School board requires speakers to pre-register

But the rules now require people who want to address an item on the agenda to register before the issue comes up by filling out yellow attendance cards.

Board President Marilyn Fendelander said the procedure is to ensure that the public comment period doesn't turn into a public debate.

Kent Lauer, executive director of the Nevada Press Association, said he's very uncomfortable with that attitude.

"What's wrong with public debate? That's what our democratic form of government is all about," he told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

The board has public comment periods at the beginning and end of its meetings. People who submit their cards after the comments begin can't speak until the end of the meeting, after the board has cast its vote.

Barbara Clark, legislative representative for the Nevada Parent Teacher Association, was late to Tuesday's board meeting and could not comment on the issue of making a staff person a legislative lobbyist.

"I would have spoken to that issue, but I wasn't able to submit my card," she said. No one commented on the issue and the one person that would have wasn't able to.

"The school district says they want parental input, but the policies for meetings don't support that."

Ms. Fendelander said she recalls only a few times when people have been denied an opportunity to speak because they were tardy.

"I understand that sometimes people are late, and we try to be lenient, but we have to set some parameters," she said. "I'm sorry that people don't arrive on time, but the meetings are posted. I think it's a fair system."

archive