El Paso City Council adopts new meeting rules giving public choice on when to speak; amendment allows comment at 10 a.m. or when items are heard

The El Paso City Council on May 13 adopted revised rules of order for council meetings that schedule public comment on consent and regular agenda items at 10 a.m., with an amendment allowing speakers to choose whether to speak at that 10 a.m. slot or when the specific agenda item is heard.

The change, which the council said is intended to give predictability to people who sign up to comment, passed as amended 7–1. Representative Limon cast the lone no vote. An earlier amendment — moved by Representative Acevedo and seconded by Representative Limon — to explicitly allow the public the choice of speaking at 10 a.m. or at the time an item is heard passed 5–3 before the final adoption.

City staff explained the package of updates to the rules as an effort to streamline meeting structure and to consolidate public-comment procedures. Carla Nieman, who presented the staff briefing, told the council the draft modernizes the meeting order, clarifies virtual-attendance deadlines and revises the…