Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Participation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Benicia planners debate cutting public-comment time to 3 minutes
Summary
Commissioners considered a rules change to shorten public-comment time from five minutes to three and to move the meeting start time; staff said the change would align the commission with a citywide ordinance and legal counsel said three minutes is common practice, while some commissioners argued five minutes better serves complex public input.
The commission pulled a proposed update to the planning commission rules and procedures from the consent calendar to discuss two notable changes: moving start time from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m. and shortening public-comment slots from five minutes to three. "3 minutes is nearly cutting that time in 0.5, and, I just don't think that it's fair to the public on anything of any complicated nature," the chair said, arguing that five minutes gives complex speakers room to explain issues.
Staff said the city recently amended its open-government ordinance to a three-minute limit and recommended the commission align with that change for consistency. Counsel (Mary) told the commission, "It is unusual for a public body to provide more than 3 minutes for speakers," and noted the commission can grant added time on a meeting-by-meeting basis and that responses to commission questions typically do not count against a speaker's time. Several commissioners said keeping the opportunity to ask follow-up questions reduces the practical impact of the shorter limit.
After discussion the commission proceeded toward a vote on the rules item; the draft rules as presented were advanced for adoption by motion and recorded roll call (see actions). The staff memo noted the rules item had been noticed with the packet and that the city clerk/staff would correct an unrelated minutes typo in the meeting record.
