johnson said as commissioners’ chairman, he has the authority to enact the limitation without public discussion.
He said he had recently been criticized for allowing people to read long letters during public comment periods, then asking others to keep their comments brief to allow as many people to comment as possible.
“If everyone has equal time, I think that’s the way to go,” Johnson said.
