Topeka City Council members voiced varying views late Tuesday as to whether they should stop allowing themselves to vote to extend the four-minute time limit for members of the public to speak at their meetings.
Councilman Mike Lesser said the council should stop providing extensions.
“We need to set a limit and stick with it,” he said.
But Councilwoman Karen Hiller said she didn’t see council members no longer providing that courtesy.
“We want somebody to be able to finish their thought,” she said. Councilman Mike Padilla suggested the council allow for each speaker to potentially receive one extension, but not two. Governing body members initially intended to consider approving that proposal next week, but De La Isla indicated late Tuesday that those plans had changed.
She said city staff members would provide governing body members suggested amendments based on the comments made at Tuesday’s meeting.
The proposal discussed that evening included:
• Increasing to five minutes from four the length of time members of the public are given to make public comments while doing away with the current practice of enabling the governing body to vote to give speakers extensions.
• Limiting any presentations the city manager authorizes to be made to the governing body to last no more than eight minutes, while not enabling the governing body to give presenters extensions. Discussion with governing body members wouldn’t count as part of the time limit for a speaker or presenter.
The moves would help keep meetings moving along, said city manager Brent Trout.
(Read more: News – The Topeka Capital-Journal)