Resident urges consistent three-minute public-comment rule, donates buzzer; commission says it will consider suggestion

John Gidoux used the public-comment period at the Feb. 6 Dunedin City Commission meeting to raise procedural concerns about how the three-minute speaker limit is applied. Gidoux said the agenda promises speakers a full three minutes but cited meetings where some speakers were allowed extra time while others were cut off at three minutes; he said the clock sometimes starts when staff asks for the speaker’s name rather than when the speaker begins substantive remarks.

Gidoux recommended the clock should start when the speaker actually begins speaking on the topic, not when the speaker provides name and address or greets the dais. He also suggested staff provide a 15-second verbal warning at 2 minutes, 45 seconds and use a louder buzzer to signal the end of time; he offered to donate a buzzer to the city. The mayor thanked him and said the commission would “absolutely consider” his comments.

No formal action was taken; the item was a public comment and the mayor acknowledged the concern and said staff would review the suggestion.

Why this matters: Public comment procedures affect perceived fairness and transparency at public meetings. The resident’s request for consistent timing, audible warnings and clearer start rules addresses administrative practice rather than a code change; staff-level implementation could respond to the request without a commission ordinance.

Next steps: The mayor said staff would consider the request; the transcript does not record a formal directive or policy change.