The Bothell board meeting last Tuesday completely changed how I think about public comment

I went to the city council meeting at Bothell City Hall expecting the usual 3-minute time limit for speakers. I was there to talk about the proposed changes to parking near the library. Right before my turn, a guy got up and went way over his time, ranting about something totally unrelated to the agenda. The mayor had to cut him off, and by the time I got to speak, they were rushing everyone and I barely got my main point out. Now I'm writing everything down and practicing to keep it under 2 minutes, just in case. Has anyone else had to completely rework how they prepare for these meetings because of one bad experience?

3 comments

3 Comments

brown.gavin2mo ago

Always prepare for the worst.

aaron8842mo ago

Yeah but if you're always bracing for disaster, you might miss the good stuff right in front of you.

kelly_west742mo ago

Honestly, this reminds me of what happened to my friend Jess. She spent so long planning for every possible thing that could go wrong with her wedding, she barely enjoyed the actual day. Her cousin had to literally grab her phone out of her hand during the reception to get her to dance. Now she says she barely remembers the cake she spent months worrying about, but she can't stop laughing about that one dance. Kind of makes you think, right?

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