Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Meeting Procedure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board discusses managing large public-comment turnouts; suggests timed remarks and queueing
Summary
Board members debated options to manage lengthy public-comment periods, including two-minute limits, grouping duplicate speakers, show-of-hands, and adding a second queue microphone; members emphasized balancing efficient meetings with the public's right to be heard.
Board members spent a portion of the meeting discussing methods to manage large public-comment turnouts. The chair and several members described past meetings where many speakers each repeated similar points and suggested techniques such as a two-minute limit, asking for a show-of-hands after the first several comments, grouping speakers with the same position into a single representative statement, and adding a second microphone so the next speaker is queued up as the prior speaker finishes.
Members emphasized that any procedural device must not stifle public input: one board member noted seniors and those less likely to speak need ways to be recognized, while others emphasized the practical need to keep meetings to a reasonable length. The board asked staff to consider procedural adjustments for future hearings where large turnout is expected.
