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Portage council adopts broader public-comment policy, removes residency restriction
Summary
The Portage Common Council on April 21, 2025, approved a revised public-comment policy that removes residency restrictions, sets a five-minute time limit, and preserves the mayor/chair's authority to maintain order.
The Portage Common Council approved a substantially revised public-comment policy at its April 21, 2025, meeting, removing a residency-based restriction on who may speak at meetings and setting clearer time and behavior rules.
Council members said the change is intended to reduce legal risk for the city and make the public-comment process less bureaucratic. City Administrator Michael Boblick described the draft as "a much more liberal policy" that trims prior rules and eliminates a signature requirement on the appearance form.
Under the new policy, anyone who wishes to address the council, a board, committee or commission must complete a public-appearance form listing name, address and topic. Speakers are limited to five minutes on the…
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