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Council adopts standard for Citizens Forum: two-minute limit and decorum rules
Summary
Paris City Council adopted a formal policy for public speaking at Citizens Forum that sets a hard two-minute time limit per speaker, prohibits time ceding, and authorizes the chair to remove disruptive attendees; the policy passed 5-0.
The Paris City Council adopted a policy tightening rules for public comment at Citizens Forum, including a firm two-minute time limit per speaker, a prohibition on ceding time to other speakers and procedures for dealing with disruptive conduct.
Staff reviewed workshop discussion and presented a draft policy that leaves the forum open to comments on any city business while making the chair responsible for determining whether remarks stray from municipal matters. The policy outlines a three-stage enforcement process: a warning to stop disruptive behavior, a directive to leave if the conduct continues and a request to remove a person who refuses to comply. The draft also references occupancy limits under fire code law and notes that disrupting a public meeting can be a criminal offense.
Council members said the purpose of the policy is to preserve decorum and ensure meetings can complete their agenda; they reviewed examples from other cities but rejected a pre-registration requirement. The council approved the policy on a 5-0 vote and directed staff to post and implement the rules for future meetings.
