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Council adopts new rules: public comment expanded, second comment period formalized
Summary
Lewiston City Council adopted new rules governing meetings that expand the initial public comment period to 18 minutes, add an optional second public comment period at the meeting’s end, and clarify suspension and appeal procedures; the policy manual change passed 7–0.
The Lewiston City Council voted unanimously to repeal its dated rules and adopt a reorganized set of meeting rules in the policy manual that make several procedural changes, most notably widening opportunities for public comment.
Councillor Chittum, who led the rewrite, said the new rules reorganize meeting types and preserve most of the council’s existing practice while making some changes requested by the public and council members. The new rules set a minimum 18-minute public comment period at the start of meetings and create an additional 15-minute public comment window at the end of meetings if overflow speakers remain. Either period can be extended by council vote; certain items (for example, conflict-of-interest votes and some travel rules) are explicitly not waivable.
"The intent is to ... make it a decision that rests with the council and not with the council's presiding officer," Chittum said, describing why the rules emphasize that the council as a body may suspend or extend rules.
Councilors debated whether requiring a formal motion to extend public comment would slow meetings; supporters said extending by council vote would take only a minute and would reduce perceptions of favoritism because the body decides collectively. Several councilors and public commenters said the added end-of-meeting comment period would allow people who hear an item in the meeting to return to speak after hearing discussion.
The council approved the repeal of the prior dated rules and adopted the new rules in the policy manual by roll-call vote, 7–0. The clerk confirmed staff can place routine items on a consent agenda in future meetings now that the rules are adopted without a dated time frame.
Why it matters: The adopted rules formalize and expand public-comment opportunities and clarify suspension and appeal steps. Council members said this will provide more consistent, council-led decisions about meeting flows and public access.
Next steps: The policy manual update takes effect immediately; staff will, in future meetings, be able to place routine ministerial items into a consent agenda per the updated rule structure.
