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North Ridgeville committee amends bylaws to clarify public-comment decorum and preserve criticism
Summary
The Committee of the Whole voted to amend the bylaws’ lobby (public comment) section to set three-minute speaker limits, require names/addresses, and clarify that enforcement must be content- and viewpoint-neutral so criticism of officials is not prohibited.
The North Ridgeville Committee of the Whole on July 20 voted to amend the bylaws' lobby section, replacing the prior language with new rules that set a three-minute limit per speaker, require speakers to state their name and address for the record, and direct comments to the president of council or the mayor.
Clerk read the revised text aloud: "The public shall be permitted to speak at designated times on any subject related to the business of council or general affairs of the city of North Ridgeville. Each speaker shall be limited to 3 minutes..." The replacement language also specifies that enforcement must be applied in a content-neutral and viewpoint-neutral manner and that "nothing in the section shall be interpreted...to prohibit criticism of city officials, policies, or actions." The clerk read the full set of procedural decorum rules into the record.
Councilman Winkle moved to add the clerk’s proposed language and the motion was seconded; the motion was called and the clerk conducted a roll call. All members present voted in the affirmative and the clerk announced, "Motion carries." The committee discussed a minor clarification to ensure that in the absence of the president of council whoever is conducting the meeting (for example, the president pro tem or the mayor when applicable) would have authority to order removal of disruptive individuals to maintain order.
Members who spoke expressed support for making the public feel comfortable while retaining a standard of decorum. A member of the administration had asked for explicit language addressing the president’s absence; council agreed to add wording naming the presiding officer as the person who may enforce decorum when the president is not present.
The change will be reflected in the bylaws as read into the record and carried by committee vote; the committee did not amend the added text further at the meeting. The amendment now proceeds as the committee directs for final placement in the council packet.
