On March 19, I attended the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission public hearing for the proposed commercial district at Belle Meade on Route 24. This letter is not about the proposed C-4 district; it is about the behavior of the planning & zoning commissioners.
This was the first P&Z meeting I have attended. I was appalled to see the way that commissioners, our public officials, treated Sussex County citizens who came to speak at a public hearing. Commissioners argued with speakers and were dismissive of the points they were making.
At one point, commissioners attempted to redirect a speaker discussing whether this housing would be affordable for various target markets – not because the speaker was violating the rules for public hearings, but because the commissioners asserted that this was beyond the scope of the hearing.
After the meeting, when I commented on this behavior to other attendees, I was told that this was mild compared to the way they usually behave.
The purpose of a public hearing is to take input from the public on government activities. In any public hearing, the responsibility of public officials conducting the hearing is to listen to the public, not to argue with them. The speaker does not have to be an expert on topics related to the hearing. Citizens have the right to express concern about a proposal without being berated by officials conducting the hearing. Further, commissioners stated several times during the hearing, “We’ve heard enough about this topic.” The commission has an obligation to make itself aware of the breadth of public concern about a topic, and the number of speakers commenting on it, is a measure of this.
In public hearings before Sussex County Council, our elected representatives do not behave rudely to the public. But planning & zoning commissioners are appointed, not elected, and are accountable to no one. Maybe we should start electing, instead of appointing, our planning & zoning commissioners.
In any case, rude or antagonistic behavior toward county residents who speak at public hearings is unacceptable.
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