Supervisors re-inforce citizen comment time limit

The Board of Supervisors agreed to implement a new comment policy during the November 28, 2023 meeting. The Board met at the Botetourt County Administration Center at Greenfield in Amsterdam.

Chairman Mac Scothorn, who represents the Valley District, said that there would now be two public comment periods. The first, which would take place before the major business of the Supervisors, would allow the public to address only items on the current agenda. Any other concerns citizens have would be heard near the end of the meeting.

Scothorn also said the Board would from now on make the 3-minute speaking minute mandatory and would no longer allow people to talk over the time limit. In recent years, the Board has not enforced this provision with much efficiency, allowing citizens to talk sometimes for over 5 minutes or longer.

All of the Supervisors were in agreement with this change.                                                                                           Anita Firebaugh, Special to The Botetourt