SAN DIEGO — A proposal to limit the amount of time people have to speak at San Diego County Board of Supervisors meetings led to fierce backlash at Tuesday's meeting.
These proposed changes, which ultimately failed to pass, would have reduced the current two-minute time limit the public has to speak on non-agenda items, and would have cracked down on speakers who are repeatedly disruptive or off-topic, although the specific consequences were not made clear.
While the proposal also emphasized the importance of free speech and sharing ideas, vocal critics of the move were not persuaded.
"This is unacceptable," one speaker, who went by the name 'Oliver Twist,' said, "that you continue to ratchet down or First Amendment rights."
"Citizens are the final defenders of our Constitution, and such tyrannical overreach must be called out," said another.
"This entire item appears as a threat of retaliation to those who speak out against the board targeting a small group of individuals who are here every meeting, in person or by phone who have done their homework and challenged the absurd actions taken by some members of this board," said a speaker named Pam.
A minority of Tuesday's public speakers applauded the move to place more restrictions on public comment as a way of decreasing the amount of disruptions.
"There should be respect for all citizens in the room who have come to voice their concerns," said Hope Nelson, who phoned in her comments. "The same folks are consistently taking up everyone's time and off-topic is a waste for all of us."
"You do not deserve the amount of time that you're burning every time that you make us wait," said San Diegan John Brady, "Go speak effectively!"
Supervisor Jim Desmond voiced his opposition to the move.
"The Chair already has the flexibility and authority to address these issues," Desmond said. "I don't see any need for the changes."
In the meantime, Board Chair Nora Vargas, the frequent target of personal attacks at these public meetings, also voted against the proposal, saying that she'll use the current guidelines that are in place.
She also added, "It breaks my heart that each of these meetings gets worse and worse in terms of the way people are behaving."
Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, who made this proposal, voted for it, as did newly elected District 4 Supervisor Monica Montgomery-Steppe.
Supervisor Joel Anderson was absent at Tuesday's meeting.
Because this proposal lost by a 2-2 tie, under board rules it could potentially be continued for consideration at a future meeting. Whether or not that will happen is not clear at this point.
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