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Boulder council suspends live open comment for meeting, accepts emailed/audio submissions
Summary
The City Council voted 7–2 to suspend live open public comment for the evening’s meeting and invited written or recorded comments to be sent to the council.
The City Council voted to suspend live public comment during the meeting and asked residents to submit comments by email or audio recording instead.
Mayor Brockett made the motion to suspend council rules and to “suspend holding open comment during tonight's meeting.” A council member offered an amendment to limit the suspension to live or "live open comment" and to welcome comments submitted by email or audio recording. The mayor said staff had already emailed people who had signed up to notify them of the possible suspension and to invite written or recorded comments.
The nut graf: council described the move as intended to focus the meeting on city business amid a recent traumatic event, while at least one council member said suspending live comment would deny some people an important public‑facing opportunity to speak. The body voted by show of hands; the mayor announced the final tally as 7 in favor and 2 opposed, and the motion passed.
Council members who supported the motion said the intent was to balance public safety and orderly proceedings with opportunities for community feedback through other channels. In discussion, one council member said the city had sent notices to people signed up to speak and reiterated that emailed communications remain an available avenue for community input. One council member said they would vote no and said grieving community members should have the opportunity to speak in person; that comment was noted during the discussion but not attributed to a specific named vote in the public roll call.
The action was procedural for that meeting only. The mayor said the suspension applied to live, in‑person and virtual testimony for the evening and invited email or audio submissions instead. Staff had already notified those who were signed up and will accept and route emailed comments to council.
Ending: The council chair asked staff to proceed with the meeting agenda under the revised rules and reminded the public of the email/audio option for submitting comments.
