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Midwest City council clarifies public-comment rules after recent ordinance change
Summary
At its July 28 meeting, Midwest City officials told residents they may speak for four minutes on non-agenda items but council members will not engage in Q&A during those remarks, citing the Open Meetings Act and a city ordinance change made about two months ago.
Midwest City officials opened the July 28 city council meeting by reminding residents of how the council handles non-agenda public comments. An official stated, "You're allowed to come up and speak for 4 minutes on any topic that you want to," and clarified that because such remarks are not on the published agenda, council members will not engage in a back-and-forth question-and-answer during the public comment period.
The exchange referenced both the state Open Meetings Act and a recent local rule change. One speaker said, "The change was made down at city ordinance 2 months ago," and the council noted that the practical effect is that speakers may present concerns or information but should not expect a response from council members during that segment of the meeting. The clarification is intended to set expectations for residents who attend to raise issues that are not on the formal agenda.
The instruction aligns with the council's procedural practice at the start of the July 28 meeting; no formal motion or vote was associated with the clarification. Officials directed that public-comment time remain limited to the stated minutes and that any substantive matters raised during non-agenda comments be referred for staff follow-up or agendized for a future meeting if action or discussion by the council is required.
