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CITY OF SAN LEANDRO STAFF REPORT Date: June 13, 2002 To: John Jermanis, City Manager From: Gayle Petersen, City Clerk*'� APPROVED AND FORWARDED TO CITY COUNCIL John J. Jermanis City Manager Subject: Matter of Discussion Regarding Public Comment During City Council Meetings SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION At the June 3, 2002 City Council Meeting, the City Council requested that the matter of limiting public comments to three (3) minutes for Public Hearings and Public Comments, as well as a ten (10) minute limitation per speaker, per meeting be scheduled for discussion at the June 17, 2002 City Council Meeting. The City Council also requested information on how other cities accept public comment during City Council Meetings. BACKGROUND The Rules and Communications Committee, at their May 23, 2002 Committee Meeting, recommended the City Council consider limiting public comments during Public Hearings to three (3) minutes per speaker, as well as setting a limitation of a total of ten (10) minutes per speaker during any one City Council Meeting. Those ten minutes could .be used in up to three - minute increments to speak at any opportunity for public comment during the City Council Meeting. DISCUSSION The League of California Cities recently facilitated a City Clerk's Listserve Survey regarding Oral Communications during City Council Meetings to which ninety-two cities responded. The results, attached as Exhibit "A", show that most cities allow between 3 to 5 minutes per speaker for public comments, with a few cities allowing 2 minutes and Oakland allowing just 1 minute. Expanding upon the survey results, the City. Clerk contacted the City of Oakland regarding their public input process. They provide for an Open Forum for public comment on items not listed on the Agenda at the beginning of each City Council Meeting. Speakers must file a speaker card, cards are date/time stamped, and citizens are allowed one (1) minute to present their comments.