Miami Gardens council debates tightening public-comment rules as officials press for better decorum

Miami Gardens city officials spent a lengthy discussion weighing whether to limit public-comment practices and tighten decorum after residents repeatedly raised the same issues at council meetings.

The debate centered on two legal and practical tensions: the First Amendment’s protection for speech at open forums and the mayor’s authority, under Robert’s Rules of Order and the city’s code, to maintain order and remove disruptive attendees. City Attorney (name not given) told the council that because Miami Gardens allows open public comment the city must be careful about censoring content: "Because you have open public comment, then you open yourselves to having to hear things over and over again." The attorney said the code was amended to remove a strict requirement that commenters address only the chair and that the city now refers to Webster’s and Black’s Law Dictionary when…