DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) – Public comment could soon not be permitted during agenda items in Decatur City Council meetings, according to a memo outlining possible policy changes.
The change would be made in order to ensure city council meetings stay civil and comments are allowed from each side of an issue, City Manager Scot Wrighton said. As has been policy in the past, citizens will have 30 minutes at the start of meetings to approach the podium and speak on an issue with a time limit of three minutes each.
The proposal said the mayor can then allow city council members and/or city staff to respond to citizen comments, but citizens would not be allowed to give a rebuttal. After that time, only city council members, city staff and subject-matter experts the staff arranged to speak will be allowed to make comments.
Current Decatur policy does not allow a response to public comments from the city council or city staff.
Wrighton noted the mayor can “interrupt or call out-of-order speakers who are profane, make verbal of physical threats, shout, or engage in crude and/or distasteful personal attacks”.
Citizens would be able to submit information in writing in advance of city council meetings to the city clerk, who can then share it with the city council. That person, if the majority of city council members or the city manager request it, would be allowed three minutes to speak once per meeting “if it pertains to a subject on the agenda, and in conjunction with council’s discussion of that agenda item”, the memo said.
The public would also have the option of making comments during council study sessions.
More information can be found beginning on page 20 in the attached PDF file.
