As a way to immediately correct misinformation, Fredericksburg City Manager Kent Myers will begin responding to public comments at city council meetings.
“There is a lot of incorrect information that is being presented at our city council meetings,” Myers said. “The problem that I see is that some of our citizens may tend to believe some of this information if we don’t respond with correct, factual information.”
Myers alleged citizens provided incorrect information at the Oct. 18 regular meeting during the public comment section and the public hearing on the involuntary annexation of part of the Post Oak Road and West Live Oak Street area.
“All citizens have the right to offer their opinions, suggestions and complaints at our meetings,” he said. “And it should be noted that we value citizen input when it is presented in a factual, non-confrontational and constructive manner.”
He noted city staff will not respond in an argumentative manner, disagree or debate with a citizen, but will respond with accurate information when misinformation is presented.
“When I do not have the information available to completely respond to the comments, I will research their concerns and respond at the next council meeting,” he said.
With regard to any incorrect statements made during public hearings, city staff will also respond to these comments. When there is an action item related to the public hearing, staff will respond prior to the council taking action.
“For example, there were some incorrect statements made at Monday’s council meeting about our public notices regarding the proposed annexation,” Myers said. “Jason (Lutz, director of Development Services) will provide factual information at the second hearing on all of the notices we provided to property owners.”
According to the City of Fredericksburg City Council Rules of Procedure posted on www.fbgtx.org, city staff can provide factual information related to the subject, if possible, if directed by the mayor or any member of the city council. Staff may also research the aforementioned concern and report back to the council.
The presentation of misinformation has also hindered the city’s ability to livestream public meetings, as YouTube has removed streamed city council videos containing misinformation on vaccines in the past.
“Once again, it is not our goal to undermine public comments or minimize their importance,” Myers said. “However, lately these comments have tended to be less than factual and it is important that both the council and the public have the correct facts.”
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October 28, 2021 at 04:02AM
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City to correct false claims at meetings - Fredericksburg Standard
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