Lawrence city commissioners tentatively agreed Tuesday to establish a longer general public comment period before the beginning of one meeting per month.
During general public comment, community members can speak to the commission about things relevant to city business that are not on the meeting agenda.
The commission voted in June 2024 to move the general public comment period to the very end of each meeting and to no longer broadcast it. This means that sometimes general public comment doesn’t begin until very late into the evening, and many community members have voiced concerns about people being heard if they cannot stay that late for any number of reasons, such as school, work, transit schedules, health and more.
Under changes commissioners discussed Tuesday, they would meet starting at 5 p.m. rather than 5:45 p.m. during the second meeting each month. They would open general public comment for 45 minutes, which would allow approximately 15 speakers if each used their full three minutes.
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If the public comment period did not fill the entire 45 minutes, the commission would adjourn until 5:45 so people would not miss the beginning of the regular agenda. People can also give public comment about most individual agenda items.
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Mayor Brad Finkeldei said he had suggested changes that were proposed in the agenda.
Under the changes as proposed, the commission would allow up to five people to speak for up to three minutes each near the beginnings of meetings during a 15-minute scheduled public comment period. Those five would need to register their names, address or phone number, and “the matter to be presented” with the city clerk by noon the day of the meeting. Spots would be granted on a first-come, first-served basis after the agenda is published, which is usually late Thursday afternoons. Each person would be able to speak during the scheduled public comment once every seventh meeting.
Finkeldei said he had gotten pushback about the commission asking people for the topic they wish to speak about, and he said he didn’t think that was necessary. He suggested also changing the frequency to once every fourth meeting. He said he’d also heard suggestions that the five scheduled comment slots be limited to city residents.
City Clerk Sherri Riedemann told commissioners that she had some concerns about the initial proposed changes. It would require additional administration and increase complexity to track who is commenting at which meetings and how frequently. That would leave more room for human error, she said, on top of concerns such as someone’s signup attempt accidentally winding up in a junk email folder.
Commissioner Kristine Polian suggested setting more time aside early in the evenings at one meeting per month. She said she worries about people who have to take care of kids and can’t stay late to speak to the commission.
The open general public comment period would continue at the ends of the first and third meetings each month, with an added civility pledge: “Recognizing the diverse backgrounds and perspectives among us, I acknowledge that the principles of democracy play a vital role in shaping and sustaining our community,” the pledge states. “There is no democracy without healthy debate and no healthy debate without dignity and civility; therefore, I pledge to be civil in my comments and treat others with dignity, not contempt.”
Finkeldei said he also wanted to move the city manager’s report toward the beginning of the agenda. It’s usually a fairly brief agenda item near the ends of meetings. He said that as the city prepares to welcome a new city manager after Craig Owens steps down, moving the report to the beginning of the meeting would give the new manager more of a chance to speak to the community.
Commissioners generally agreed with that idea, and that they’d like to establish a three-minute limit for their own reports, which would also move to the beginnings of meetings.
A revised resolution will return to the commission for further discussion and approval at a future meeting.
“At the end of the day, we’re looking for more public comment, which I think is really fantastic for this body,” Vice Mayor Mike Courtney said.
Eight community members spoke to the commission about the proposed changes, some sharing suggestions or concerns.
Regarding the changes as proposed, resident Patrick Ross said he thought requiring email signups ahead of meetings could be a hurdle for community members experiencing homelessness to have a chance to speak.
Resident Chris Flowers said he supported the proposed civility pledge in theory, but he thought it was “designed by the status quo.”
“Extremists have to get uncivil sometimes,” Flowers said. “… It should be up to the individual to decide when it’s time to get drastic.”
Note: This post has been corrected from a previous version.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at [email protected]. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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