After reading an article by Eric Mullens from the Huerfano Journal's Facebook page about the last Walsenburg City Council meeting, I felt compelled to discuss the citizen's forum which is the segment of the City Council meetings where citizens are allowed to speak if they sign in prior to the Council meeting.
I have used the forum on a few occasions to express my concern about some issue that I thought needed addressing. I have also attended council meetings when other citizens have spoken. Most of the people who speak are not professional entertainers; therefore, they don't give particularly entertaining performances. Of course, this is not the purpose of the forum, but the fact that there is a place for ordinary citizens to voice concerns is very important.
If a person chooses to speak on a topic that is inappropriate, this can be addressed after viewing his subject on the sign in sheet. To decide after one incident to reduce the forum time allowance by half is an over reaction. I have stated to the City Council on more than one occasion how important I thought the forum was to the citizens.
To be honest there are times I would like to place a limit on the Council's speaking time. I hope the Council won't limit this forum. It is one of the only ways that citizens can voice concerns. The only other forum for expressing opinions is the "letters to the editor" in local papers. This is limited by who the paper chooses to publish and whether the editor agrees with the point of view of the writer.
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