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Plano council votes 5–3 to restore in-person "comments of public interest" at start of meetings
Summary
After debate about audience convenience and meeting logistics, the Plano City Council voted to restore in-person 'comments of public interest' and to place them at the beginning of meetings; some councilmembers preferred delaying placement decisions until the next council but the motion to restore and move the item passed 5–3 by hand vote.
The Plano City Council voted 5–3 to restore in-person "comments of public interest" to the council meeting agenda and to place those comments at the beginning of regular meetings.
Council members Shelby and Casey (who jointly raised the item) said restoring in-person comments would preserve an opportunity for citizens to address council as a captive audience; they proposed time limits similar to other speaker periods. Opponents said the item had previously been moved to the end of meetings for valid reasons and expressed a preference to allow the next (incoming) council to decide placement.
Mayor Pro Tem and others suggested deferring logistical details (time limits, placement) to the new council; several council members said they would prefer comments at the start of meetings to avoid requiring members of the public to wait through lengthy agendas. After discussion the council took a hand vote on an immediate change to allow in-person public comments and to place them at the beginning of meetings; the chair announced the result as "Motion passes 5 3."
Council members and staff also discussed whether to allow remote (Zoom) participants; commissioners indicated they were open to allowing both in-person and remote comments but cautioned about technology delays. The council did not adopt a written amendment to the council-meeting rules at the meeting; members said staff would implement the change for upcoming meetings and that the new council could later revise logistics if it chooses.
The transcript records the motion and the hand vote count (5 in favor, 3 opposed). It does not record a roll-call list tying every vote to individual councilmembers. Staff noted the change would be implemented immediately for upcoming meetings and that remaining guardrails (time limits and written protocols) would be clarified later.
