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Committee adopts rule that speakers shall not be restricted to less than five minutes
Summary
The committee added a charter provision stating that individuals recognized to speak during regular council meetings shall not be restricted to less than five minutes unless the chair grants additional time; the change is intended to ensure members of the public can present a full thought.
The Charter Review Committee adopted a provision to enshrine public-comment time in the charter, specifying that people recognized to speak during regular council meetings shall not be restricted to less than five minutes unless the chair grants additional time.
Committee members debated whether the charter should say a minimum or a maximum. Several members said that cutting a speaker to under three minutes can prevent them from completing a thought; others warned that unlimited time could allow repetitive or abusive remarks and extend meetings past reasonable hours.
After discussion the committee agreed on language that asserts recognition to speak “during any regular city council meeting shall be allowed no less than 5 minutes to address the city council unless additional time is granted at the discretion of the chairperson.” The committee voted in favor and recorded the ayes.
Members noted the distinction between public comment and public hearing rules and discussed how the charter language would interact with council rules that set operational limits. The committee decided the charter should protect a minimum speaking time while leaving chair discretion to limit or extend time depending on circumstances.
The committee forwarded the adopted public-comment language to the city council.
