Council clarifies meeting rules: restores 3‑minute public comment to boards, delays visual aids and keeps Roberts rules for commissions

The Hermosa Beach City Council on Sept. 9 revised several meeting‑procedure rules for subsidiary boards and commissions, voting to restore a three‑minute public comment limit and to delay or prohibit the use of live visual aids while staff develops a formal audiovisual policy. The council also voted to keep Robert's Rules of Order for boards and commissions rather than adopt Rosenberg's Rules, and directed staff to provide training materials for commissioners.

City Clerk's staff briefed the council on three staff recommendations: (1) apply the city council’s rules for public comment — including a three‑minute limit per speaker and elimination of a 30‑minute aggregate limit — to subsidiary boards and commissions; (2) delay implementation of allowing visual aids until an IT‑vetted audiovisual policy is prepared; and (3) consider whether Rosenberg's Rules (a shorter, more simplified parliamentary guide) should replace Robert's Rules for boards and commissions.

Council debated the tradeoffs. Several public commenters urged retaining visuals for accessibility and for speakers who rely on maps or photos to make a point. A resident said visual aids are "a lifeline" for those with language or hearing challenges and noted other cities accept materials submitted 24 hours in advance. The city clerk explained other South Bay cities largely require pre‑submission and that Manhattan Beach uses an in‑house IT check before display.

After discussion the council took three distinct votes. First, the council unanimously approved applying the three‑minute limit and removing the prior 30‑minute aggregate restriction for boards and commissions. Second, the council voted to disallow live visual aids at meetings (the motion passed with Councilmember Keegan recorded as voting no; the rest voted yes). Third, by a 4–1 vote the council declined to adopt Rosenberg's Rules for subsidiary boards and commissions and instead kept Robert's Rules of Order while directing staff to produce commissioner training materials and to agendize a fuller Rosenberg vs. Roberts comparison at a future retreat.

Mayor Rob Seaman said the policies aim for clarity and consistent expectations across advisory bodies. The clerk's office will prepare the training materials and an audiovisual policy for a future council review; staff noted the city’s IT constraints and a past Zoom‑bombing incident as reasons for caution with live visuals.

The votes on the three procedural items were recorded in separate roll calls and took effect immediately for subsidiary boards and commissions unless the clerk’s office later implements a different effective date for technical reasons.