During its next regular meeting, the Burnet County Commissioners Court may re-open discussion related to public comment and conduct during public sessions.
The next session is scheduled to begin 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24 in the Burnet County Courthouse.
“Due to some recent inappropriate citizen participation during the commissioners court meetings, it became apparent some rules of conduct and decorum should be adopted,” County Judge James Oakley recently told The Highlander.
Most Texas counties have adopted and follow such rules, Oakley added.
“(However) after re- searching, I could not find where any (conduct and decorum) rules had been adopted by the Burnet County Commissioners Court,” he added.
Indeed, during the Oct. 10 meeting, Oakley presented draft rules for Burnet County Commissioners Court meetings, provided by the Texas Association of Counties.
As Oakley initiated conduct and decorum discussion Oct. 10, he recited verbatim the TAC recommendations, including one section devoted to public comment: “Pursuant to (Texas) Local Government Code 551.007(b), a public comment agenda item will appear at the beginning of each meeting’s agenda. Members of the public are welcome to make comments on any topic and shall be limited to a maximum of three minutes to make remarks. Time for each speaker shall be maintained by the county judge or other designated representative of the commissioner’s court. Unless otherwise requested by commissioner’s court, all public comments are to be made within the public comment agenda item.”
Also, Oakley pointed out, TAC rules stress “no profanity or threatening language, racial or ethnic slurs directed toward the Commissioners Court or anyone in the court’s presence will be tolerated.”
As discussion continued, the judge indicated his tentative support for the entire TAC template.
“The TAC example and the subsequent draft proposed (for the commissioner’s court) are based on state laws pertaining to public meetings,” Oakley told fellow commissioners and public attendees.
Also, Oakley indicated he tends to favor the court’s current practice which allots time for public comment immediately after the call to order, the invocation and the pledge of allegiance, just before the commissioners proceed to weigh several agenda items.
During future meetings, some attendees voiced they would be comfortable if the com- missioners find it appro priate to enlarge their discretion, to admit additional hearing of public comments more intermittently during the course of a meeting.
Some brief positive comment toward that possible policy offered by Precinct 2 Commissioner Damon Beierle stirred some applause.
In turn, Oakley responded the court was open to more dialogue and perhaps a workshop could be scheduled to ponder the issue.
Coincidentally, due to a family emergency, Precinct 1 Commissioner Jim Luther Jr., was absent Oct. 10. Therefore, upon a suggestion by Precinct 3 Commissioner Billy Wall, the court tabled the discussion.