County Board Finalizes Guidelines for Public Comments at Meetings

The Effingham County Board Tuesday finalized guidelines regarding public comments at board meetings and committee meetings.

The Board has been working in recent meetings to develop policy concerning audio and video taping of meetings, but also concerning public comment sections of those meetings. One provision allows for removal of someone who is viewed as disruptive.

Board member John Perry asked Tuesday how you would define "disruptive"? Board member Rob Arnold suggested letting the sheriff help make the decision.

The consensus seemed to be that the chair of the board or a board committee would end discussion when appropriate, then the sheriff would decide when someone has gone over the limit and needs removed from the proceedings. The ordinance was then approved as amended with no dissenting votes heard.

The Board also discussed whether to endorse National School Choice Week in Effingham County. Perry said President Trump has endorsed the idea, but Board Chairman Jim Niemann said Regional School Superintendent Julie Wollerman had recommended against the proposal. Perry moved that the proclamation be approved, but his motion died for lack of a second.

The question of participating in a class action opioid lawsuit was again raised briefly, but Kibler was unable to get copies of the proposal completed in time for the meeting, so the matter was tabled until the February meeting. The Board did vote to lessen the number of members of the Economic Development Advisory Board by two, since two members have been unable to attend and that has at times made it difficult to have a quorum of members in attendance. Rather than appoint two other people and run the risk of the same situation, it was voted to cut the membership on the committee by two. There are still eight seats on the committee.

The Board amended the County's non-union salary schedule regarding the pay of the deputy coroner, and also approve a letter of engagement with West and Company for fiscal year audit services.

Arnold mentioned the Federal capital funds bill where the Effingham County Housing Authority is concerned. Up until now, the Housing Authority head, currently Gina Hardiek, would send a funding recommendation to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and HUD would grant the funding. Arnold said HUD now wants the County Board to get involved in the process, so he will be researching how the process will work.