Akron City Council grinds to a halt over public comment rules

Derek Kreider, Akron Beacon Journal
Updated ·3 min read
The Rev. John Beaty, left, leaves the council chambers' lectern Monday supported by the Rev. Raymond Greene (center) and Samer Badawi after receiving a warning for violating Akron City Council's public comment rules.
The Rev. John Beaty, left, leaves the council chambers' lectern Monday supported by the Rev. Raymond Greene (center) and Samer Badawi after receiving a warning for violating Akron City Council's public comment rules.

Akron City Council's meeting came to an abrupt halt Monday night when an Akron minister refused to follow new public comment restrictions.

After the meeting, the Rev. John Beaty said he came with the intent of protesting the restrictions. Ultimately, he was escorted from chambers, but not arrested.

The number of people allowed to speak to council during the public comment portion is limited to 10; a three-minute cap will continue for each speaker.

No speaker addressing council during public comments is allowed to do so more than once every 30 days. Those wishing to appear are required to file a form with the clerk of council by 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting.

This is the second time that Beaty has been escorted from chambers.

The first time was during the tense debate over attorney Imokhai Okolo's possible appointment to the Akron Citizens' Police Oversight Board.

After several people spoke Monday night against Akron Police Department officer Ryan Westlake's shooting of a 15-year-old boy and officer Thomas Shoemaker's body-slamming a Kenmore woman, Beaty took to the microphone despite not having signed up to comment.

"I was not able to register for tonight," Beaty said. "Being 85, I'm still a little bit disabled in that regard. But, I'm going to speak anyway because the gag law that this council has passed is unjust, undemocratic."

The Rev. John Beaty tries to address Akron City Council on Monday after failing to follow the council's registration process for the public comment period. A brief recess was called and he was escorted out of council chambers after his attempt to speak.
The Rev. John Beaty tries to address Akron City Council on Monday after failing to follow the council's registration process for the public comment period. A brief recess was called and he was escorted out of council chambers after his attempt to speak.

Council President Margo Sommerville warned Beaty that she was going to rule him out of order, saying: "You could have come to me and you could have asked to speak, and you did not do that. So at this time, what I'm going to do is I'm going to ask you to have a seat and we're going to continue with the regular scheduled agenda."

This prompted calls from the audience to let Beaty speak, which he continued to do although his microphone was off.

Sommerville gaveled a call for order, saying that if decorum wasn't maintained, council chambers would be cleared.

At-Large Councilman Jeff Fusco called for a 10-minute recess, and Sommerville obliged. Beaty continued speaking, at which point several Akron police officers appeared behind him, one of them speaking quietly to him.

Cries of "shame!" erupted from the audience.

A woman reacts after the Rev. John Beaty is prevented from speaking Monday at the conclusion of Akron City Council's public comment session. Beaty was not permitted to speak because he wasn't signed up, and was escorted out of council chambers.
A woman reacts after the Rev. John Beaty is prevented from speaking Monday at the conclusion of Akron City Council's public comment session. Beaty was not permitted to speak because he wasn't signed up, and was escorted out of council chambers.

An officer and council members Linda Omobien, Eric Garrett and James Hardy led Beaty away from the lectern.

Hardy said the council members told Beaty that they heard him and they want to continue a dialogue — but the potential for Beaty to be arrested if he continued to violate meeting rules wouldn't help his cause or anyone else's.

"Really, we were just trying to give him some space to cool down, but also just to allow him to be heard," Hardy said. "He's very frustrated with the new public comment rules that council instituted at the end of last year."

Several members of the audience left, opting instead to protest outside the building, where they could still be heard in council chambers.

Garrett, speaking before the meeting adjourned, said he was saddened that Beaty had to leave.

Fusco said a small contingent of people in Akron is intent on disrupting City Council’s business.

He called the interruption "grandstanding" and said he believed prospective speakers who followed proper procedure "would have been assisted by our clerk and her staff.”

Speaking after the meeting, Beaty said he has been accommodated before, and that Council Clerk Sara Biviano and her staff have been helpful.

He expressed his frustration over the new comment rules, specifically that the comment period is limited to 10 people a night and that a person may only address council once every 30 days.

"They've made it impossible for citizens to come, and to speak about issues that are coming up," he said.

Contact reporter Derek Kreider at DKreider@Gannett.com or 330-541-9413

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: City Council meeting disrupted during public comment period