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Plano council to keep public-interest comments via Zoom and pilot in-person option after three-month testing period
Summary
The council agreed to keep comments of public interest via Zoom and at the end of the agenda as the city returns to the renovated council chambers, and to pilot allowing in-person comments after a three-month technology-testing period; staff will return with procedures.
As Plano prepares to move back into renovated council chambers, the City Council agreed to keep comments of public interest available by Zoom at the end of the meeting for an initial trial period and to explore a limited return of in-person comments after a scheduled testing window.
Staff (speaker 9) recommended continuing to take "comments of public interest" via Zoom while the new chambers' audio-visual systems are tested. "Part of what we're seeing...there's a lot of new technology in the council chambers," staff said, recommending the Zoom option remain for the first year while the room is beta-tested.
Council members debated whether in-person commenters should be permitted immediately or whether the process should remain at the end of the meeting to protect children from profanity and to ensure consistent application. One councilor urged keeping an in-person option so citizens can "look us in the eye face to face." Mayor (speaker 2) and others favored a short pause to evaluate procedures.
The council reached consensus on a three-month period for testing and review; staff said they could move comments earlier in the meeting if the council directed. The council also agreed to keep options for both Zoom and in-person participation under review and to return with any recommended procedural changes.
