At a recent Fountain Hills Town Council meeting, two members of the Phillippi family waited nearly four hours before they were finally able to address the Council under the revised Call to the Public process adopted by the current Council majority and Mayor Gerry Friedel. One spoke after waiting 3 hours and 59 minutes; the other after 4 hours and 2 minutes.
When the young woman approached the podium with her walker, roughly 30 seconds of her allotted three minutes had already passed before she was even able to begin speaking. After waiting nearly four hours for the opportunity to be heard, every second mattered. As Councilmember and mayoral candidate Brenda Kalivianakis attempted to raise the issue, Mayor Friedel immediately ended the exchange with a strike of the gavel and, “That’s enough.” Ironically, the speaker’s remarks centered on kindness and the importance of being heard as a first-time voter. Watch it all unfold HERE>
Resident Beth Culp—who previously prevailed in a defamation lawsuit against Mayor Friedel over false statements made about her—addressed both the mayor and the Council. She criticized what she described as inconsistent treatment of residents, selective adherence to meeting procedures, and a lack of respect for public participation.
Moving Call to the Public to the end of lengthy meetings has been criticized by opponents as discouraging public participation and making it more difficult for residents, especially critics of the Council majority, to speak before their elected officials.
As always, voters will ultimately decide the direction they want for Fountain Hills. Be informed, participate, and vote.
