The Lake Wales City Commission narrowly rejected a proposal that would have split citizen comments into two periods, at the start and conclusion of its meetings.
Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson, who conceived and promoted the resolution, said that it would reduce rancor and ensure that discussions early in meetings pertain only to official city business. But he failed to persuade enough of his colleagues.
The commission voted 3-2 at Tuesday night’s meeting to scuttle a resolution that would have limited public comments in the opening segment to agenda items and issues directly affecting the city. During a second segment at the end of the meeting, audience members would have been free to address any subjects.
Mayor Jack Hilligoss and Commissioners Carol Gillespie and Daniel Williams voted against the resolution. Commissioner Keith Thompson joined Gibson in voting for it.
When commissioners first considered the proposal at last week’s work session, Williams seemed inclined to support it. He spoke of the frustrations he has endured during meetings, as citizens have directed comments that he considered hostile or disrespectful toward commission members.
Williams expressed mixed feelings before casting his crucial vote.
“I absolutely like the resolution,” he said, joining the meeting by phone call. “I believe that what the deputy mayor penned is something that would perhaps allow us to move along and come together. I just don't think now is the right time.”
Williams, a minister, said that he had spoken during the work session “from a place of frustration and perhaps even anger.” He said that he does not make good decisions when he is angry or frustrated.
Williams seemed swayed by citizen comments opposing the measure, though he said he did not understand the objections.
“I believe that it's going to cause more harm than good,” he said. “So, as a result, I'm going to vote no against the resolution.”
Stifling public speech?
Gillespie, who took office in May, vigorously objected to the resolution, as she had at last week’s work session. Gillespie, a lawyer, criticized it on practical grounds, calling the language “very ambiguous,” but mainly denounced the proposed change as an attempt to squelch citizen participation.
Lake Wales’ meetings have sometimes become raucous in recent years, as citizens have questioned commissioners’ decisions on permitting a plastic pipe manufacturing plant, the approval of large developments and the waiving of developers’ impact fees. Some speakers have shared harsh assessments of Hilligoss, the lead pastor at HighPoint Church, and his perceived blurring of religious and civic activities.
In late 2022, the City Commission began considering changes to the rules covering public comments at meetings. The board eventually limited general comments to 45 minutes, with an option to extend that by 15 minutes, but — facing fervent public opposition — scrapped such proposals as reducing individual comments from five minutes to three and requiring speakers to sign affidavits pledging to be truthful.
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The commission later discarded a rule that all speakers during general comments must be residents or taxpayers or do business with the city.
At the time, Hilligoss said that he did not foresee any further revisions to the public comments format. He cited the tumult over the previous debate Tuesday night as a reason for voting against the resolution, even as he defended Gibson against charges that the proposal sought to stifle public participation.
“I have an unshakable concern that our solution may create more problems,” Hilligoss said. “I've given it a lot of thought. I think it's a well-written proposal, but even so, I'm not comfortable voting for it.”
In addition to the general comment period, citizens are allowed to speak during discussions of agenda items.
Gibson promoted the revised format, based on one used by the Charlotte County Commission, as ensuring that the opening segment of meetings is devoted to matters that he and his fellow commissioners can actually address. During last week’s work session, commissioners noted that public comments sometimes venture toward such topics as American history, religious beliefs, climate change, the United Nations and electric vehicles.
Gibson spoke in a mocking tone of calls to “come together” and “get along,” saying that action was needed to address divisive speeches during the comments section. He implied that the tension arising at meetings spurred City Manager James Slaton to begin seeking another job — though he has since said he is staying in Lake Wales.
If the proposed format proved unsatisfying, commissioners could always change it, Gibson said.
Thompson forcefully supported the measure, suggesting that the general comments section at meetings has been infused with speeches on irrelevant topics.
“It’s been said up here that it’s not about the commissioners, it’s about the citizens,” Thompson said. “No, it’s about both. This doesn’t work without both. And it’s important that we realize that. I'm not wanting to create an us-against-them thing, but seriously — can we take care of the business that needs to be taken care of?”
Gillespie warned that if the proposal were adopted, Hilligoss would be in the position of determining whether citizen comments were drifting away from city business and needed to be cut off.
Mixed views from public
Before the vote, commissioners heard from several citizens with divergent views of the proposal.
Charlene Bennett, a frequent critic of the panel, said that commissioners have an obligation to hear what residents have to say. Just because a subject is not on the agenda does not make it irrelevant to city business, she said.
“You sound like you’re suffering from citizen comments and you need to be relieved,” Bennett said.
Juanita Zwaryczuk, also opposing the resolution, said that residents sometimes spoke about such topics as climate science in response to what she called “provocative misinformation” issued by former City Commissioner Danny Krueger during his time on the commission.
Becky Wynkoop said that she did not necessarily oppose the measure but asked commissioners to postpone a vote and examine the resolution for any unclear language.
Ann Richards spoke in favor of the proposal.
“I've been attending commission meetings for approximately 18 to 24 months, maybe a little longer, and during that time, I've sat through multiple meetings of hearing nothing for 30 to 45 minutes that pertained to the agenda,” Richards said. “And more than once, multiple times, the comments were rude, verbally abusive, glib innuendo and misinformation.”
Glynnda White, a Winter Haven resident who often speaks at the meetings, urged commissioners to adopt the change in format.
“The removal of permission to level personal attacks against the commission is long past due,” White said. “It is a very sad thing that citizens of Lake Wales have engaged in such hateful behavior, spurred on by groups that wish to destroy. This move will curb that destructive behavior and hopefully remove their destructive presence from these meetings.”
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.
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