Fayette commission meeting disrupted, chairman to seek resolution
Heated verbal exchanges caused the disruption of the recent Fayette County commission meeting, with the chairman opting to recess the session after the initial encounter and departing the room following a second incident.
The recess was called after those taking to the podium to question actions to be approved by the officials on Thursday refused to abide by time limits set for offering public comment.
“I’ll take my seat when I’m done talking,” said Jeri Mazza after being advised by commission Chairman Al Ambrosini that the three minutes allotted for her comment had expired. “It is the public’s right to question their political leaders.
“We pay you to sit there and answer questions for us.”
Mazza and her husband, Ralph Mazza of Vanderbilt, are regular attendees at the commission meetings and most recently have been critical of the re-imposition of time limits for those wanting to address the officials.
Ambrosini’s use of the gavel several times to bring the meeting back to order and calm the tensions proved unsuccessful.
“This is not a police state,” said Ralph Mazza. “Everyone has the right to speak and express their opinion.
“You are still trying to take away the people’s rights that are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
“I don’t know what country you grew up in, but it certainly wasn’t the United States of America.”
Ambrosini responded that the commissioners also had the right to limit the time for public comment in order to allow them to conduct county business.
“No one has the right to be belligerent and to (levy) personal attacks,” said Ambrosini.
As Ralph Mazza continued to berate Ambrosini, the chairman again brought down the gavel and declared a five-minute recess, with both Ambrosini and Commissioner Vincent Zapotosky leaving the room.
While there was some discussion among the attendees whether Ralph Mazza would be removed from the meeting by the two security guards, he was not.
Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink remained in the room until solicitor Sheryl Heid was summoned to Ambrosini and Zapotosky’s location, and she then joined them.
During the second public comment period, held following the business portion of the meeting, both Ambrosini and Zapotosky left the room without taking formal action to adjourn the session.
Their departure coincided with additional criticism being levied on the two commissioners by Terry Kriss of Dunbar.
Zimmerlink said that, as the chairman, Ambrosini’s actions were not appropriate.
“Slamming one’s gavel down (and) shouting there is a five-minute recess in the middle of the public comment on (the) agenda items portion of the meeting without a vote and without a clearly stated reason is improper,” she said, adding that she encouraged the other officials and Heid to return to the meeting.
Zimmerlink said the abrupt departure at the end of the meeting was in conflict with Robert’s Rules of Order in calling for adjournment.
“I did not believe it was proper, whether one applies Robert’s Rules of Order or in exercising professionalism as an elected official,” she said.
Zapotosky, meanwhile, said that it is time to enforce the resolution that was adopted by a prior administration to limit public comment.
“I am an advocate of the First Amendment and giving everyone the opportunity to speak,” he said. “However, these meetings are turning into a circus, and that cannot go on.
“What happened to civility and respect for one another? We are not going to allow this to go on.”
Ambrosini admitted that the meeting was not properly adjourned.
“I said, ‘Meeting adjourned,’ on my way out the door,” he said. “I’ll be talking to our chief solicitor to determine what steps should be taken to close the (Thursday) meeting.”
Ambrosini said he will also discuss with Cupp what steps should be taken to curb the heated exchanges but to allow the public comment on the issues facing the county.
“These are business meetings and should be conducted as such,” he said.