Open Forum

[Guest John Q Public]

Am on a City Board, 2 diverse viewpoints, A & B. Presiding Officer is A, I'm B. Every meeting has Agenda item: "Open Forum" --- always before "New Business". "New Business" often considers hotly contested subjects : A & B often on opposite sides of the fence. Every meeting: prominent viewpoint A person attends, signs up to speak at Open Forum. During meeting of Board, when we get to Open Forum, the Presiding Officer, who's also viewpoint A, asks this individual if he would like to change his speaking time to address the Board when they get to New Business ( which would be a very advantageous time to present his remarks). Reliably, the speaker responds affirmatively, and thus always gets to present his viewpoint A when it's New Business time. Is this a discretionary power of the Presiding Officer -- to offer any speaker for Open Forum, a more advantageous time slot to address the Board? And would I, as another member on this Board, be able to make sure that any speakers from viewpoint B who attended and signed up to speak at Open Forum, be afforded the same privilege? Thanks very much.

[Guest Edgar]

Is this a discretionary power of the Presiding Officer -- to offer any speaker for Open Forum, a more advantageous time slot to address the Board?

No, it's up to the board, collectively. That's the plain-vanilla RONR rule. Your rules may vary.

[Sean Hunt]

There are a great number of things that are very wrong here, but I'll try to find some logical order.

Every meeting has Agenda item: "Open Forum"

Why is this? It's a waste of time to have things at a meeting that aren't business.

During meeting of Board, when we get to Open Forum, the Presiding Officer, who's also viewpoint A, asks this individual if he would like to change his speaking time

If he asks this only of certain members, this is definitely a serious issue. The presiding officer should be impartial. If the presiding officer is not being impartial, then the Board should consider discipline against him, if possible, or at the very least not allow this sort of special treatment.

to address the Board when they get to New Business ( which would be a very advantageous time to present his remarks).

Why is that? New Business is the time for business, not speeches about random subjects. In general, everything at a meeting should be framed with a motion, but especially if you have an Open Forum section, there's no reason why anything other than actual business should be allowed at the time set for business.

Is this a discretionary power of the Presiding Officer -- to offer any speaker for Open Forum, a more advantageous time slot to address the Board?

Not unless your rules say it is.

And would I, as another member on this Board, be able to make sure that any speakers from viewpoint B who attended and signed up to speak at Open Forum, be afforded the same privilege?

You can make a motion to extend the privilege to someone else, or appeal the ruling of the chair that the privilege should be extended at all (it shouldn't). Ultimately, it is up to the Board how it wants to conduct this business, but it should do so in a manner that is fair to all members, regardless of their viewpoints.

[JohnR]

During meeting of Board, when we get to Open Forum, the Presiding Officer, who's also viewpoint A, asks this individual if he would like to change his speaking time to address the Board when they get to New Business ( which would be a very advantageous time to present his remarks).

This is the time to raise a point of order that (assuming no law dictates otherwise) nonmembers are heard only during Open Forum. Or you could raise the point (or object) when the chair allows Mr. A. to speak during New Business.

[Guest John Q. Public]

I am the original poster. Thank you all so very much. I really appreciate your knowledgeable input. THANK YOU.