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Committee resists on-the-spot agenda additions for public comment
Summary
Members reviewed a proposal under policy 2220 to allow members of the public to request agenda items during meetings. The committee expressed concerns about fairness, favoritism and legal exposure and favored retaining the current practice of accepting comments and addressing issues later through reports or superintendent follow-up.
The committee reviewed proposed language in policy 2220 that would allow members of the public attending a meeting to ask that their remarks be added immediately as an agenda item.
The chair warned that allowing on‑the‑spot agenda additions could require the board to approve multiple last‑minute items and could appear to favor speakers who happen to be present that night. As the chair put it: "Another one of my concerns is if somebody comes and makes a comment and they want it added to that meeting... it doesn't give the other people in the community to form an opinion or give their opinion as well."
A staff member and committee members noted legal limits on responding to public comment during the same meeting and said concerns that require legal review should be routed through counsel rather than converted into immediate action items. The committee leaned toward keeping the status quo — accepting public comment and directing staff to respond in reports or superintendent updates — rather than permitting immediate agenda additions.
The committee asked staff to note this recommendation in the draft and to send updated language out to members before the next board meeting; no formal action was taken at the committee level during this meeting.
