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Council considers dropping mandatory residential addresses from public-comment requirement
Summary
Councilors discussed revising code that requires speakers to state their address during public comment; staff will draft ordinance options to invite (but not require) name and address, allow city-only written contact forms, and permit city to accept city-only residency statements.
Councilors discussed a staff proposal to amend city code that currently requires residents to state their name and address when speaking during public comment or public hearings. The change was prompted by a resident concern that publicly giving a street address while meetings are broadcast or streamed can discourage participation.
Staff said U.S. Supreme Court precedent protects anonymous speech and suggested several options: invite — but not require — speakers to give their name and address; ask speakers to provide name and city of residence instead of full street address; or offer a sign-in clipboard or contact form so people can provide their address or phone number privately for follow-up.
Council members expressed support for a permissive approach. Council Member Scales said inviting a city of residence would help the council know whether a speaker is a constituent. Council Member Strange suggested a clipboard or written form to collect contact information without asking speakers to state it on the public record. Staff said a form already exists at the back of the chamber and could be made more visible.
The city attorney's office had cautioned that the case law supports the right to anonymous speech, so staff will prepare draft ordinance language and administrative options reflecting council direction. The drafts will be returned for council consideration; no ordinance was adopted at the meeting.
