Walled Lake council votes to split public comment periods and launch official Facebook/Instagram

The Walled Lake City Council voted March 17 to split public-comment time into two distinct periods — one at the start of meetings for agenda items and a second after new business for non-agenda items — and to establish official city Facebook and/or Instagram accounts for fast public notifications.

Mayor Pro Tem Dennis O'Rourke proposed the change as a way to “encourage audience participation” while keeping comments focused on agenda items. Council discussion centered on staffing and procedures for social-media posting; opponents warned the accounts could expand beyond notifications if not tightly scoped. After debate, the motion to split audience participation passed by roll call (three yes, two no; Ambrose and Mayor Gunther were absent) and a separate vote to create the social accounts passed unanimously.

City Manager Dennis Witt and several council members said the idea was prompted by experience during a recent water-main break, when officials relied on email and partner agencies but found residents were looking to social channels for timely updates. Witt noted officials would craft posting procedures and discussed reviewing staffing as part of the upcoming budget process. The council asked staff to return with procedures and to keep the social feeds narrowly focused on urgent notices and city news.