DULUTH — Janet Kennedy has announced an end to remote public commentary at future City Council meetings, following a stream of antisemitic invective unleashed by speakers using pseudonyms when the body last convened.
The council president noted that relatively few public speakers have participated using the council’s online platform to date, and many of those that have were from outside the community.
“To promote civility and focus on local participation, the council has decided to discontinue online public comments going forward,” Kennedy said.
She stressed that other lines of communication with the council remain open, including email, postal service and telephone channels. Kennedy also noted that council chambers are accessible to people with disabilities, and special accommodations can be arranged.
“We’ll be making considerations and looking at this throughout my term, over the next couple months. But for now, that’s where we’re going to leave it,” Kennedy said.
Jed Carlson / File / Duluth Media Group
After Kennedy had announced the decision Thursday night, 1st District Councilor Gary Anderson requested she clarify that the council as a whole had not agreed to the policy change.
Kennedy confirmed that the change in policy had indeed been her decision, made after consulting with several fellow councilors and City Attorney Rebecca St. George. Kennedy explained that she did not talk to enough councilors to constitute a quorum, so as to avoid violating Minnesota’s open meeting law.
Anderson acknowledged Kennedy’s authority to institute the policy change and thanked her for the clarification.
At meetings of the Duluth City Council, members of the public are allowed up to three minutes of time to address councilors on pretty much any subject of their choice. Prior to the pandemic, this testimony needed to be made in person. But when public meetings needed to be suspended due to health concerns, the council switched to a remote online platform and began allowing virtual commentary via that channel.
As the pandemic eased, and in-person meetings resumed, at large councilor Arik Forsman, who then served as council president, said that he decided to allow for both in-person and remote public comment at a time when many people still felt uneasy about sharing public spaces.
But he voiced support for revisiting that decision in the wake of an
Oct. 30 meeting at which three back-to-back speakers engaged in antisemitic hate speech
, prompting Kennedy to cut them short.
Following the incident, Kennedy and Council Vice-President Roz Randorf issued a statement that said: “The Duluth City Council is upset and concerned after the Monday, Oct. 30, 2023 meeting when a handful of callers entered the forum remotely to spread hate, fear and ignorance.
“We believe that hate speech has no place in our city or within our council chambers. We unequivocally condemn these comments and will always fight against racism and antisemitisim in all its ugly forms.
“In 2008, the Duluth City Council adopted a governing policy called the Tools of Civility which promotes the use and adherence to the types of behaviors that will be acceptable when conducting the business of the council.
“The tools of civility provide increased opportunities for civil discourse leading to positive resolutions for the issues that face our city.
“These grounding principles include listening, being inclusive, refraining from gossip, showing respect for each other, seeking common ground, taking responsibility, using constructive language, and repairing damaged relationships.”
Peter Passi covers city and county government for the Duluth News Tribune. He joined the paper in April 2000, initially as a business reporter but has worked a number of beats through the years.
