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Council amends rules to standardize public-comment time and adopts updated rules
Summary
The council adopted resolution 32173, updating internal council rules and, by amendment, standardized public-comment timing: under the amendment, if 30 or fewer speakers are signed up each gets 2 minutes, up to 60 speakers get 1 minute each, and the presiding officer retains discretion when more than 60 speakers attend.
The Seattle City Council on July 29 adopted revised council rules in resolution 32173 after a committee review and a floor amendment that standardized public-comment timing. The resolution passed 8-0.
Council member Strauss offered and the council adopted amendment A to clarify public-comment procedures. Strauss said the amendment would reduce unpredictability for speakers by setting defined time allotments: 2 minutes each when 30 or fewer people are signed up, 1 minute each for up to 60 people, and presiding-officer discretion when more than 60 sign up. The floor discussion noted the council's prior practice of extending a 20-minute public-comment limit and the desire to provide predictability.
Council president Sarah Nelson and other members said the rules package resulted from months of internal work with central staff and the law department and that the 16 proposed rule changes were intended to improve council operations. Amendment A passed by roll call and the full resolution was then adopted as amended.
The transcript shows the council's intention to reduce discretionary changes during public comment and to provide clear advance notice to speakers about how much time they will have. The resolution supersedes the prior rules and includes the amendment's procedural standards for public comment; implementation will be internal to council operations and presiding officers' procedures.
