Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council votes to move public comment to later in regular council meetings
Summary
Council approved a motion to change the regular council meeting agenda so the open audience/public comment item moves from agenda position 5 to position 16 (after new business); proponents said it prevents surprise votes and lets residents hear reports before commenting, while opponents worried about delaying citizen input.
At the end of the meeting, Councilmember (Speaker 13) moved and Speaker 2 seconded to change the order of business in regular council meetings, moving the open audience item from position 5 to position 16 (after new business). During discussion, members weighed whether having public comment earlier gives residents the chance to speak before votes or whether moving it later prevents surprise votes and lets administration answer questions after reports.
After discussion, the council approved the change by roll call. The clerk recorded affirmative responses from Quarley, Drew, Lucas, Wes, Holmes and Gabriel; the motion carried. Councilmembers said sign‑in procedures would be clarified and staff will prepare the ordinance language for the amended agenda format.
