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Lincoln Park council adopts new meeting rules, trims public comment to three minutes
Summary
The Lincoln Park City Council on Feb. 24 adopted a revised set of council meeting rules that shortens the regular public-comment limit from five minutes to three, adds public comment to study sessions and codifies agenda and meeting procedures. A longtime resident objected to the reduced time during public comment.
The Lincoln Park City Council on Feb. 24 adopted a new set of meeting rules that, among other changes, reduces the standard public-comment time from five minutes to three and allows public comment during study sessions.
The measure, presented as a resolution, also formalizes the agenda order, the biannual review schedule for the rules, and procedures for managing consent and action items. The resolution passed on a roll-call vote with six members voting yes and one council member absent.
Council members and staff said the updated rules are intended to clarify meeting order and to give council flexibility to manage time. The resolution requires the rules be reviewed and adopted biannually and sets the default meeting schedule (second and fourth Mondays at 7 p.m., in the John A. Alawissee Council Chambers) unless council votes to change it.
Resident Richard Kudrick addressed the council during the comment period that followed the reading of the resolution. "I object to that. I wish you would reconsider that," Kudrick said, referring to the reduction of speaking time from five minutes to three. He asked the council to restore the historic five-minute limit.
Mayor Maureen Tobin and others said the rules also allow the presiding officer discretion to extend speaking time. City Attorney Rauner confirmed that authority in response to a council question: "Yes. We can always extend that if Right," Rauner said, clarifying the chair may grant extra time in particular cases.
The council adopted the rules after a brief discussion and a roll-call vote. The clerk recorded votes of yes from Councilpersons Ross, Nichols, Bair, Salcedo, Zohr and Mayor Maureen Tobin; Councilperson Dupre was recorded absent.
Why it matters: The change shortens the guaranteed minutes available for residents to address the council during regular meetings, but it also explicitly allows public comment at study sessions — an item several speakers and members said had previously been inconsistent.
The council packet includes the full text of the adopted rules, which reference the Open Meetings Act and the city charter's requirements on minutes and notices. The council will revisit the rules under the biannual review schedule or sooner if members vote to amend them.
The council moved on to other business after the vote; the new rules were entered into the record and will guide future meeting procedure.
