During the citizen comment period, Brett Watchhorn of Morningside welcomed new council members and urged them to revisit meeting times and expand opportunities for public interaction. Watchhorn said he would like to see more community participation and suggested the council permit YouTube comments rather than blocking them, arguing that blocking leads to legal risk: "You don't block anybody. The First Amendment is the right of all of us and we have the right to be heard. That's why their lawsuit would exist if they block someone."

Councilmembers used their time under "council concerns" to set a short list of priorities for staff briefings. A councilmember asked the city manager to add a weekly update from the police chief on the newly formed homelessness task force that would include hot‑spot reporting and progress updates. Councilmembers also requested weekly permitting reports showing what permits were submitted, which permits remain in the queue and the length of time permits have been waiting. Members asked staff to coordinate permitting updates with economic development so the council could better connect permits to development opportunities.

Other council concerns included requests to review a list of publicly owned ("loose") lots for potential disposition to return them to the tax rolls, updates from Parks and Recreation about park conditions and inventory, and a request for straight‑talk budget and schedule updates on the wastewater treatment plant design and construction.

What happens next: Council asked the city manager to add recurring agenda items or briefings on these topics so members can query staff and track progress in the weeks ahead.