Citizen Input Reduced To 15 Minutes To Speak

County commissioners have agreed to change the format of their meetings and shorten public input time.

It marks the first major change to the commissioners' meeting format in several years.

Commissioners' regular business meetings will be reduced from three a month to two: on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Citizens' comments that open the meetings will be reduced from 30 to 15 minutes.

County Administrator David Hamilton said the shortened time was necessary to make room for expanded agendas. An afternoon workshop has been added to the second Tuesday meeting and the Metropolitan Planning Organization will meet in the afternoon of the fourth Tuesday.

"We're packing an awful lot in to two board meetings," Hamilton said.

Hamilton said that while the public's morning input is shortened, speakers will get a chance to express their views during individual agenda items.

County Commissioner Jeff Stabins said he expects the 15-minute input rule won't sit well with citizens, especially since that would only accommodate five speakers under the current three-minute rule.

"I really don't know whose bright idea that was, but I think we might have to take another look at it," Stabins said.

Stabins said it is all about openness and citizen access.

"If I drive all the way into Brooksville and I'm the sixth person who raises my hand and I'm not called on to speak, I'm not going to be very happy," he said.

The format change was made to accommodate the public meetings of the two new standing committees.

The Budget & Finance Committee will meet the first Tuesday of the month. The Business & Economic Development Committee meets the third Tuesday.

All meetings will start at 9 a.m. and will continue to be held at the Hernando County Government Center, 20 North Main St. in downtown Brooksville.

The new format will begin in March.

The public input during the standing committee meetings will be at the discretion of the chairpersons of the respective committees.

The committees will consist of two county commissioners and three citizens. Commissioner Rose Rocco will preside over the budget committee and Commissioner John Druzbick will lead the economic development committee.

Stabins also expanded on a memo he recently wrote expressing his displeasure with a request from Hernando Progress to hold an economics workshop at Pasco-Hernando Community College's north campus, instead of the usual county commission chambers.

The government center already has the broadcast equipment in place, security at the entrances is assured and staffers don't have to commute to another site, he said.

Hernando Progress' request was placed on hold due to a scheduling conflict.