Council chair and trainer discuss handling aggressive public comments
Council leaders and the trainer discussed how to maintain safety and decorum during public-comment periods, including use of 'point of order,' turning off microphones, involving security, and scripted de-escalation prompts. Trainer recommended offering a chance to de-escalate before escalating to security or ending the interaction.
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The chair described the council dais as an intimidating setup for public commenters and reviewed rules used to preserve order, noting a standard three-minute limit and the use of point-of-order prompts for off-topic or abusive remarks. The chair said staff sometimes must shut off a mic or call security when a commenter becomes abusive.
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