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Clemson council considers clarifying public‑comment rules, including advance sign‑up and discretionary extensions
Summary
Councilors advanced proposed amendments to the city’s public‑comment policy that would permit advance sign‑ups, clarify when comments relate to agenda items, and retain council discretion to extend comment time for high‑interest issues; staff will continue refining language and publish guidance.
Councilors on Monday reviewed proposed amendments to Chapter 2‑44C, the city’s public‑comment rules, that would formalize advance sign‑ups, keep a three‑minute limit per speaker, allow the presiding officer to extend time when warranted, and encourage—but not require—speakers to avoid repetitive remarks.
Council member Lillian Boatwright, who led the subcommittee drafting the changes, said the revisions aim to make meetings more organized while preserving the public’s right to be heard. “We felt that it would be wise to open up the door before meetings begin and then allow people to sign up ahead of time,” Boatwright said, describing a retained default 30‑minute public‑comment block with council discretion to extend when public interest justifies it.
Why it matters: Several recent meetings drew large turnouts on hot‑button items. Council members said clearer procedures and printed guidance would reduce repetitive statements, help the meeting run more efficiently and allow staff to publish written public comments for review. Some residents, however, emailed objections to any perceived limit on speaking time and urged council not to restrict public input.
Proposed changes and council feedback
- Advance sign‑up: The draft would permit citizens to sign up before a meeting so staff can read the sign‑up list and recognize speakers in order. The council discussed using the MyCivic app for written comments while preserving in‑person speaking rights. - Time limits and extensions: The draft maintains three minutes per speaker and a default 30‑minute public‑comment period; council retains discretion to extend the block where warranted. Boatwright and other councilors said in hot‑button cases council will routinely extend time rather than cut citizens off. - Redundancy guidance: The subcommittee proposed guidance asking speakers to avoid repeating previously stated points to widen the breadth of testimony; some councilors cautioned about phrasing such guidance so it does not chill free speech in the public forum. - Written submissions: Council discussed publishing written MyCivic submissions with staff responses or summaries so members and the public can review them ahead of decisions.
Public input cited in the meeting
Two emailed comments read into the record opposed restricting public comment. Jenny Harmon wrote that limiting public comment “would limit those rights” and urged council to listen regardless of meeting length; another commenter suggested special meetings for high‑interest topics or better use of the MyCivic app.
Next steps
Councilors directed staff to continue refining the draft language, prepare printed guidance that could appear on the back of meeting agendas, and ensure the ordinance text makes clear the council’s discretion to extend public comment when necessary. No ordinance vote occurred on March 17.
