The Port Huron City Council on Nov. 10 advanced, by a majority vote, a proposed amendment to its rules of procedure that would prioritize city residents and business owners at the start of the public-comment period. Council members voted in favor of a first-reading action that postponed final adoption until the council’s next regular meeting, allowing additional public notice and further review.

The resolution, read in full by the clerk, said the city seeks to "conduct an orderly meeting that encourages public participation" while maintaining decorum and time efficiency; it also recited a charter section that prohibits adopting rule changes at the same meeting in which they are introduced. City Clerk (S3) read the motion and the text that directs the council to postpone final consideration until the next regular meeting.

Council member Jeff Pemberton (first introduced speaking at SEG 028) said he brought the item back so residents and downtown business owners "have the right to speak first in the beginning of the meeting," arguing the change is intended to make meetings more time-efficient for residents who travel to address operational questions such as leaf pickup. “I don’t want to limit the free speech of any other individuals,” Pemberton said, adding the measure "prioritizes the voice of our residents." (Quote attributed to Council member Pemberton as spoken during the meeting.)

Opponents in public comment and on the dais said the proposal risks narrowing access. Rachel Farquhar, a resident who addressed the council during public comment, warned the change could "take away the freedom of speech of people who have business in the city of Port Huron regardless of where they live" and urged the council to compare the red‑lined edits in the packet to the resolution text before moving forward. Other speakers, including members of the public who described themselves as nonresidents or as community volunteers, said the policy would chill spontaneous or responsive remarks and that the absence of legal counsel at the earlier meeting raised procedural concerns.

City Manager (S23) and other council members said the change is legal and that rules in other Michigan cities use similar approaches. The city manager told the council the proposed "priority" mechanism had been reviewed by legal counsel and can coexist with existing rule provisions that allow the council to elevate regional or agenda‑specific public comment when appropriate. Council member Tim Archibald and others described possible procedural safeguards: moving regional or agenda‑specific nonresident comments forward by majority vote, or formally designating some items as public hearings when nonresident input should be prioritized.

At roll call the measure passed this stage (first reading/postponement) with a majority of council members voting yes. Mayor Ashford and a minority of council members voted no. The clerk emphasized that the change has not been adopted and is scheduled for final consideration at the next regular meeting; the resolution language the council advanced specifically postpones the proposed amendment until that meeting.

What happens next: Because the council treated the resolution as first notice/postponement, the measure will return at the next regular meeting for a final vote after additional public notice. The council did not finalize amendments tonight and maintained that every speaker retains a four‑minute right to speak at meetings in their current form.