White House council votes to advance amendment to remove public forum from meeting agendas

The City of White House City Council on Jan. 28, 2025 voted to move forward a proposed amendment to its rules of procedure that would eliminate the recurring public forum section from regular meeting agendas.

Leslie Black explained the rationale, saying training and legal guidance had raised concerns about leaving an open public‑forum slot on the agenda. “There’s... legal action that’s already been taken on this, and it was proved to be... freedom of speech is covered under there because it is a public forum,” Black said, adding that removing the section would reduce the city’s exposure to disruptive or abusive speakers while preserving statutorily required comment periods on agenda items.

Council members discussed that many cities of similar size are reconsidering public‑forum sections because they can be used by “bad actors” or for staged online content. Black told the council the city’s attorney advised that current state law still requires public comment on items when they are before the council; removing the standalone public‑forum segment would not eliminate the right to speak on agenda items prior to a vote.

Supporters said the change would allow staff to respond to concerns by moving issues onto the formal agenda and enable two‑way dialogue. Opponents raised questions about who would decide whether a citizen’s issue merits formal agenda placement; council members said constituents should contact a councilmember or staff to request that step.

Councilmember Zach Frisco moved to advance the amendment for formal consideration at the next meeting; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Because the council’s rules require two readings, the change will return to the council as an action item at the next meeting for final action.

The council asked staff to continue monitoring state law and to notify the council if statutory or constitutional guidance changes.