Occupy Utica Protestors May Have Pressured Common Council to Change Rules
By: Jennifer Lee
Updated: November 4, 2011
Occupy Utica protestors may have changed the way things are
done in Utica's Common Council meetings.
Occupy Utica protestors showed up at the Common Council meeting last Wednesday to raise issues and concerns about their city. But, the protestors were denied a chance to speak.
Councilman Frank Vescera says they were denied because the public must speak about pending legislation that's already on that meeting's agenda.
Usually the public can speak at the end of the meetings. But Councilman Vescera has been lobbying to have the public speak before the meetings to raise issues on pending issues as well as have the public speak after meetings on general topics.
"Occupy Utica, they brought this back on the front burner the other night on how important it is to have this second public comment. Because they weren't allowed to speak on other issues they wanted to talk about because Council rules were that it's only for pending legislation," said Vescera.
Mr. Vescera says his proposal to reform the public speaking portions will be addressed at the next Common Council meeting.
As the public is always invited Occupy Utica protestors are urging all citizens to come to the next occupy common council event on November 16th.
Occupy Utica protestors showed up at the Common Council meeting last Wednesday to raise issues and concerns about their city. But, the protestors were denied a chance to speak.
Councilman Frank Vescera says they were denied because the public must speak about pending legislation that's already on that meeting's agenda.
Usually the public can speak at the end of the meetings. But Councilman Vescera has been lobbying to have the public speak before the meetings to raise issues on pending issues as well as have the public speak after meetings on general topics.
"Occupy Utica, they brought this back on the front burner the other night on how important it is to have this second public comment. Because they weren't allowed to speak on other issues they wanted to talk about because Council rules were that it's only for pending legislation," said Vescera.
Mr. Vescera says his proposal to reform the public speaking portions will be addressed at the next Common Council meeting.
As the public is always invited Occupy Utica protestors are urging all citizens to come to the next occupy common council event on November 16th.
