Santa Rosa residents rail against new county public speaking procedures

Residents of Santa Rosa County firmly believe they've forged a relationship with their local government that provides them a significant role in the formulation of public policy.

Several of them said as much at Thursday's County Commission meeting as they spoke up against what they believed to be a proposed procedural change that would limit direct public engagement with board members during meetings and bring Santa Rosa's format more in line with those of neighboring counties.

"Santa Rosa County has been a beacon for First Amendment rights during my entire time being involved in county issues," Milton resident Jerry Couey told the board. "I don't care how other counties do it. Every other county should be like us, we shouldn't be like them."

Newly appointed Commission Chair Sam Parker stirred up the passions of several residents when he recommended that all comments from the public be taken at one time, during a public forum period set aside before commissioners get down to the business of governing.

The public had gotten used to being allowed to speak not only during the public forum portion of the meetings, but also when particular agenda items came before the board for discussion and a vote.

What many apparently didn't know was that the changes they were railing against had already been made. Parker said Thursday afternoon following the meeting he recognized some confusion among people who incorrectly believed that the speaking schedule amendments he had made were up for debate.

"The meeting procedures resolution deals with setting dates and times of the meetings, that's the only issue we need to vote on," Parker said. "The rest are changes I made as chair, as part of my discretion."

Couey said he's spent the last 30 years as a "proud defender of the rights of people to redress their grievances" with Santa Rosa County government.

"This is not the first time an attempt has been made to restrict, reduce or cut off the citizens right to speak," he said.

There was apparently enough outcry generated Thursday that, coupled with the fact Commissioner James Calkins was not in attendance, commissioners decided to table plans to vote on the meeting procedures resolution.

"I think we should talk about it when all five of us are here," Commissioner Ray Eddington said in asking the measure be tabled. "We need to talk about it and work it out so all of us can get along."

He too was apparently unaware Parker stands to stick by the changes in speaking arrangements, at least for the time being.

"The calls I was getting was from people who wanted to speak twice at the meetings," Eddington said following the meeting.

Parker said his plan is to see how the changes in speaking arrangements goes, and tweak them if that becomes necessary.

"I would like to give it a chance. If we try it for a month or two and find out it isn't working then I may try some changes," he said. "I will definitely say that the majority of the people I heard from wanted the changes made to make the meetings run more effectively."

He said he had only counted seven speakers assembled at Thursday's meeting to protest the changes he'd made, and all of them were familiar faces.

"The majority of the small number of people we heard from that were opposed to it are the same ones that want to come up and talk at every meeting," he said. "A big part of this is so we can allow commissioners to have discussion without people getting up and interrupting by coming up to the podium to talk.

Navarre resident Carmen Reynolds called the changes instituted by Parker "shocking and glaringly appalling." She pointed out that state laws specifically address the right of the public to engage with their government.

"Members of the public shall be given a reasonable opportunity to be heard on a proposition before a board or commission," she told commissioners, quoting statute.

Aaron Williams, who is running against Parker for the District 1 County Commission seat, said allowing citizen input during discussion of a particular agenda item fosters healthy dialog.

"If you don't let us speak candidly and openly on an agenda item at the time of the discussion, I think you have very poor discussions that way," he said. "If we want to have really meaningful dialogue on the agenda, a way to do that is to allow people to speak on the item when the issue is raised."

Bill Hayden, who had watched Monday's meeting via video, said he was shocked to see Parker mute the speaker's podium microphone when Couey approached, after the public forum had closed, to address the board.

"We were blindsided," Hayden said. "Nobody saw that coming."

Reynolds and others acknowledged that some speakers in recent memory have shown a crude disregard for civility when addressing the board, but added that most who address the commission conduct themselves in an orderly manner.

"Please don't penalize the many for the acts of a few," said Reynolds.

In arguing Monday for the changes he had made, Parker said he favored guaranteeing each speaker a full four minutes to talk. Last year then-Chairman Colten Wright at times would limit speaking time during meetings attended by a large numbers of people.

Parker said he was trying to prevent speakers from seizing a "bully pulpit."

"You can't have an unlimited amount of times you can speak. We could have five citizens decide they want to come up 20 times during our agenda," he said.

Parker also justified the changes by saying any member of the public could have easy access to their commissioner through email or telephone and could express concerns on issues that way. Several who addressed the board Thursday said that rationale was flawed.

"One commissioner has not once returned my phone calls or emails," Hayden said. "That's why I come down to the meet with you, so I know I will be heard."

Couey, who has pre-filed to oppose Calkins in the 2024 race for the District 3 commission race, was the first to suggest the County Commission hold off voting on the meeting procedures resolution.

"Commissioner Calkins has chosen not to be here today," he said. "I suggest you not make a decision until all five commissioners are here to face the music."

At Monday's meeting, Calkins applauded Parker's efforts to revise the speaking rules.

"I think you did a good job putting this together," he told the new chairman.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Santa Rosa Commission public speaking rules changes draw protest