Draft meeting rules would standardize public‑comment limits and chair recognition; council to review

Staff presented a draft rules‑of‑procedure document adapted from municipal association guidance and Lewin‑style meeting practices to give clearer expectations for council meetings. The draft would preserve Robert's Rules of Order for formal motions and amendments but add local guidance on decorum, chair recognition, public‑comment timing and workshop formats.

Key elements staff highlighted included a suggested 18‑minute cap on the opening public‑comment period (allowing roughly five to six speakers at three minutes each), direction that public comment be addressed to the chair rather than become a back‑and‑forth, and authority for the chair to manage disorderly meetings subject to later council override. The packet also included optional language about giving priority to residents and taxpayers for general comment while allowing the council discretion to allow others to speak for specific agenda items.

Councilors asked how the draft differs from existing rules, whether the provisions should extend to committees, and how clarifying questions by council members to applicants would be handled without turning into a dialogue. The conversation emphasized the role of the chair in enforcing decorum and the usefulness of offering staff follow‑up for detailed queries raised during public comment.

Staff said they would email the packet to councilors for review, collect proposed edits and aim to place a formal adoption item on a future council agenda if there is sufficient consensus.