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Burien council opens discussion to loosen public‑comment rules and update rules of order
Summary
Councilmembers proposed edits to rules of order including eliminating the early sign‑up deadline, removing residency prioritization for commenters, clarifying executive sessions and conflict‑of‑interest language, and adding procedures for proclamations and study sessions.
Several Burien council members on Feb. 23 proposed revisions to the council’s rules of order and the public‑comment process aimed at increasing accessibility and clarity.
Councilmember Sam Mendez and others urged eliminating the one‑hour sign‑up deadline and the current prioritization that lists Burien residents ahead of business owners and others, saying the current rule can suppress participation by renters, transit users and Spanish‑speaking residents. Multiple public commenters had urged the same change during the meeting’s public‑comment period.
What councilmembers proposed
- Open sign-ups and remove categorization: Councilmembers suggested allowing people to sign up later and to stop categorizing speakers by residency or business status.
- Proclamations and presenters: Several members recommended limiting proclamations and requiring a recipient or representative be present when the proclamation is read in council.
- Clarify executive session and conflicts: Members asked staff to clarify executive‑session practice and to provide clearer definitions or references for conflict‑of‑interest rules in the written rules.
- Committee and study-session language: Councilmember Linda Akey proposed adding a definition of study sessions and inserting procedural language (e.g., draft agendas circulated before finalization).
Council next steps
Councilmembers generally agreed to collect line‑by‑line proposed edits and return to a later meeting for detailed review. The City Manager and clerk offered to collect the submitted changes from council members and prepare a redline draft for the council to consider.
Voices from the meeting
Public commenters including August Hahn and Kelsey Van Hee argued that requiring sign‑ups an hour before meetings and forcing speakers to identify whether they are residents discourages participation. Councilmember Mendez said: “I think we should revise our public comment process to open it up, make it easier to provide comments and to eliminate the ranking of… businesses and residents.”
The council did not vote on rule changes; staff will compile proposed edits and return with a revised draft for line‑by‑line review.
