A change to College Park’s public comment policy is drawing criticism from the mayor and the leader of a disability justice organization, who say the move is unfair and restricts public participation.
As of council’s Jan. 5 meeting, the city no longer accepts emailed public comments, a practice that began in 2020 during the pandemic. Previously, emailed comments were read aloud during council meetings.
Under the revised policy, residents may now offer public comment only by appearing in person. The change comes as residents continue to raise concerns about a lack of transparency in city operations.
Richard Griffiths, a spokesman for the Georgia First Amendment Foundation, said the change violates the spirit of open government. Dom Kelly, founder and CEO of the justice organization New Disabled South, said the policy violates both the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.
“Open government is about the public being able to give their views, their insights, their feedback to what the government is doing,” Griffiths said. “To cut off email as a path for that [government] agency… reflects so poorly on the agency, and those that are running it.”
Kelly voiced his objections during Monday’s council meeting and said the city is opening itself up to a lawsuit.
Appearing in person, Kelly, who has cerebral palsy, said the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act require public entities to provide reasonable accommodations and electronic access for people with disabilities.
“There are many disabled people like me, with a range of other disabilities across the city, who can’t leave their homes like I can, but who deserve access to civic participation,” Kelly said.
Mayor Bianca Motley Broom said the city should provide access to everyone, “no matter their ability.”
There are other municipalities with similar public comment practices.
In the City of South Fulton, emailed comments are not part of city council proceedings. South Fulton Communications Director Shaheen Solomon said emailed comments are instead directed to individual council members or the city clerk.
In Sandy Springs, emailed comments submitted for the city council are posted online but are not read aloud during meetings.
For now in College Park, it’s unclear whether more city officials will respond to the latest concerns raised by residents.
I appreciate your insights on the public comment policy change! It’s crucial to ensure accessibility for all voices in our communities. How do you think we can better engage those who might feel left out?