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VIDALIA, La. — The Vidalia Board of Aldermen adopted a resolution on Tuesday establishing Rules of Order for the conduction of town meetings.

Mayor Buz Craft said the resolution follows Roberts Rules of Order – which the town was already doing — while also establishing guidelines for how the public can be addressed and allowed to comment on agenda items during the meeting.

By law, public comments are allowed on agenda items at the beginning of each meeting, usually at a limit of 3 minutes per person. But Craft said the public can also raise their hand and be recognized at any point during the meeting if they have a comment or question about an agenda item being discussed.

The ordinance says “personal attacks, profanity or threatening language toward elected official, staff or members of the public are prohibited” and that a recess can be called to remove a disruptive person from the meeting.

“One of the things I value is for us to have open debate and open dialogue on anything we’ve got on our agenda,” Mayor Buz Craft said. “And I believe we should all be respectful to one another as we have these discussions.”

The ordinance was approved Tuesday by a vote of 3-2. Aldermen Tommy Probst and Robert Gardner voted no and Aldermen Jon Betts, Tron McCoy and Brent Smith voted yes.

Gardner said he had concerns about whether the ordinance violates citizens’ and aldermen’s right to free speech.

Where other municipalities allow time for each alderman to give a report on things going on in their district, Gardner said, “It appears the aldermen are being silenced.”

Gardner added, “Presiding officers should not be allowed to have authority to remove an official from a meeting unless the environment becomes hostile. If your environment does become hostile, approval will need to come from the board and not the presiding officer, him or herself. The definition of hostile needs to be written out. Just because people don’t agree does not give one the authority to throw an elected official out of a meeting.”

Probst questioned why the ordinance was suddenly being brought up when officials were already following Roberts Rules of Order.

“I’ve been here eight years and I can get fired up. At what point does being fired up amount to being disruptive? I’ve told you all before to take me out of here in handcuffs because I’m not going to shut up and I’ve said that more than once. But I’m going to speak my peace and say what I need to say,” Probst said. “I’ve gotten sneered at for a lot of different things I’ve said and I’ve stood for it.”

Betts said he was in favor of the rules listed in the ordinance because they are or should be being followed already.

“The reason for it now is everyone now is put on notice,” Betts said. “If it were me — if I were mayor, I would have done this a lot sooner.”