Council Rules Public Comment Ordinance

At a glance

Based on auto-generated captions; names and numbers may be misheard.

What: an ordinance amending the City Council's rules of procedure, replacing item-by-item public comment with one 90-minute period near the start of meetings (3 minutes per speaker, extendable in 30-minute steps).
Where it stands: Passed first reading 6 to 3 on October 6, 2026; adopted on second reading October 13, 2026 after a substitute motion (keep the current order and add a second block of 10 agenda-item speakers) failed. Effective on the 31st day after the mayor signs, with a six-month review by the city manager.

2026-10-13 - City Council - Adopted on second reading. A substitute motion to keep the current order of business and add a separate block of 10 speakers on agenda items failed. The ordinance takes effect on the 31st day after the mayor signs it, with a six-month update from the city manager.
2026-10-06 - City Council - Passed first reading 6 to 3 on October 6, 2026 after a substitute motion failed 3 to 6; laid over for final reading.
2026-10-20 - City Council - The meeting opened with repeated recorded decorum rules. The mayor warned that disruptions would draw one warning and removal, and paused the meeting while a group was asked to leave. Speakers criticized the new rules, and one said the October 13 vote had turned the ordinance into a policy without written text. A councilmember asked who had decided to show the backs of speakers' heads on the broadcast and called it undemocratic; the mayor said the camera has technical limits and asked the city attorney to review capabilities offline.