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Council debates public-comment limits and chair discretion
Summary
Council members split over a proposal to expand public comment to one hour and whether to remove time limits entirely; the mayor defended chair discretion to preserve business, while other commissioners argued rules must be applied consistently and the charter-based public-comment right should be honored.
The council spent significant time debating proposed changes to the public-comment rules. Mayor Safford introduced a proposal to update the policy to increase public comment to one hour, with each speaker allowed to speak once during that period. A commissioner countered that the council's duty is to "listen to the people" and proposed a friendly amendment to remove time limits entirely; he said the council should not cut off constituents who travel to appear in person.
Legal counsel Tony clarified that New York's open meetings law guarantees a right to attend but not a right to speak; the city's charter provides the public-comment opportunity and public hearings remain subject to different, often longer rules. The mayor said chair discretion exists to preserve the council's ability to conduct business and to ensure fairness among speakers, while other commissioners stressed that any discretion must be applied consistently and not used to advantage or silence particular voices. No final rule change was adopted at this meeting; commissioners said they would continue the discussion and consider amendments at the Tuesday session.
