Divided Brazos County commission defeats a proposal to change public comment rules

This podcast contains comments from the July 15, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.A proposal to change public comment rules during Brazos County commission meetings was defeated in a divided vote.Click HERE to read and download the proposed changes that were not approved at the July 15, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.Acting county judge Kyle Kacal summarized the changes. The proposal included reducing the amount of time per person from four to three minutes. There would have been a maximum of 30 minutes per topic, divided evenly between proponents and opponents of the item. He also wanted in writing; the current practice of public speakers being recognized before beginning their comments. Disruptive behavior such as physical and verbal outbursts would not be tolerated. The only time applause would have been allowed according to Kacal, was when "the court recognizes an individual and/or group with a proclamation, resolution, or for other meritorious action."Kacal and the commissioners then heard from nine speakers for 35 minutes, who were all opposed to the changes.Supporting Kacal's proposed changes was Wanda Watson.Voting no were Fred Brown and Chuck Konderla.Bentley Nettles, who was participating via Zoom, abstained because he said he did not hear the comments of four of the nine public speakers who were opposed to the proposed changes.Later in the meeting, Brown and Kacal invited in person visits from constituents.Brown said it took six weeks after he took office to be contacted by someone who he thought was a constituent, and it turned out to be a woman from Grimes County wanting someone to pick up a dead dog. Brown added, "I sit up there in my office, and I look at my phone thinking maybe somebody will call me. And then I watch the door and I'm thinking maybe someone will come in and talk to me."Kacal echoed Brown, saying he has an open door policy and he prefers meeting in person instead of by e-mail or text.