Personally, I am not fan of the new public comment period set for the Amarillo City Council.
I understand why the new restrictions were put into place. And I can see the benefit of being more strict during the comment session. However, I do not believe that the new restrictions, which are being put into place, do the job that the Council is intending.
The end of the meeting free comment period is very important because it allows citizens to react to what they have witnessed. It also allows residents to freely react to the flow of comments, to make sure that the Council hears their opinions.
These are a few reasons that the comment period should stay the same as the previous way.
On a related note, I would also like to recognize Mayor Paul Harpole for keeping control of public comment during the recent meetings. While I typically disagree with the mayor, he seemed to be right on target during the recent meetings.
-C. Thomas Warren III, Editor-In-Chief
