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City attorney proposes revising public-comment rules after 11th Circuit ruling
Summary
City Attorney Wolfe told the council that an 11th Circuit opinion in Moms for Liberty v. Brevard County Schools found policies restricting personally directed speech to be unreasonable, and recommended revising Edgewater's meeting policy to conform; he said he will draft a resolution for council consideration.
City Attorney Wolfe briefed the council on a recent 11th Circuit decision addressing public-participation rules. He summarized the ruling in Moms for Liberty v. Brevard County Schools, saying the court reviewed a policy that had prohibited speakers from addressing board members individually and held that the prohibition was "unreasonable, inconsistently enforced, and unconstitutionally applied."
Wolfe said Edgewater's current meeting policy requires comments be directed to the mayor rather than individual members and prohibits personally directed speech; he recommended revising the policy to conform to the court's guidance and said he would draft a resolution for council consideration. Council members asked for research on how other municipalities had adapted their policies and indicated they expected a resolution to return for a future vote.
