Irving council votes to move public comment to end of meetings

The Irving City Council voted unanimously on Jan. 14 to shift public comment to the end of its regular meeting agenda, after a motion by Councilman Webb who said the change was intended to prevent the public-comment period from "hijacking" the council's work.

Councilman Webb moved to relocate public comments to after the council completes its listed business; the motion was seconded and carried without opposition. "The public comments and the citizens' comment is a privilege that is given to citizens by the government," Webb said, adding that the current timing sometimes allowed comment periods to disrupt council business.

Mayor (unnamed) called for the vote after the motion and recorded that it passed unanimously. Council members did not record additional amendments or conditions to the motion during the discussion.

The change will take effect for future meetings; the council paused at the end of the regular agenda on Jan. 14 before beginning public comments, reflecting the new practice. The council did not specify a formal update to the meeting rules on the record during the motion, nor did the transcript record a separate ordinance or amendment to the council's rules of procedure at the meeting.

The decision follows remarks from council members who said they valued public input but wished to reduce disruptions to scheduled business. The council did not set a further timeline for reviewing or codifying the practice beyond the motion adopted at the meeting.