Upcoming dates and locations regarding a countywide nondiscrimination ordinance were announced at Thursday’s Fiscal Court meeting.
According to Judge-Executive Al Mattingly, two public forums will be held, allowing individuals to speak to their stance on the ordinance, and a first and second reading will be held separately. A vote will be taken after the second reading, but public comments will only be heard at the public forums.
The schedule regarding the nondiscrimination ordinance is as follows:
First Public Forum: Jan. 30 at 6:30 p.m.
Owensboro Community & Technical College (Blandford Hall)
Second Public Forum: Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m.
Brescia University
First Reading: March 3 at 5 p.m.
Daviess County Courthouse, 2nd Floor Courtroom
Second Reading: March 19 at 5 p.m.
Daviess County Courthouse, 2nd Floor Courtroom
Mattingly said the number of people in attendance will determine the length of time each person gets to speak.
Though public comments will not be allowed during first and second readings, Mattingly said the public forums would give people plenty of time to get their points across.
“We will be there to listen to your concerns, and you’re certainly welcome to call, send emails, to write letters,” Mattingly said. “If we’re so crowded that you can’t get in, I will set up another public forum someway, somehow.”
Mattingly will moderate the public forums, and a sign-up sheet will be provided for those wishing to speak.
“I would hope that those groups — both for and against — would be respectful of your time, my time and each other’s time,” Mattingly said. “We may have an overflow crowd. We had 280 at one meeting — 100 at another — but they’re not going to all show up at the same time.”
If the public forums become too crowded, Mattingly said he hopes to set up overflow rooms with TV screens so that people can see what’s going on. Runners will let people know when it’s their turn to speak.
The public forums will be streamed via the OCTC and Brescia Facebook pages, Mattingly added.
