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Auburn council asks staff to draft options to give applicants time to present before public hearings
Summary
Councilman Kelly Griswold proposed allowing applicants to present outside the public‑hearing window (suggested limit: 10 minutes). The council asked City Manager Megan Crouch to prepare options and suggested a possible work session for further review.
Councilman Kelly Griswold asked the Auburn City Council on April 1 to consider revising its citizen‑input procedures so applicants can present more fully before the public‑hearing portion of agenda items.
Griswold said his "objective is to ensure that the applicant has sufficient time to present his proposal or development or whatever it happens to be in detail prior to going into the public hearing," and proposed a specific, limited period (he suggested 10 minutes as a starting point) for an applicant or the applicant's representative to present outside the standard public‑comment window.
City Manager Megan Crouch told the council that the current document governing comment timing is the council's adopted "citizen input procedures for agenda items other than public hearings," and that the council has the authority to change its own procedures. Crouch noted the 5‑minute limit for non‑hearing agenda items and said staff could provide options for the council to consider.
Several council members said they supported the idea of staff drafting options rather than adopting an immediate change. Some members suggested limiting any new presentation window to public‑hearing items only; others said further discussion in a work session would be useful. Councilmember comments also noted that the council already can ask applicants questions at any time and call them back for additional testimony.
By the end of the discussion the council directed staff to prepare draft language and alternatives for the council to review; council members also suggested the possibility of a short work session to go over options before placing a proposal on a formal agenda.
City Manager Crouch and staff agreed to prepare draft language and comparative examples from other municipalities for the council's review, and the council left the matter open for further consideration.
