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Brook Park debate: councilman proposes cutting public-comment time from 5 to 3 minutes
Summary
Councilman Andre Gonzales pushed to shorten public-comment periods to three minutes and update gendered language in Rule 19, citing benchmarking from other jurisdictions; council members split over efficiency versus preserving time for substantive testimony and the change was placed on next week's council agenda for verbal approval.
Councilman Andre Gonzales proposed a change to Rule 19 that would shorten the public-comment allotment from five minutes to three and replace gendered language in the rules. Gonzales said the change was intended to allow more residents to speak during meetings and to improve efficiency.
"Change does not silence the public, but opens the doors for more public to speak," Gonzales said, presenting survey counts of neighboring councils and school boards to show three minutes is a common practice. He told colleagues the amendment would increase the…
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