Citizens speak on justice center, attorney

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News
At the vast majority of the Swift County Board of Commissioners meetings the citizens comment period passed with no one speaking because no one is present to address commissioners. That hasn’t been the case in recent months as citizens show up to register their opposition to the proposed justice center.
With numerous citizens showing up lately, the 5 minutes traditionally set aside for comments has been greatly inadequate as speakers can take a half hour to 45 minutes of commissioner time.
At the county board’s Tuesday, April 16, meeting Commission Chair Hendrickx tried to bring greater discipline to the citizens comment period on the agenda.
“Last time, and a number of times, we have been prolonged in this segment of our meetings,” he said prior to opening the citizens comment period at the April 16 meeting. The comment period is early in the meeting, and is followed by other topics listed for specific times on the agenda.
Those specific times gives others who will be attending the meeting an idea of when they will address commissioners. Some of those attending the meeting also travel to other county boards on the same day to speak. Liz Auch of Countryside Public Health addresses county commissioners in Swift, Big Stone, Yellow Medicine, Chippewa and Yellow Medicine counties, and at times will address multiple boards on the same day. The time of these people also has to be respected, Hendrickx said.
The board chair suggested that each speaker during the citizens comment period be limited to 2 to 3 minutes...
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