Speak up | A nagging issue at borough council meetings has been one that’s been voiced somewhat consistently: persons in the audience often cannot hear what’s being said by councillors and others in the front of the room. Among the guidance in Lancaster City’s “Video Policies & Procedures” is this: “Require officials and audience members to speak directly into microphones.”

As far back as 2012 | Columbia news, views & reviews observed:

“You will wonder why there are microphones in front of the elected “public servants” and they’re not used! You’ll wonder why there is apparent undecipherable “mumbling” … especially when so many of the concerned citizens who show up for these meetings are wearing hearing aids.”

Rules of decorum | OPINION: The borough councillors, interim borough manager and solicitor began to lay out their objectives at last Tuesday’s meeting. A foundation for the path to achieving them is consistency and transparency. Citizens are confused when one thing is said and another is done.

For instance, Columbia Borough Councillors passed a “Motion to approve Resolution 2019-07 Protocols and Rules of Decorum for Public Meetings.” at the February 23, 2019 council meeting. Yet, that Resolution does not appear yet on the e-codes RESOLUTIONS Webpage.

Where, then, will citizens find the rules of decorum? Citizens might expect to find them at the Borough Website. Or use the search engine there? Alas, that won’t work. They’re not with the meeting packet for the February 23 meeting … but the DRAFT version is included with the February 12, 2019 meeting packet.

Finding information at a municipal Website ought not be a complicated chore.

Here’s where you can | view and/or download that DRAFT version of Columbia’s “rules of decorum.”

Years earlier | Elizabethtown passed Resolution 2013-7 adopting Rules of Decorum for Public meetings; and citizens can find it by entering “rules of decorum” into the search bar at the Elizabethtown Website. Then again, Elizabethtown has a superior Website using the CivicPlus platform.

“Ban or Regulate Kratom? | State Lawmakers Weigh Approaches to Herbal Supplement” – Route Fifty

SAVE THE DATE | MARCH 7