Limits on Public Comment Protested
The Lawndale City Council sparked protests Thursday by announcing a proposed new policy to limit public comments to four minutes per speaker and to an overall maximum of one hour per meeting.
The proposal also would bar residents from addressing the council except during the public comments section, which would be shifted from early in the agenda to near the end.
The council, which put the rule into effect at the meeting, asked City Manager John Nowak to draft a measure so they could formalize the rule later.
The council previously allowed people to reserve the right to speak on individual items, including ordinances that don’t require a public hearing, during the public input session.
“What you’re trying to do is shut up the people,” said Lawndale resident Herman Weinstein. Informed input from the public, he said, has saved the city from making legal errors in the past. “I think you’ve got a bad policy and it’s going to bite you, all of you.”
The policy will not apply to public hearings.
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