Council debates moving public comment earlier and a 30-minute cap

Staff proposed moving 'audiences granted to the public' earlier in the meeting and capping that section at 30 minutes with ten three-minute slots to balance public access with agenda flow. "Audience is granted to the public limited, however, to 30 minutes. So there would be 10 slots available for sign up honoring the 3 minute per speaker time limit that you currently have imposed," the presenter said.

Vice Mayor Spencer and other council members questioned how the cap would work when more than ten people sign up and warned that moving comment to the middle of the agenda could confuse attendees about what item they are addressing. Council suggested further discussion in a work session to refine speaker-management options before adopting a fixed limit or placement change.