Mayor Callaghan: Public comments at public hearing no longer kept to 5 minutes

State Rep Cliff Newton, left, and Mayor Paul Callaghan (Callaghan, Rochester Vioce file; Newton, Courtesy)

ROCHESTER - Rochester's mayor reversed course on Tuesday saying he will drop his former edict that public comment at public hearings be restricted to five minutes.
"I'm going to replicate what the State House does which was proposed by Representative (Cliff) Newton and others which is unlimited time," Mayor Paul Callaghan said.
Newton, who represents Strafford 6, said today he was pleased with the mayor's decision and said it was likely a combination of pressure he received at recent meetings along with constant coverage of the issue in The Rochester Voice that brought him to this moment.
"I think it was a combination of what happened in your paper and what we said at the meetings," Newton told The Rochester Voice today. "I think it's great that he is starting to respect due process."
Callaghan said while he is eliminating the time limit, he expects speakers to be "respectfully brief, to the point and not repetitive."
"I'll certainly go back to five minutes if I feel it's warranted," he added.
Newton along with State Rep. Tom Kaczynski of Strafford 22 have both at times exceeded the five-minute limit in recent months in defiance of the five-minute limit, saying it is trampling on their due process.