County commissioners discussed the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union’s suggested language changes for Freeborn County’s meeting rules Tuesday.

Sections of the rules are the subject of a lawsuit with the MCLU over whether the rules are unconstitutional.

Two portions of the rules in question allow board members to ban people from speaking in front of the board if they go over a time limit, speak on a topic more than twice in one year, try to engage commissioners in conversation, or make “personal, impertinent, offensive, slanderous, quarrelsome, challenging, profane, abusive or boisterous remarks tending to reasonably alarm, arouse anger or cause resentment in others.”

Commissioners met in a closed session for the discussion and said they would not comment publicly about the lawsuit, other than to say they discussed the suggested language.

In other county news:

– &uot;I think people object more to advertising than taxes,&uot; Freeborn County Commissioner Dan Springborg said about the possibility of advertising in the Freeborn County Courthouse.

Freeborn County Maintenance Manager Randy Jensen presented a proposal for the possibility of framed advertising, common in restaurant bathrooms, as a possible revenue source for Freeborn County.

He said he has discussed the possibility with a local advertiser, who would like to start with about three ads, for $15 a month per ad.

Freeborn County Administrator Ron Gabrielsen said the number of signs could be as high as 10, and would be limited to bathrooms except for two in the hall.

He suggested the ads only advertise local businesses, and thinks they would likely be ads for lawyers and bondsmen. He said it would be a small bit of revenue, but would ultimately lower the county’s tax levy.

– The Freeborn County Commission passed a motion of intent to merge South Central Community Action Partnerships with Southeastern Minnesota Citizens’ Action Council.

SCCAP lost half of its funding through state and federal cuts this year. Bruce Hartert, executive director of SEMCAC, asserted SCCAP’s three-unit shelter and office will remain open.

(Contact Tim Sturrock at tim.sturrock@albertleatribune.com, or call 379-3438.)