Changes Come to Robinson Commenting Policy, Meeting Time

Following weeks of complaints from residents, Robinson's Board of Commissioners approved a revised policy on commenting at public meetings that removed speaking restrictions. 

The board will now allow residents to address the board with topics not listed on the agenda of monthly meetings. 

In May, commissioners adopted a policy that required residents to sign in prior to meetings and limited public comment to agenda items only. Any other commenting was to be made after the meeting's adjournment. 

Resident threatened against the new policy, claiming it violated Pennsylvania Sunshine Laws. 

Board chairman Samuel Abatta said the former policy was legal, despite the board's decision to revise it. 

"Everything that we're doing is required and everything we are doing is written law—this is not a fly-by-night decision," Abatta said. "There were some tweaks that had to be made." 

Residents were able to comment on topics not listed on the agenda at Monday night's meeting, using the forum to deride the commission's stance on commenting. 

"I see that you've reversed some of our ill-advised meeting rules and I'm glad to see that," said former Commissioner Jerry Brouker at the meeting. "Quite a bit of that would have been avoided had we just not gone to that level of politics." 

Under the newly approved rules, residents must sign in prior to speaking and have a three-minute time limit to address the board. 

The board also moved to eliminate its 6 p.m. caucus meeting and begin each of its regular meetings at 7 p.m. The township's board meetings previously took place at unspecified time following the 6 p.m. caucus. 

Residents complained that not specifying a time for the meeting's was also a Sunshine Law violation. 

The board will now discuss new business items during its regular, 7 p.m. meeting.