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Board tightens public-comment process: two 30-minute windows, three-minute cap, updated forms
Summary
The board voted (policy direction) to standardize public comment into two on-air 30-minute windows (before and after the business portion) with a three-minute per-speaker cap that shortens when many speakers sign up; staff will revise the public-comment forms and the attorney's script before policy adoption.
Attorney Powers reviewed the public-comment policy as required by Florida's Sunshine Law and the board discussed procedural changes intended to make public participation predictable and orderly while preserving free-speech access.
Key board agreements: - Two public-comment windows: (1) up to 30 minutes before the business portion of the meeting (must address agendized items) and (2) up to 30 minutes after the business portion and before board comments (may address nonagendized business). Both windows are on-air. - A single-speaker cap of three minutes, with tiered reductions tied to total speaker count: 1'10 speakers = 3 minutes each; 11'15 = 2 minutes each; 16'130 = 1 minute each. The presiding officer may adjust time as number of speakers dictates. - Two separate, color-coded forms: one for agenda-related early-session comments and one for end-of-meeting comments; each form will require the agenda item title/number (for early-session comments) and will collect optional contact email. A line on audiovisual submissions was removed from the first-form requirements. - Staff and legal will revise the forms and the attorney script and include the policy number on the forms; the changes will take effect after the policy is adopted at the next scheduled board meeting.
Board members emphasized consistent application and viewpoint neutrality; Attorney Powers recommended keeping the board's inherent parliamentary options (a motion to suspend rules) available for rare circumstances but disfavored routine game-day changes.
Next steps: Attorney Powers, Miss Martinez Young and legal staff will update the forms and script; the revised policy and forms will be in effect after formal adoption and staff will provide public notice of the procedural changes.
