A. Consent Calendar. Members of the public shall be heard prior to Council consideration of the consent calendar. Each speaker shall be allowed up to three minutes to address the Council concerning any and all items on the consent calendar. The Mayor or any Councilmember may then briefly respond to the speaker, or request a response from a staff member, or request discussion of an item or items on the consent calendar. Such actions shall not operate to remove an item from the consent calendar.

B. Agenda Items. Members of the public wishing to speak on an agenda item not on the Consent Calendar shall be given the opportunity to speak for up to three minutes to address the Council concerning the agenda item. Members of the public do not have the right to comment outside the scope of or unrelated to the agenda item under consideration.

C. Non-Agenda Items/General Public Comments. There will be a total of 21 minutes scheduled and titled “Public Comments” on the agenda near the beginning of the Council Meeting for members of the public to address the Council. Each speaker shall be allowed up to three minutes to address the Council on items of interest to the public that are not on the agenda but are within the jurisdiction of the Council. In the event that more than seven individuals request to address the City Council on non-agenda items, the first seven will be heard near the beginning of the meeting. The remaining speakers will be heard near the conclusion of the meeting and granted up to three minutes each. In the event that all interested individuals present at the time address the City Council during the first Public Comment session, there will be no additional Public Comment session near the conclusion of the meeting. The presiding officer shall have the discretion to allow more than seven individuals to speak at the beginning of the session. An issue raised by a speaker may be referred to the City Manager. No other action may be taken by the Council at this time.

D. Time Limits for Speakers Who Utilize an Interpreter. A member of the public who utilizes an interpreter to provide consecutive English language translation shall receive twice the time otherwise allotted to speak.

E. Request to Speak. Any person wishing to speak to the Council must submit to the City Clerk a request to speak prior to the close of public comment period on the item or under the general Public Comment period for non-agenda items. Requests to speak received after the close of public comment on the item will not be accepted. No person may yield speaking time to another person. Any person who does not wish to speak to the Council but wishes to have the record reflect a position in favor of or in opposition to an agenda item may do so by indicating the same on the public comment form.

F. Group Presentations. Group presentations are not permitted on non-land use or non-adjudicatory matters.

G. Visual Presentations. The use of City equipment for visual presentations is not permitted on non-land use or non-adjudicatory matters. Documents may be submitted to the City Clerk to be provided to the Council and incorporated into the record for the meeting.

H. Land Use or Adjudicatory Matters. On land use or adjudicatory matters, project applicants or appellants, separate from public comments on the item, shall be allowed up to 15 minutes to address the Council on the matter. Project applicants or appellants that wish to show a presentation or video must make arrangements to submit the presentation to the City Clerk no later than 24 hours prior to the meeting. Project applicants or appellants are encouraged to be prepared with alternatives in the event that technical issues prevent visual presentations from being displayed on City equipment.

I. Signs. Signs and visuals may be held by members of the public, as long as they do not block the view of other meeting attendees or otherwise interrupt or disrupt the orderly conduct of the City Council meeting.

J. Presiding Officer Authority. The presiding officer shall have the discretion to adjust provisions contained in this section, including speaker time limits, the number of speakers, and group presentation matters, subject to the right of any Councilmember to appeal to the Council. (Ord. 3561 § 1, 2024; Ord. 1486 § 2, 1973; prior code § 1.213).