By JAMES CRAVEN
Herald staff

PLAINVILLE — In the face of strong opposition, the Town Council voted 6-1 Monday to change how citizens can voice their opinions on nonagenda items during a council meeting.

Currently, citizens may comment during two periods on the agenda. The first, called “oral petitions,” is for speaking on nonagenda items and is scheduled as the second agenda item. A second “oral petitions,” for items on the agenda, is scheduled for midmeeting, following the report of the town manager and town attorney and once-each-month comments by the Board of Education liaison.

Under the new rules and procedures, the council meeting starting time would move to 7 p.m. from 7:30 p.m. and a new agenda item, “Citizen Forum,” would replace the time for nonagenda oral petition time.

The proposal was brought by town manager Robert Lee during the Dec. 15 report to the council. Lee said he had received a number of complaints from people wishing to bring business before the council because of the time spent allowing citizens to vent on nonagenda items.

Council Chairman Christopher Wazorko said he felt the new policy would allow residents to engage in a dialogue with the council.

Several citizens, including former members of the council, expressed their dissatisfaction with the idea. At issue was their belief that the council was attempting to circumvent the public’s right to know by moving the public comments to a time that might not be watched by the community.

Council-watcher Domenick D’Onofrio said the community might be left in the dark if the change of schedule was instituted.

“If we come in here a half-hour before and we talk, it’s like talking to the door,” D’Onofrio said. “The way we had it up to now has been excellent.”

Those against the change point out that Nutmeg Television, which broadcasts the meetings, would not be able to supply a volunteer during the first 30 minutes. It was determined during the meeting that neither the Town Council nor the town manager had sought to make arrangements for the coverage.

A call to Nutmeg Television to see if they would televise the first 30 minutes was not returned before press time.

Henry Syskowski said the idea of not ensuring that the entire meeting would be broadcast was unacceptable.

“Many people speak during the meeting to have their input heard by those citizens who cannot make the meeting,” he said. “Is the town manager and the Town Council trying to keep these people from knowing what is going on?”

Another resident, Francesca Heap, in paraphrasing James Madison, said that a government that does not allow its citizens to speak is “a joke or a tragedy waiting to happen.”

Wazorko, however, assured Heap that it was not the intention of the council to silence citizens, but to make it easier for them to bring their concerns to the council.

“We’re not removing oral petitions, we’re moving it and renaming it to Citizen Forum if we make this change,” he said. “This would be part of the record.”

When asked by Robert Mercer, a former councilor, if the first 30 minutes would be televised,  though, Wazorko said that was uncertain.

“That decision hasn’t been made,” Wazorko said.

Two other former councilors, Thomas Acari and Andre Grandbois, also said they were against the change and urged the council to rethink their position.

When the issue came up for a vote, Councilors Helen Bergenty and Robert Hurly expressed reservations given the public outcry, with Hurly asking that the issue be tabled until the taping and broadcast issues are resolved.

Wazorko, however, argued that he was satisfied with the change and wanted to see it go through.

“We don’t make changes to reduce people’s opportunities to participate,” he said, adding that if the Citizen Forum took more than 30 minutes, he would allow it to go longer. “If available, I’d certainly have no problem with Nutmeg continuing to tape it.”

Only Bergenty voted “no” on the issue.

James Craven can be reached at jcraven@newbritainherald.com or by calling (860) 225-4601, ext. 231.