Livingston County commissioners reject restriction on first public comment, approve record rules for virtual speakers
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Summary
The board voted down a proposal to limit the first public-comment period to agenda items but unanimously approved amendments requiring remote participants to provide residence and several procedural rule changes, along with scheduling adjustments for 2026.
The Livingston County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 5 voted down a proposed change that would have limited the first public-comment period at full board meetings to items on that meeting’s agenda, but the board approved several other procedural amendments including a rule requiring remote participants to provide their name and municipality for the record.
Commissioner Gross introduced the failed amendment with the language that appears in the record: "however, any public comment during the first public comment period of any full board meeting must be directly related to the board meeting agenda for that specific date." Attorney Norford advised the board that limiting only the first comment period in that way "would be legally permissible," but cautioned the board to preserve a second public-comment opportunity for open petitioning.
Opponents argued the proposal would reduce opportunities for citizens to engage and could chill speech. In a roll-call vote the amendment failed, with Commissioners Gross and Ponovich recorded as voting yes and seven commissioners recorded as voting no. Minutes and the roll-call record show the board rejected the restriction and retained the two-call structure: a three-minute first comment period and a two-minute second comment period.
Separately, the board adopted an amendment clarifying that participants joining by Zoom or other virtual means must provide their name and city or township of residence for the record; that amendment passed unanimously (9–0). The board also approved other technical amendments to board rules, including swapping certain committee meeting dates and adding oversight language to a committee’s responsibilities, all as part of the larger resolution adopting meeting rules and the 2026 calendar.
The vote preserves the board’s current public-comment structure while adding a transparency requirement for virtual participants. The board chair said staff will circulate the final, edited language and that the county attorney will provide written guidance where appropriate.
