Burien council studies revisions to rules of order, weighing study sessions, public comment and member limits

Mayor Sarah Moore opened the Burien City Council’s April study session by moving the meeting from public comment into a discussion of the council rules of order. The council spent much of the evening asking staff and legal counsel to draft clearer language on study sessions, public comment procedures and member conduct.

The meeting began with public comment focused on access and motions rules. Steven Lamphere urged the council “to go back over the motions rules and relearn what they say,” arguing current practice often deviates from the rules. Karen Cincula said requiring early electronic sign-up reduced her ability to participate and asked the council to reconsider sign-up timing and meeting start times. Charles Schafer said the hybrid format is valuable but proposed an expectation of in-person attendance for council members.

Council members then examined specific sections. Several members said study sessions should be acknowledged in local rules even though the state statute (RCW) does not define them; Interim City Attorney Anne Marie told the council they are not precluded from holding study sessions but must comply with OPMA and that the city may describe study sessions’ purpose and parameters in its rules. Council member Sam Mendez said including study sessions in the rules would help the public understand how they differ from regular meetings.

Public comment rules drew extended discussion. Staff described the current priority system for sign-ups (Burien residents, business owners, then employees). Several council members, including Alex Andrade and Deputy Mayor Hugo Garcia, favored removing explicit prioritization language so as not to create perceived tiers among speakers; others worried that eliminating prioritization could allow outside interests to overshadow residents’ opportunities to speak. On the question of disruptive virtual behavior, Anne Marie recommended adopting a germane/behavior-focused standard rather than content-based restrictions to address Zoom-bombing while protecting free-speech rights.

Proclamations, a separate topic, prompted agreement that recipients should be encouraged to attend (in person or via Zoom) and that staff could operationalize an annual list with community outreach. On motions and voting, the council asked for clearer language about abstentions and agreed the presiding officer should be the official spokesperson for council positions adopted by majority vote; Anne Marie offered to draft concise guidance and suggested a social-media disclaimer in members’ bios.

The council debated shortening member speaking time (options ranged from 5 to 3–4 minutes) and whether to limit the number of questions per member. No final change was adopted at this session; members asked staff to prepare draft options that balance robust deliberation with meeting efficiency. The council also directed staff to return with recommended language on conflicts of interest and executive sessions, citing both RCW and MRSC guidance as resources.

The discussion was procedural and exploratory: staff and legal counsel will prepare proposed rule text for future consideration and a formal vote. Mayor Moore closed the item by thanking staff and noting the council had not adopted changes tonight; a 10-minute recess followed before the budget discussion.

Ending: Staff will return with draft language that addresses study sessions, public comment sign-up options, germane/behavior guidelines for comments, clarifications on abstentions and spokesperson authority, and suggested limits on speaking time for council members; no formal rule changes were adopted at the session.