Council moves public comment to start of agenda, sets 30‑minute limit and other rules
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
Council announced a procedural change to citizen communications: public comments will come before the consent calendar and public hearings, with a 30‑minute time limit, three‑minute speaking slots, priority for Gilbert residents/business owners/property owners, and a ban on donating speaking time and on clapping or recorded materials.
At the Sept. 9 meeting the Gilbert Town Council announced a new procedure for citizen communications that takes effect immediately: public comment will appear before the consent calendar and public hearings, will be capped at 30 minutes overall, and each speaker will have three minutes. Overflow speakers will be heard after the public hearings if the 30‑minute limit is exceeded.
Vice Mayor Bobby Buckley described the new rules and the reasons staff and council adopted them, stressing decorum and that council members are unable to respond to public comments during the meeting due to state law. The vice mayor said speaking priority will be given to Gilbert residents, business owners and property owners, donated speaking time will no longer be allowed, and the council will not permit recorded materials, moments of silence or applause during meetings.
A single public speaker, Noah James Markham of Tempe, used his allotted time to urge more disability‑awareness training for police officers and to thank the police, fire and paramedic services for disability identifiers on vehicles. Markham said he has felt fearful around law enforcement because of his lifelong disability and asked for more education and understanding. He also asked the town to address a sewer odor he said exists in parts of Gilbert.
Discussion vs. decision: the item was presented as an announced procedural change rather than a formal ordinance or rule vote during the meeting; staff said the change is effective immediately and outlined operational details for implementation. The council did not vote on the procedure on the record during this session.
Practical details announced: the public comment segment will be 30 minutes, speakers have three minutes, priority will be given to Gilbert residents/business owners/property owners, donating speaking time is prohibited, recorded materials and applause are disallowed, and speakers must state their name and city for the record. The vice mayor noted that, under state law, the council cannot respond to public comments during the meeting.