Board chair to move public-comment period to end of meetings; some members raise concerns

At the Jan. 15 meeting, the board chair announced a change to the public-comment schedule: beginning in February, the board will move public comments to the end of its regular meetings, after the board has conducted its business. "We're gonna move all public comments to the end of the board meeting after all the board business is conducted," the chair said.

Several board members objected or raised concerns that moving public comment to the end could mean the public would have missed the opportunity to influence votes if they spoke only after motions had been decided. One member said moving comments "is gonna get a lot worse after if we do it after the fact," and another asked whether the board has the authority to change the timing of comments under current policy and Robert's Rules. Staff and others noted that speakers must sign in to speak regardless of timing, and one board member said, "They have to sign in before the meeting anyway to speak, whether it's first or it last." Supporters said the change would help the board get business done without interruptions and that members who want to speak can seek to amend the agenda.

The chair said the decision about where to place public comments is within the chair’s purview under district policy, while other members noted that board policy and Robert's Rules set boundaries for agenda-setting and motions. The board did not adopt a formal policy amendment on the record at the Jan. 15 meeting; the chair announced the scheduling change and the board discussed it.