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Council debates moving public comment earlier; agrees to place it before action items
Summary
City Manager Hammond presented a proposed agenda reorganization that would place public comment earlier, consolidate department reports under the manager (keeping finance separate); council members debated pros and cons and agreed on a compromise to move public comment to before formal action items and keep finance separate.
City Manager Hammond led a discussion of proposed council rules and a revised agenda format. Key elements of the proposal included moving public comment earlier in the meeting so speakers need not wait until the end, consolidating department reports under the city manager’s report, and leaving finance as a separate agenda item for transparency. Hammond said the packet already makes materials available a week ahead and that changes could improve meeting flow.
Council members expressed differing views: some said moving public comment upfront allows citizens to speak before decisions, while others worried it would prevent comments that arise during the meeting. After back‑and‑forth, the council settled on a middle ground: move public comment to a point before formal action items (but not necessarily the very first item), keep financial reports separate, and direct staff to draft a formal proposal for adoption. "I think that's the principle behind it, is having it before the action items," Hammond said during the discussion.
