Jamestown — Councilors and town staff spent much of a Jan. 7 workshop discussing how and when members of the public may speak at town meetings and whether to adopt clearer, uniform time limits and a sign‑up procedure.

Councilor Mary told attendees the meeting was a workshop and “there’s no voting tonight,” as the group debated changes to the rules and procedures that govern public comment. The conversation covered three separate ways people may address the council: scheduled “request to address” items, an open forum at the start of meetings, and speaking at the discretion of the council during discussion of an agenda item.

The discussion matters because unclear rules have previously lengthened meetings and led to disputes about fairness, councilors said. Staff and the town attorney repeatedly referenced the Open Meetings Act when describing legal limits on discussion of items not on the published agenda and cautioned against improvised votes or decisions during public comment.

Most councilors expressed support for keeping an early open forum so residents can attend, speak and leave without waiting through a long meeting. Several also favored continuing open forum at the end of the meeting when needed. Councilor Eric said the town should set expectations so people know “they’re clear with what the expectation is,” while other councilors warned against allowing open‑ended remarks that can “filibuster” and derail the agenda.

On specific proposals the council discussed:
- Sign‑up process: Councilors asked staff to test a voluntary sign‑in sheet at the back of the meeting room so the clerk can capture names and addresses and callers can be called in order. Staff said sign‑up should be optional and cannot be required as a condition of speaking.
- Deadlines for scheduling presentations: The draft rules suggested a deadline for “request to address” submissions. Councilors discussed moving between five and seven days before a meeting; some preferred retaining the existing five‑day standard.
- Time limits: A 10‑minute guideline was debated for scheduled “request to address” presentations; short open‑forum remarks drew suggestions ranging from three to ten minutes. Several councilors proposed a default per‑person limit for open forum tied to an overall time cap (for example, an initial 10–20 minute open forum that could be extended or continued to the end of the meeting).
- Speaking during agenda discussion: Councilors agreed that, if members of the public are allowed to speak while the council is discussing an agenda item, the council should take its own turn first (councilors speak, then public), and the chair should manage time so discussion does not become a back‑and‑forth exchange that prevents completion of the agenda.

Town staff and the attorney repeated that the Open Meetings Act prohibits deliberation or action on items that have not been properly noticed on the agenda; the town attorney described a real‑world example of that restriction and warned that treating public comment as a place to adopt or decide agenda items would risk an Open Meetings Act violation. He said that if a public speaker raises an item the council wants to address, the appropriate response is to direct staff to schedule it on a future agenda.

Councilors also discussed practical meeting mechanics: whether roll call needs to be conducted verbally (staff said no legal requirement), how to arrange the agenda order so open forum precedes public hearings, and adding a short preamble explaining the public‑comment process on agendas. Staff said they will produce a revised draft of the rules that incorporates the sign‑in idea, clarifies the “request to address” deadline (staff noted five days is the current rule), and proposes time‑limit language the council can discuss at a future meeting.

No motions or votes were taken at the workshop; councilors agreed to continue refining the draft and to return the rules for further consideration at a later meeting.