Porter County Council removes agenda-only restriction for public comment

The Porter County Council voted to remove a rule that had reserved public comment for topics listed on the council’s current agenda.

The council’s county attorney advised that a governing body may adopt rules for public comment provided they are applied neutrally; members then debated whether the agenda-only restriction discouraged speakers. Some councilors argued broad public comment protects free speech, while others cautioned about opening the floor to grandstanding on topics outside the council’s fiscal purview.

After discussion and a motion to strike the first line of the public-comment rule (the phrase that limited remarks to items on the current agenda), the council voted to remove that restriction. The motion passed by voice/roll call; the president and members emphasized they would continue to enforce decorum and could limit speakers who used vulgarities or repeated the same content. The council indicated it would keep a three-minute default limit for public comment and allow the president discretion to grant additional time in special circumstances.

During the public-comment period that followed, resident Don Miller spoke, urging consistency considering previous meetings where some speakers felt shut down. Other brief public comments were made before the meeting adjourned.

The change means citizens may comment on topics not specifically listed on that night’s agenda, subject to the council’s conduct rules and time limits.