St. Helens council posts clarification on public comment rules, meeting minutes and utility fee; public commenters press free‑speech concerns

City staff read a clarification memo on March 5 saying Oregon law does not generally require governing bodies to provide public testimony at work sessions and that written minutes need not be verbatim. The memo said the city’s operating rules nonetheless set visitor comments at work sessions and directed that regular-session visitor comments occur at the end of meetings. It also noted the council has taken no action to increase the public safety fee on utility bills.

The memo matters because several residents had raised questions about whether the council’s past practice gave the public a…