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Clearwater council agrees to 3-month pilot to restore limited public comment

City of Clearwater City Council / Community Redevelopment Agency / Downtown Development Board · January 12, 2026
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Summary

After months of debate about safety and civic access, Clearwater councilmembers agreed to a three-month pilot to restore a 30-minute public-comment period for items not on the agenda, limited to three minutes per speaker, no time-sharing, and with a sign-up process; the period will be scheduled toward the end of meetings and revised if needed.

A divided council voted Jan. 12 to try a limited, three-month pilot to restore public comment for topics not on the agenda, after months of discussion about safety, misinformation and civic access.

Councilmember David Cotton proposed bringing public comment back with strict limits: a total of 30 minutes per meeting, three minutes per speaker, no time-sharing and first-come, first-served sign-up. Supporters said the change restores a public forum for residents who want their remarks entered on the record; opponents warned it could revive disruptions that previously deterred some members of the public from attending.

Council debated procedural and legal safeguards: whether to allow only local stakeholders to speak, where in the agenda to place the segment, whether a sign-up/ comment card should be required, and how to enforce the time cap. City Attorney David Margolis cautioned that restricting speakers by identity raises legal risks and reminded the dais that any viewpoint-limited rules can invite legal challenges; he recommended neutral rules and said the council may, at its discretion, hire outside counsel for legal questions.

Clerk staff and the city attorney will draft a resolution to implement a pilot that places the public-comment slot later in the meeting, sets a 30-minute total limit, caps speakers at three minutes with no time-sharing and uses a sign-up sheet to manage order; the pilot will be returned to council for evaluation after the trial period.

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