Roskelley Abandons Formal Rules For Forums Commissioner Changes Mind, Decides He Can Maintain Decorum Without Written Policy

(From For the Record, May 6, 2000): Story wrong: Spokane County Commissioner John Roskelley’s electronic mail explaining why he chose not to implement formal guidelines at public forums was sent to a reporter and editor at The Spokesman-Review. A Thursday story about the issue stated the e-mail was sent to someone else.

The chairman of the Spokane County commissioners has decided not to adopt formal rules regulating the board’s twice-monthly public forums.

Commissioner John Roskelley said via e-mail Wednesday that he believes he can maintain decorum during the citizen-comment sessions without the “Spokane County Board of County Commissioners Procedural Guidelines for Public Forum.”

The one-page document contains eight policies on what citizens can address at the public forums and how they should conduct themselves.

The proposed rules would have precluded citizens from criticizing county officials by name and would have dictated that speakers be polite.

The county’s chief civil attorney, Jim Emacio, drafted the guidelines.

The forums are held at the end of the commissioners’ 5 p.m. meetings, which are scheduled the first and third Tuesdays of each month.

On Tuesday morning, the three commissioners decided, after some debate, that Roskelley could implement the rules if he wants to.

Roskelley spoke in favor of adopting the rules, while Commissioner Phil Harris spoke against them.

Harris later relented, saying Roskelley has the right to set guidelines for commissioners’ meetings because he is the chairman. Commissioner Kate McCaslin concurred.

“That’s absolutely right,” Roskelley said during Tuesday morning’s meeting, which was attended by the media.

Roskelley said in his e-mail memo to the commissioners on Wednesday that he had decided after Tuesday morning’s meeting not to exercise his authority in regard to the rules and had told Emacio not to distribute the guidelines at the Tuesday afternoon board meeting.

“After considering all the options, I felt as chair, it’s my responsibility to set the tone of the board meetings to reflect courtesy and respect for all those involved,” Roskelley wrote in his Wednesday memo. “It’s also my responsibility as chair to ensure that staff, management and elected officials are protected from personal attacks and agendas.

“I feel I can handle those situations without a `formal’ written policy, so chose not to use it.”