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Carmel council debates formalizing meeting procedures, public-comment limits and timing; staff to draft recommended revisions
Summary
Council members, staff and residents discussed proposed updates to City Policy C89-02 covering agenda creation, staff presentations, public comment timing, Brown Act compliance and possible meeting curfews; the council asked staff to draft a policy revision for future consideration.
Council members and city staff held an extended policy discussion on March 30 about updating City Policy C89-02, a 2020 document that outlines meeting procedures, agenda creation, public-comment rules and packet distribution. The discussion covered whether staff presentations should always be given, how and when public comment should be scheduled and whether the council should set meeting cutoffs or staged start times for particularly high-interest items.
Mayor Byrne framed the topic as an effort to make meetings "effective and short as possible," noting the policy had not been updated since February 2020. City Attorney Brian (firm representative) and city administration staff proposed a more granular seven-step agenda procedure that would make explicit whether a staff presentation is made and when public comment is taken. The proposed steps would have the mayor announce the item, ask whether a council member requests a presentation, call for staff presentation if requested, allow council questions, open public comment (in chambers then remote), hold council discussion, and then call for formal action.
Council members and residents debated several recurring issues. Points of agreement included the value of staff presentations for the public and for the council's record, and the need for earlier delivery of PowerPoint slides and executive summaries so council members and residents have time to review them before meetings. Several council members proposed reducing individual public-comment time from three minutes to two minutes in some circumstances and using a pre-registration or "show of hands" system so the mayor can gauge how many speakers will appear and allocate time more equitably. One council member suggested an option used elsewhere: allow speakers who commit to one minute to go first, followed by those requesting longer time slots.
Residents and council members expressed caution about restricting public comment too tightly, noting that written comments should be acknowledged and that in-person and remote speakers should have equal access. City staff and the city attorney recommended that the policy language explicitly reflect Brown Act constraints (agenda items posted at least 72 hours in advance, special-meeting public-comment limits) and suggested adding a reference to disclosure requirements modeled on the Levine Act; staff noted the Levine Act disclosure threshold is $500 effective January 1, 2025.
The council also discussed operational changes that could shorten meetings, including clearer agenda sequencing (time-certain start times for high-interest items), staged meeting sessions (afternoon and evening portions), earlier meeting start times, and formal curfew rules where the council would vote to extend meeting time if needed. Several council members suggested appeals and other items that generate concentrated neighbor interest could be scheduled as daytime special meetings to avoid late-night hearings.
No policy was adopted at the meeting. Mayor Byrne directed staff to prepare a draft policy update that reflects the council's guidance and public input; staff said they would return the draft for more discussion at a future meeting.
