COUNCILMAN MEMBERS TAYLOR AND BOWMAN RUN TIGHT SHIP AT YESTERDAY’S COUNCIL MEETING

It was the largest turnout for a Shreveport Council meeting in recent history, probably ever.  Every seat in the chambers at Government Plaza was filled and over 50 individuals had to stand in the lobby and view the meeting on the TV screen.
 
Council chair Tabatha Taylor set the tone from the beginning of the meeting. She announced the protocol to be followed and implemented additional measures to ensure the same:
 
1. No standing –and if no seat available  go to the lobby
 
2. Common courtesy expected and no shouting or interrupting speakers
 
3. Council attorney Marcus Edwards read the council rules on behavior
 
4. Persons acting out of order would be escorted out of chambers by law enforcement
 
5. No signs or handouts could be waved during the meeting—Caddo Commissioner had handed out opposition statements to be displayed
 
6. After each of the two recognition resolutions had been presented, she delayed the meeting briefly to allow those people to leave the chambers and for those waiting in the lobby to fill those seats
 
7. After the data center vote, she had a small group escorted out by the law enforcement who began yelling out of the chambers
 
8. Law enforcement was present after the meeting when the protesters were on the sidewalk outside the building contended protesting
 
9. People addressing the council had three minutes for comments
 
10. Additional law enforcement people in and out of the chambers.
 
Council vice chair Ursula Bowman called up people who had turned in requests to speak individually. She strictly enforced the three-minute rule, interrupting those who exceeded that time limit. Bowman enforced this rule over 10 times to the over 40 speakers equally.
 
Here is a partial list of people who were not allowed to finish statements because of the three-minute rule;
 
a.      Craig Lee
 
b.     Attorney Michael Busada
 
c.      Marvin Mohammed
 
d.     Chamber of Commerce president Tim Magner
 
e.      Rev. Theron Jackson
 
f.        Caddo Commissioner Grace Ann Blake
 
g.    Caddo Commissioner Ken Epperson.
 
No speakers were granted additional time to address the Council. Bowman’s actions expedited the comment session and provided fairness to all people without regard to their position on the proposed data center. Her direction was much needed and welcomed by all in attendance.
 
Hats off to these ladies for their progressive planning and implementation of measures that allowed for responsible public input without disrupting the orderly process of governments. This meeting, with the leadership of these two council members, has set a new and needed standard for actions during Council meeting.