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City Council restores prior public-comment process, approves sign-up and question rules
Summary
At a late meeting, the City Council voted to restore its prior public-comment sign-up process, set a 4 p.m. sign-up deadline for a 5:30 p.m. public-comment block, and approved a rule allowing members of the public to pose questions that councilmembers generally will not answer on the spot, citing Open Meetings Act limits.
The City Council voted to restore its previous public-comment procedures and to clarify how members of the public may ask questions during meetings, approving three related items after extended discussion.
The measures reinstate the long-standing practice of allowing unscheduled public comment on agenda items, require sign-up for the 5:30 p.m. comment block with a 4:00 p.m. cutoff, and adopt a rule that members of the public may pose questions at meetings but that councilmembers generally will not answer them on the spot because of Open Meetings Act restrictions.
Councilmember Rachel Caballero, District 1, told the council that requiring sign-ups for agenda items had added “too much” bureaucracy and urged a return to the prior system. “We’ve never had to sign up to speak on the agenda items. We should not have to…
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