Board Chair Linda Connor stated that those who signed up would be allowed to speak and would be limited to 2 minutes.
Board chair Linda Connor was about to open agenda item I when Deputy Executive Director Brian Francis suggested to her that she might want to combine agenda items I, J, K, and L. so that those who wanted to speak on multiple agenda items wouldn't have to get up and down.
Board Chair Linda Connor asked him if those who spoke would be limited to two minutes.
Deputy Executive Director Brian Francis said, maybe two minutes and 30 seconds, cause we're generous.
Board Chair Linda Connor then lumped all the agenda items together and called on those who wanted to speak. She didn't consult with the other board members or licensees who had signed up to speak before lumping all four agenda items together.
If the agenda had been followed, a licenseee who wished to comment on proposed rule changes would have had two minutes to speak on each of the four agenda items, or eight minutes total. By following Deputy Executive Director Brian Francis's suggestion, licenses were limited to two minutes for all four items.
All four agenda items were supposed to be discussions. Instead, discussions of four separate issues were preverted into two minute speeches. A two minute speech in no way a discussion.
Many of the licensees had traveled long ,and some had spent the previous night in a hotel, to attend the meeting, only to have there attendance and ideas trivialized.
