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Home My WebLink About05-16-2017 Item 13 Discussion of public comment for items not on the agenda Meeting Date: 5/16/2017 FROM: Derek Johnson, Assistant City Manager Prepared By: Carrie Gallagher, City Clerk Heather Goodwin, Deputy City Clerk SUBJECT: DISCUSSION OF PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA RECOMMENDATION Discuss and provide direction for public comment on items not on the agenda. DISCUSSION Background Public comment at City Council meetings is one of the many ways that the community engages elected officials about the publics’ business. Written letters, emails, individual meetings, open houses, workshops, and other forums offer many ways that the community may choose to engage with elected officials. Over the years, the volume of public comment for matters not on the agenda has increased and often significantly exceeds the allocated fifteen minute s. At times public comment on non-agendized matters has approached or exceeded the time allocated for public participation and Council action on items that are on the agenda. When this happens, Council and staff hear frustrations from members of the public regarding hearing important items on the agenda much later in the night than expected and some individuals going home due to the lateness of hearing on the item on which they wanted to speak. Councilmembers also have heard expressed concerns about such delays resulting in late evening discussions on complex matters and diminished quality of Council discussion and deliberation. During the Council Member retreat on March 28, 2017, there was Council discussion leading to consensus to further discuss how to achieve better balance and consistently and fairly implement the long standing1 published standard of allotting 15 minutes of non-agenda public comment at the beginning of Council Meetings. The agenda states that public comment for items not on the agen da is 15 minutes at the beginning of each regular Council meeting. The specific language on the agenda states: PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA (not to exceed 15 minutes total) The Council welcomes your input. You may address the Council by completing a speaker slip and giving it to the City Clerk prior to the meeting. At this time, you may address the Council on items that are not on the agenda. Time limit is three minutes. State law does not allow the Council to discuss or take action on issues not on the agenda, except that members of the Council or staff may briefly respond to statements made or questions posed by persons exercising their public testimony rights (gov. Code sec. 54954.2). Staff may be asked to follow up on such items. 1 The City Council agenda at least early as 1988 allotted 15 minutes for public comment. Packet Pg 267 13 The essence of Council’s discussion was how to balance the strong desire for public participation on emerging issues and advocacy for the Council to consider future agenda discussion of issues with the desire to respect the time and commitment of public members who attend a Council hearing to provide input and be heard on a specific matter that does appear on the Council’s agenda. Several options were discussed by the City Council with a discussion about the process to follow if the total number of speaker’s cards was projected to exceed the allotted 15 minutes. The Council discussed a variety of different options:  Allow everyone a full 3 minutes, but limit pre -agenda public comment for items not on the agenda to 15 minutes; provide continued opportunity for public comment on matters not on the agenda at the end of the meeting, following completion of public discussion and Council action on matters that do appear on the agenda;  As above, but increase the total time allocated at the beginning of the meeting to allow for more speakers (amount of time to be determined by the Council);  Any time there are more than five speakers, reduce individual speaker time to two minutes;  Any time there are more than eight speakers, reduce individual speaker time to one minute to fit the maximum time allotted to discussion of items not on the agenda; or  Other options generated as part of the dialogue on this matter. Council provided staff some direction that the amount of time should not be less than 1 minute and any speaker cards received after that assessment could be accommodated during a continued public comment period after Council action on agendized items. Council also discussed ways to encourage greater efficiency by encouraging speakers on the same topic to speak collectively. Council Meeting During the May 2, 2017 City Council meeting, the Council agreed to agendize an item to allow for a discussion and agree on the specific protocols for balancing out general public comment and public comment for agendized items. Council Policies and Procedures An extract of Council Policies and Procedures Manual Policy 1.3.7 that addresses public comment is included as Attachment A to this report. Once the Council agrees on the protocol it wishes to implement the Council Policies and Procedures Manual will be updated to be consistent with this direction. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW There is no environmental review for this item. FISCAL IMPACT There are no substantial fiscal impacts associated with this item. The only minimal impacts that might be achieved is a small decrease in overtime paid to staff who must attend council meetings for an item on the agenda which are heard later in the evening due to extended public comment on items not on the agenda. As noted, this impact is minor. Packet Pg 268 13 ALTERNATIVES 1. Council make no changes to their current practice for public comment during regular City Council meetings. 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