Commission debates moving reports and adding a scheduled public-comment slot; no vote tonight

Mayor Brad Fingoldine proposed reordering the commission agenda to move the city manager and commissioner reports to the beginning of meetings and to offer a limited set of pre-registered public-comment slots early in the agenda.

The mayor said the change would let people who cannot stay late still speak and would allow the incoming city manager to present earlier in the evening. He suggested a first-come, first-served sign-up (by noon) for up to five speakers, replacing addresses with ZIP codes to protect privacy. "My primary goal ... was to move the city manager report and to the beginning of the meeting and to have a commissioner report out session at the beginning of the meeting," he said.

Clerk Sherry and staff warned that preregistration and multiple comment windows would add administrative complexity and introduce risks (missed emails, junk filters). Public commenters split: some opposed creating two general public-comment periods and called it legally risky or discriminatory; others urged accommodations for people without reliable internet or email, for unhoused residents, and for those with safety concerns about publishing addresses.

Several commissioners recommended alternatives: dedicate one monthly meeting (or one meeting per month) to an early public-comment session, keep general public comment at the end on other meeting dates, or trial a single early session of 45 minutes. No motion or formal change passed; the commission directed staff to draft an amended order-of-business and return with a clearer implementation plan, with a likely earliest implementation in June.