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Council considers voluntary sign-in, waiting room and agenda flexibility to improve public comment
Summary
Following a meeting that drew a large student turnout, councilmembers discussed voluntary sign-in, virtual waiting-room tools and ad hoc agenda moves to ensure speakers feel acknowledged and that opposing viewpoints are fairly represented; legal staff noted state law allows reasonable time, place and manner rules.
Councilmembers spent a substantial portion of the March 17 meeting discussing how to make public comment more orderly and welcoming after a prior meeting drew a large group of students who felt their presence was overlooked.
Councilwoman Dr. Carol Bur proposed a voluntary sign-in so the chair can see when a sizable group is present and make a brief announcement acknowledging them and their expected opportunity to speak. Phil, the city attorney, told the council that state law (cited in the meeting) permits 'reasonable restrictions' on the time and manner of public comment and allows bodies to require advance notice or to limit total time, number of speakers or speaker duration if the restrictions are viewpoint-neutral.
Council members discussed operational options that have been used in other cities or during the pandemic-era virtual meetings: a waiting-room queue for virtual commenters, calling speakers by name, allowing a single spokesperson for large groups, and moving public-comment time earlier in the agenda for high-turnout items (or suspending rules on a case-by-case basis). Members emphasized the sign-in should be voluntary and used to communicate expected timing, not to bar people from speaking.
No formal rule change was adopted; members asked staff to draft optional guidance and said chairs should consider using communication tools or suspending rules when warranted to prioritize public-comment participation.
