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Public speaker urges expanded public-comment time at Charleston council meetings
Summary
At the meeting, Jennifer Baumann told council members that the current public-comment rules limit participation and urged the city to lengthen speaking time and allow more people to speak, suggesting a two-minute minimum per speaker.
Jennifer Baumann, a resident and frequent civic speaker, urged the Charleston City Council to expand its public-comment period so more residents can present issues directly to their representatives. "I think 2 minutes minimum would be reasonable," Baumann said, noting that the current limit discussed in her remarks was 10 minutes total for five speakers and that she has previously had only 90 seconds to address complex topics.
Baumann said expanding time and allowing more people to speak would produce better-informed public input and allow members of the public who are less practiced at public speaking to make meaningful contributions. She described her own experience as a former broadcast journalist and contrasted it with other residents who might need more time to present their concerns.
The clerk had announced two public speakers for the night; the council did not take up any procedural changes to the public-comment rules during this meeting. No formal motion or referral to staff was recorded on the matter during the session.
