COMMENTARY
“A few showmen who have an insatiable appetite for attention should not be allowed to eclipse the people’s business.”
MARK SCHUMANN
Increasingly, at least a few Vero Beach City Council members say they are finding themselves withered and exhausted, once general public comment time has ended and they are finally able to turn their attention to scheduled Council business.
Because a recent change in Florida law ensures the opportunity for public input on each agenda item requiring Council action, the time has come for the Vero Beach City Council to follow the lead of the Indian River County Commission and the City of Sebastian in scheduling general public comments later in the meeting – after public hearings and before charter officers’ and council members’ matters.
As vital as it is to provide opportunity for public input, it is equally important to allocate sufficient time and mental energy to property address the people’s scheduled business by taking care of first things first.
The likes of Joseph Guffanti, Brian Heady and Charlie Wilson seem to think the chief reason for holding city council meetings is to give them a regular opportunity to parade before the cameras, where they can publically download whatever happens to be on their minds.
In truth, the city council meets to conduct the public’s business in the open, where all can hear everything that is said. (One notable exception would be the almost constant stream of side comments and snide remarks Councilwoman Pilar Turner makes under her breath during what are supposed to be public meetings. In fact, when Turner communicates with Mayor Richard Winger under her breath during a city council meetings she may well be violating Florida’s open government laws.)
Nowhere in the City Charter does one find any indication council meetings are to be held primarily as gripe sessions for a few incurable malcontents; and certainly council meetings are not to be campaign events held at public expense. To the person, the gentlemen to whom I earlier referred have either served on the City Council and lost re-election, have had their seat taken away by court order, or have run unsuccessfully.
Over the years, Vero Beach’s leaders have allowed grandstanders like Guffanti, Heady and Wilson to poison the tone and spirit of public discourse by hijacking public meetings for their own motives, be it for political gain, entertainment, or the gratification of some inexplicable emotion need. The fundamental question is whether the purpose of public business meetings is to conduct the people’s business, or to provide therapy for a few individuals who crave attention.
Every organization is challenged to keep the main thing the main thing; and the principal purpose of city council meetings is to attend to the people’s business. A few showmen who have an insatiable appetite for attention should not be allowed to eclipse the people’s business.
In addition to assigning public comment its proper place later on the council meeting agenda, Mayor Richard Winger should more strictly enforce the rules governing decorum, as written in City Code. The days when Charlie Wilson and others are allowed to abuse their privilege to address the council by launching mean-spirited, unfounded, personal attacks should be over. Enough is enough!
If we are to keep Vero Vero, a few shameless self-promoters and grandstanders cannot be allowed to continue to poison public discourse by abusing public comment time.
Indian River Guardian 
It can safely be said that Public Comment is out of control. Apparently it is politically unacceptable for the elected officials to address it. I hereby challenge Wayne Coment and Peggy Lyon to propose a viable method to muzzle the trio who sing off key at every council meeting. The are genuinely interfering with the process of government. The discussion of the sale of the power plant has been reduced to minimal facts, plenty of feelings, political posturing and whopping falsehoods. It must stop and stop now.
Vic, The challenge, I think, it not to “muzzle” grandstanders, but to provide reasonable limits and restriction on public comment. Everyone should be allowed an opportunity to speak, but the subjects that can be property address during general public comment time, and the time each individual is allotted to make their points, should be defined and appropriately limited.
Emails and letters to our City Council are a good alternative. Everyone gets a copy and it’s public record. It’s nice to visit our CC in person on occasion, but it’s also advisable to let them get their work done before their thinking gets sluggish from all the time taken up by ranters and ravers.
We always fought the line between real comment, useful or not, and the grandstanding intended only to annoy and provoke being thrown out. Heady always celebrated with he was escorted out by police, even after spending time in jail for disrupting meetings.
You are correct, the most important thing in the meetings is doing the city’s business, and those who want to address ANY issue can write, email or personally speak to any council member. First Amendment is not stifled by limiting the grandstanding, and it is a bogus argument to say otherwise.
The use of the phrase “poison the tone and spirit of public discourse” is apt. Also, your suggestion about public comments being last on the agenda is a good one..
The current situation is such that it is not serving the taxpayers’ right and the need to know what the elected officials are doiing on their behalf. My biggest fear ithough is that the current situation is so negative that it might cause capable citizens from deciding against campaigning for public office so that they can contribute their time and talents to improve our little slice of paradise.
Hey we all agree these three guys are trash but articles about them just empower them. They should be ignored. Don’t shine the spotlight on them to make them feel relevant. They’re losers and they don’t need any recognition for that.