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PROVO -- A contentious Provo Municipal Council meeting pitted the right to speak against the right to meet in private.
Each city council meeting includes a 15 minute public comment portion. Speakers are told to keep their comments to three minutes each. But the Daily Herald reports that this week, when the comment period ended, about seven or eight people were still waiting to talk.
One resident, Melanie McCoard, walked up to the council chairman and threatened litigation if the public comments were cut off.
Some council members called for a closed door meeting. But to make sure they didn't break any closed door meeting laws, they discussed the issue over the phone.
In the end the council allowed all the residents to talk for one minute each.
The first speaker had accused Councilman Steve Turley of "grossly and purposely (misusing) his public office for personal benefit." Other citizens spoke on various issues, many of them the council's recent amendment to a paving issue.
Video and audio of the council meeting can be found here.
Written with contributions from Randall Jeppesen.
