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Those who wish to address City Hall may do so when published agendas allow – and that wasn’t the case when Sheboygan’s City Planning Commission met this past Tuesday. The group was considering whether or not to issue an extension to Kohler’s Conditional Use Permit to construct a golf course adjacent to Kohler-Andrae State Park, and one objector, Belle Rose Ragins, wanted to voice her opinion. She’d registered in advance to attend remotely because of a disability, but when she voiced her request to speak, she was refused by Mayor Sorenson who chairs the commission because the agenda didn’t include a public input opportunity. Ragins countered that she’d been told by a City Hall employee that 3-minute addresses are allowed, and after being refused, she filed a complaint under the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA.
We reached out to Mayor Ryan Sorenson for comment, and he responded that “Regrettably, a non-Sheboygan resident attending virtually repeatedly disrupted the proceedings, interrupting speakers and detracting from the commission’s focus and decorum.” He continued, “We respect and encourage public engagement, and we also uphold the rules that ensure our meetings are conducted in an orderly and constructive manner.”
Sorenson said that the distinction between a public meeting and a commission meeting is important, and while he says that the City was diligent in ensuring that all necessary accommodations were made to allow for that access, “…participation in a public meeting does not guarantee the right to speak without being formally recognized, which was clearly stated.”
While Kohler’s proposal was positively received by the Commission, the exact details of its disposition await publication of the meeting’s minutes.
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