City accepts amendment to public comments — with an exception

SAN ANGELO, Texas ( Concho Valley Homepage ) — The San Angelo City Council accepted a proposed amendment to the public comments section of its meetings on July 16, paving the way for fundamental changes to citizens’ interactions with the town’s leadership. One particular change was disregarded, however.

The amendment is part of an effort to “balance” the meeting’s “purpose of conducting the business of the City” with “the desire and obligation of the Council to accept public comment,” according to a report issued by City Clerk Heather Stastny. The report also states that the proposed policy revision was developed by reviewing “the public comment processes of other governmental entities as well as various City Boards.”

As per the report, the following changes, alongside “other minor corrections,” would are to be instated as a result of the decision:

• Public comment will be allowed during all regular City Council and City board meetings. No public comment will be taken at special meetings or workshops where no business will be conducted.
• Each member of the public wishing to speak shall be required to sign in with the City Clerk or Board Secretary prior to the meeting starting and indicate the item they wish to speak on. The City Clerk or Board Secretary will call names in order with City residents being given priority to speak first.
• Members of the public may only speak about the items they indicated on the sign-in sheet and should be comments related to the authority of the City.
• Documents or slides to be projected at the meeting will only be accepted for agenda items and not the open public comment period.

Also described in Section One of the amended policy is a change that would move the public comments portion of the City Council meetings to the end of the agenda. Currently, the meetings’ public comments section occurs just before the consent agenda section, usually existing as the fourth item on the agenda.

District Six Councilmember Larry Miller questioned this change during the discussion, however, stating that it would discourage public comments by forcing those wishing to comment to wait for a meeting’s full duration. District Three Councilmember Harry Thomas agreed with Miller’s sentiment, later followed by District Four Councilmember Lucy Gonzales.

After further deliberation, the City Council moved to accept all changes proposed in the amended policy with the exception of the change described in Section One. In response, Mayor Brenda Gunter requested to also incorporate an announcement section near the beginning of the agenda.

Several citizens in the audience took time to make public comments regarding the amendment, with multiple expressing concern that the City Council’s decision may tread close to stifling the First Amendment rights of San Angelo citizens.

The City Council then made a final motion to accept the amended policy with the exception of the change that would move the public comments section of the meetings, with the addition of Gunter’s proposed inclusion of an announcement section. It was passed 7-0.

Now that the policy is accepted, the changes outlined in it are slated to go into effect on Oct. 1.

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