There’s a lot to like about the changes to administrative procedures that are currently being proposed in Edison. A specific outline of the budget process should really streamline things in the future, and the seven-day lead time between nominations and appointments is such a common-sense measure that we’re surprised it isn’t already in place.
Yet, the proposed ordinance also has parts that we think could use some improvement — specifically, the ones pertaining to meeting length and public comments.
We understand the reasoning behind these proposed changes. Public comments can take up very large portions of meeting time, causing the meetings themselves to run very late into the night. Council sessions can feel like mental marathons, and as the hours tick by, it’s natural to just wish they were shorter. If council members think they’ve got it bad, imagine how people who aren’t Edison residents, who need to drive 25 minutes back and forth to meetings, feel.
While we are confident as to the good faith of the backers of this ordinance, we must also remind them that, for good or for ill, the meetings are run for the benefit of the residents, and so any measure that reduces their ability to provide input should be undertaken with extreme caution. No one ever said that public service would be pleasant. No one really wants to be at those meetings, but they’re vital to the community’s civic health, and public comments, although they may go on at length, are an essential part of that.
We think that some aspects of the proposal are too much. While six minutes to speak is, in terms of other towns, fairly long, reducing it to four seems rather excessive. Surely there is a reasonable compromise that can be reached. Perhaps five minutes?
Also, we agree with those who feel that ending meetings at 10 p.m. is a tad unrealistic. As much as we may dislike them, late meetings are a reality in Edison, which, as the fifth largest municipality in the state, often has a lot of business to go through. We feel that it’s unlikely that the council will have the time to resolve closed session, get through official business, and have sufficient time for public vetting, all by 10 p.m.
Perhaps this deadline can be met more easily by holding closed session at the end of the meeting, after public comments, rather than before. It will expedite things, too, because the council can get down to township business earlier.
The council should work on this ordinance some more. It has the potential to really improve things, but it still needs some fine-tuning before it’s ready for adoption.