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North Bend council adopts new meeting rules: public comment limited to single 3‑minute period
Summary
On April 1 the council adopted Resolution AB25‑028, rescinding Resolution 957 and establishing new council rules that place public comment into a single period before agenda items, limit remarks to three minutes and allow each participant one turn; the measure passed 6–1 after debate about remote participation and consent‑agenda procedures.
The North Bend City Council adopted a resolution on April 1 that reestablishes council meeting procedures and limits public comment to a single public‑comment period at the start of regular meetings. The resolution (AB25‑028) rescinds Resolution 957 and was approved 6–1.
Why this matters: the change will concentrate all public comment on agenda and non‑agenda items into one period before council addresses agenda items (public hearings remain separate). Each speaker is limited to three minutes and may speak once during that period; the resolution says this aligns comment opportunities with the Open Public Meetings Act and the council’s goal of more expeditious meetings.
City staff summarized the changes and said the Finance and Administration Committee reviewed the proposal on March 11. The staff summary repeated several procedural points: public comment will be allowed consistent with the Open Public Meetings Act, public hearings will still include separate participation time, speakers will be allowed one turn and will be limited to three minutes.
Council debate was substantive. Councilmember Christina Rustic said the change “is not meant to stifle any public comment, but to allow more focused comment and consideration for the public’s time at the beginning of our meeting.” Rustic said she welcomes emails and calls from residents and expects the new procedure to let people speak without waiting through lengthy agendas.
Several public speakers opposed the change. Michael Thomas, a frequent commenter, told the council the new rule “shouldn't be passed as is” and that moving public comment to the start of the meeting will “diminish citizen opportunity for engagement.” Thomas said the proposal removes public access to staff introductions that currently occur before comment and warned that a single three‑minute period will be insufficient for people who want to comment on multiple agenda items. He also urged clearer procedures for the consent calendar and stronger accommodations for remote participants, noting he has experienced poor audio and other problems while participating remotely.
Councilmember Bridal Elwood said she shared concerns about limiting opportunity to respond to multiple agenda items and voted against the resolution. Other council members, including Mark Jocelyn and Errol Trimalata, said the change should encourage broader participation by letting people speak early and leave when necessary.
Action taken: Motion to approve AB25‑028 was made by Councilmember Alan Gothel, seconded by Councilmember Christina Rustic. Vote tally recorded in the meeting: Yes — Mark Jocelyn, Alan Gothel, Heather Cohen, Christina Rustic, Susan Torgerson, Errol Trimalata (6). No — Bridal Elwood (1). The motion passed 6–1. The resolution rescinds Resolution 957 and establishes the updated rules of procedure described above.
Ending: Councilmembers said staff will post the updated rules and that public hearings and other statutory opportunities remain intact; some members and public commenters asked staff to return with clarifications about consent‑agenda handling and remote participation procedures.
